Unusual Artistry

 

Two weeks ago I met some friends at a little wine bar that was new to all of us.  It's called Hidden Track Bottle Shop & Wine Bar and it lives up to it's "hidden" name.  It's tucked away in a small strip center that was once the studio setting for artist Bill Tonnesen.  

Tonnesen is the artist who creates full body sculptures that are scattered around town.  You can see one here and anther one here on previous posts.

This one is hanging from the outside wall of the little center where the wine bar is located.

In another location, I found this reindeer lounging on a shelf in a wall.  

I believe they are both sculptures left over from when Tonnesen had his studio here.

The wine bar itself was a cozy little space that served some of the best bar food I've ever had.  Everything on the menu had a European twist to it and everything was delicious.  I will certainly return here again.  Maybe I'll find some more hidden sculptures lurking around the property.

I Missed My Anniversary

 

I just discovered that I missed my 18 year anniversary for Phoenix Daily Photo.  It was last Saturday on July 11th.  I can't believe it's been 18 years.  The time has just slipped by at the speed of light.  When I discovered that I had missed the date, I couldn't figure out what I should post so I looked at that very first post and decided to post an updated photo of the Arizona State Capitol building.  I just happened to have one in my handy photo files.  

So here I am 18 years later and still posting photos every day.  It's been a fun ride, I think I'll keep it going.  

Dark Clouds, No Rain

 

On Sunday evening I noticed that some dark skies were starting to form over the mountains to the north of me.

I zoomed in closer and saw some very heavy clouds that looked like they might open up at any moment.

The skies to the northeast over the complex were getting very dark.

All of this dramatic build up and not one drop of rain fell.  I heard that areas north of Phoenix got some rain but no such luck for us city folks.

My weather app says we have a stronger chance for some rain later this week.  My fingers are crossed!

Posted this AM, the rains came Monday night and it was a good solid rain!  Makes me happy.  

Flowers Make the Day

 

Flowers are always the perfect decoration for any occasion and recently I've seen a few that I've captured with my camera.  

These were on the table at my friends David & Riley's house for the July 4th dinner.

These were on the table at my favorite pizza place when I stopped in last week.

These cheery mums were on the table at another friend's house for a dinner party at the end of June.

These gerbera daisies were at my friend Glenda's house just last Thursday.  

I used to see lots of gerbera daisies but I haven't recently so I was doubly happy to see these.

Flame Skimmer

 

I came across this photo of a dragonfly when I was searching through the old Desert Botanical Garden photos.  Google says it's a flame skimmer dragonfly.  Don't you love that name?  It's a real beauty so I thought I should share it. 

Here's that same dragonfly from a different vantage point.  It's brilliant orange color stands out wether with a blue background or a green one.  

Brilliant Sunset

 

I noticed a red glow on my balcony wall one evening last weekend so I stepped outside to check out the sky.  It had been overcast all day long but unfortunately no rain fell.  However, all those clouds created a stunning sunset.

I zoomed in a bit to get a better looks at that colorful sky.  My weather app shows us being rather hot for the next week but there is a possibility of rain next weekend.  My fingers are crossed!

Garden Walks in July, Part 3

 

July of 2020 gave me another after-the-storm opportunity for a walk.  You can see the rain droplets on this desert rose bloom.

This barrel cactus was also soaking up the water.  It was also crowned with a circle of pretty blooms. 

In 2025, I also got a July walk at the garden.  That gives me a bit of hope that I might get one this year.  I photographed this agave plant with another plant growing up through its branches.

I also found some pretty blooms on the guayacan plant which surprised me.  I didn't expect to see these blooms in the July heat.

That's my round-up of Desert Botanical Garden July visits.  Hopefully all this effort to find photos from July will pay off with a nice, cooling monsoon storm in the next few weeks.

Garden Walks in July, Part 2

 

I found exactly three photos dated July 2014 and only one of those made it on my blog. My comment on that post said the temperature was tolerable but I'm guessing since I only took 3 photos, I didn't stay very long. This view of Camelback Mountain was one of the three photos.

