Believe it or not, boats in Arizona are not that rare. We are surrounded by man-made lakes and desert dwellers love the water. However, a boat in the middle of the sandy desert is an unusual site made even more unique here with the craft filled with colorful Chihuly glass orbs. In the background are stunning red glass “reeds” mixed in with the variety of native cactus. It makes a beautiful scene, don’t you think? Click on the photo to get a better look.
To learn more about the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens, click here.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
A Boat in the Desert
Believe it or not, boats in Arizona are not that rare. We are surrounded by man-made lakes and desert dwellers love the water. However, a boat in the middle of the sandy desert is an unusual site made even more unique here with the craft filled with colorful Chihuly glass orbs. In the background are stunning red glass “reeds” mixed in with the variety of native cactus. It makes a beautiful scene, don’t you think? Click on the photo to get a better look.
To learn more about the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens, click here.
What a fantastic composition, Sharon! I would really love to see this cool exhibition at such a wonderful natural set! (You know I much I like cacti!) This is an amazing contrast!
ReplyDeleteChihuly is so clever and talented, too, I might add!!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty! Love those colors.
ReplyDeleteGreat Picture!
ReplyDeleteOne of the many things I like about this sight is how inadvertent mini theme days come up. Today for example, I posted my picture. It was a picture of a tug boat on the Chicago River. Then I went to the portal and started looking at recent posts. There's at least four other boat pictures. And then I saw your boat picture, too. Last month, I had posted a picture of a Seward sculpture -- right around the time that you were posting Seward pics, too.
Sharon,
ReplyDeleteI like that you and Julie at www.ScottsdaleDailyPhoto.com both are doing photos of the Chihuly exhibit, as there are so many different pieces, angles and perspectives that your posts are a fascinating complement of one another.
Since you have a "boat in the desert" theme today, here is my favorite boat in the desert story. In World War II, there were several prisons in the Phoenix area for holding Germans soldiers. In fact, one of them was in Papago Park just across the road from where the Desrt Botanical Garden is today.
Some of the Germans got a copy of a map and saw the Gila River. The gathered and hid the materials to build a raft, escaped from the prison, built the raft in the desert, carried the raft for miles to reach the Gila River. Their plan was to float down the Gila to the Colorado River, then into Mexico, and to try to escape from Mexico.
There was one problem with their plan. When they reached the Gila River what did they find? A river bed consisting only of rocks. No water.
The Germans did not realize that in Arizona, rivers are blue lines on maps, but there may be water flowing in the river only a few days a year after a desert storm.
I think this might be my favorite, although it's hard to choose.
ReplyDeleteI'm headed down your way to see that exhibit. I love his work.
ReplyDeleteBoise Diva, good for you! You will love it.
ReplyDeleteDave, I remember that story! I think people are still surprised to find so many bridges here with no water underneath.
ReplyDeleteDave, I love that story too. The VFW Post near the archery range is the officer's quarters from that camp. I have some pictures of the old buildings they used to house the prisoners.
ReplyDeleteSharon, that boat was also used at Kew Gardens in London. Chihuly had it in water there.
I have my Chihuly photos on my blog every 25th of each month.
I love the whimsy and the bright colors! And they actually look just perfect in that desert!
ReplyDeleteWow, Sharon - I love the Chihuly glass stuff. I've been to his factory up in Tacoma. Such fantastic works of art!
ReplyDeleteexcellent photos,I like your blog
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