I had better luck in 2015.  It appears that my walk followed a monsoon storm because all the photos show the appearance of water droplets.

These pretty purple flowers are enjoying the summer rain.

In July of 2017, I was lucky enough to find a flock of peach-faced lovebirds munching on some flowers so I was able to get several shots of those colorful birds.

I also photographed this Desert Rose tree that had been planted in a dish bonsai style.  I don't recall ever seeing this again so I wonder what happened to it.

I have a few more from past July walks tomorrow.  

Garden Walks in July, Part 1

 

The July weather has heated up significantly over the past two weeks.  We've gone from hot to sizzling hot.  I was wishing I could take a walk at the Desert Botanical Garden but it felt too hot over the last weekend.  

That got me to wondering if I've ever been able to walk at the garden in month of July.  I searched through the photo files and I found seven different years where I got to take a walk in July.  So I thought I'd post some photos from those seven years.  Above and to the left are two that were taken in 2012.  I like that sun flare in the top photo.  It looks like the sun was just peeking over the mountain and through the heavy clouds.  Agave blooms appear in the left photo.

Heavy clouds will be a theme through all of these photos.  Cloudy skies or rain are the only things that would make if cool enough to be walking outside in July.

In July of 2013, I snapped this photo of a hummingbird having a little rest from all that buzzing around that I normally see.

I also snapped a photo of this sunflower with something purple blooming in the background.  

I'll show you a few more July walks photos over the next few days.  Who knows, maybe I'll get the opportunity to take a walk this July.  All we need is a nice, heavy monsoon storm to cool things down.

Snowy Egret

 

When I took that drive out to Papago Park a week or so ago, I did spot another pretty bird by the water.  I saw this snowy egret lurking behind some rocks.

I was patient and waited for him to emerge and patience paid off.  Such pristine white feathers!  What a beauty.

Fireworks & the Dogs

 

I did get to see some fireworks on the 4th of July.  I was at my friends David & Riley's house and we viewed some from their upstairs balcony.  

I didn't bring my camera so this shot is just an iPhone shot.

Their dogs were with us on the balcony and they were not the least bit interested in the fireworks or the noise.  I think the display was far enough away that noise just wasn't that intimidating.  

Here's Kasper watching the final preparations before dinner was served.  

We had an all American meal of barbecue ribs, potato salad, mac & cheese and corn.  And, Riley baked some sourdough chili and cheese bread that was delicious. I got to take some home.  Yum!

What a Pretty Flower

 

The last time my MacBook updated the operating system, three gadgets got added to my desktop. First a little calendar, next a little local weather app and below those two a photo randomly snatched from my photo files.  I never know what might pop up in that photo spot and I've enjoyed seeing what gets selected.  A few days ago, this photo popped up and my first thought when I saw it was "wow, when did I take that one".  So I clicked on it and discovered that I took this photo back in 2014.  It's the side view of the flower below.

This photo made it on to my blog back in March of 2014 but that side view above never did.  I think I like the side view even better than the full flower view.  In the side view it looks so soft and delicate.  In the full view, it looks much bolder and tough.  According to my notes, this was called a Zulu Prince Daisy.  It even has a tough name!

P.S. Flowers have such short lives.  Isn't it wonderful that we can photograph them and enjoy them over and over again?  Twelve years later and this one still looks fresh and pretty.

Happy 250th Anniversary!

 

Today is Independence Day and there will be celebrations all over the country.  This year it's a big one, 250 years! This flag is just a little frayed around the edges but that's okay.  The whole country is a bit frayed at the moment so this flag fits the mood perfectly!  I will be celebrating with close friends later today and enjoying strong friendships is a good way to mark the occasion.  

An Odd Memory

 

An odd memory popped into my head yesterday.  I had just reached for a can of Coke when I had a sudden memory of the old Coca-Cola bottling plant that was located in my home town of Quincy Illinois.  I could remember seeing the conveyor belt full of bottles through the big windows in front of the building.  That memory got me to wondering if the building was still there.  I did some research and found that it was still standing and is now listed on the National Register of Historic places. Coca-Cola moved out of the building years ago but the building now houses offices.  It was good to learn that this old Art Deco style industrial building was still there.

The building was built in 1940 and the terra cotta decorations on the front and corners are still there.  In the center is the Coca-Cola emblem.

On each corner is a terra cotta inlay of a Coke bottle.  

I looked through my photos from Quincy and couldn't find any of this building so I scavenged these photos from the internet.  Older buildings are so easily destroyed these days, it was good to learn that this one still exists and is in use.  

That was a fun trip down memory lane.

Favorites from Other Places

 

I was looking through my "Favorites" photo file over last weekend and since our summer heat has constrained some of my outdoor activities, I thought I'd pick a few photos from that folder to share.  Today's selection are all from places other than Phoenix.  Above is a photo taken at Watson Lake in northern Arizona.  It's a beautiful spot with all these boulders surrounded by clear water.  I love that one, round boulder that looks like it might topple down at any moment.

This one was taken in Tucson Arizona in a historic part of town full of old, adobe houses that have been lovingly restored.  This one opens into a little courtyard where a sculpture looms in the corner.

This photo was taken in Chimayo New Mexico.  It's the church called El Santuario de Chimayo and it has become a Catholic pilgrimage site.  It sits in such a beautiful setting, I must have taken at least 20 photos of it. 

Looking at all these photos makes me want to travel somewhere.  I need to get busy planning my next trip.

Theme Day: Water

 

If the conditions are just right, the water in the Papago Park lagoon will be still enough to capture some great reflections of the palm trees surrounding the lagoon.  

The theme for City Daily Photo Bloggers for July is "Water" something that is scarce here in the desert.  However, water features can be found in different parts of the city. To see more water themed photos from bloggers, click here.

Better Luck

 

I made another stop at Papago Park and this time had better luck spotting some birds.  I saw this great blue heron keeping an eye on the water and I even captured a duck in the same photo.  Not wanting to be left out, a grackle hopped into the frame also.  

Enjoying the View

 

I was at my friends Julie & Dave's house Saturday evening and once again enjoyed the view.  The view to the north looks out over the town of Paradise Valley.

The view to the south looks straight up at Camelback Mountain.  The mountain is looking good with the evening sun lighting it up.  

Red-Tailed Hawk

 

I spotted this large bird sitting on top of an electrical pole and luckily I had my camera with me to get a shot.  He was still pretty far away so I wan't sure how such a long telephoto would work but this one is not too bad.  I'm pretty sure it's a red-tailed hawk.  He looks rather regal up there.

Ten Years Later

 

It's been ten years since I discovered this sculpture in south Phoenix and I don't think I've been past it since that time.  However, last weekend I had to take a bit of detour because of construction and I ended up driving past it once again.  It's such an amazing sculpture that I just had to grab another photo.

The sculpture is called "Tryst Marker" and it was created by Tucson artist Fred Borcherdt.  I didn't know who the artist was when I posted photos back in 2016 but someone sent me the information.  The funny thing is, I just did another search on this artist and there is still very little about him on line.  

It was good to see it once again.  

Perfection!

 

Whenever I see a bird-of-paradise plant I look for a perfect bloom like the one above.  There are a few places here in the desert that I see them growing especially around golf courses where frequent watering takes place.  Their species name is Stelitzia but they are called bird-of-paradise because they look like a certain species birds and you have to admit, they do have a bird-like look.  

Whenever I see a perfect one like this, I'm inspired to take a photograph.

Hummingbird Attraction

 

This little hummingbird was attracted by the red color of the Baja Fairy Duster bloom.  I was attracted by the hummingbird.  There was some mutual attraction going on here.

Hummingbirds are such fast moving birds that I'm always happy when I get a photo worth keeping.  

Waxing Crescent

 

Just before I went to bed last Friday, I caught site of the moon setting in the southwestern sky.  I grabbed my camera and took a few shots.  This was the best of the group.  With the moon so low in the sky, it had taken on a yellow glow.  I asked Google what phase it was in on Friday and learned that it was a "waxing crescent".  

Looking at it makes me a bit jealous of those brave astronauts who recently made the trip around the back of the moon.  What an adventure that was.