Practice Subject

One last shot of those flowers I bought as subject for my macro practice sessions.  However, this shot was taken from across the room with the telephoto lens instead of the macro.

Daylily

Still practicing with the new macro lens.  Here’s a shot of the stamen inside a pink daylily.

Bird Bath

It looks like an avian bathhouse.

 We may have more puddles like this after this weekend.  It’s supposed to rain again.

For Sale

On Valentine’s Day I posted a close up of the blooms on a flowering pear tree.  This is where I saw them.  This lovely house is for sale as you can see from the sign on the right of the photo.  Those beautiful trees make it very appealing.

Superstition Mountains

About 20 miles to the east of Phoenix is a mountain range called the Superstition Mountains. When the atmosphere is clear, you can see the mountains from the top of a hill at the Desert Botanical Gardens. Since it had rained all weekend, the air was clean enough to get a good telephoto shot. I apologize for the power lines in the foreground but, there was no way to avoid them.

The Superstition Mountains get the name from legends of gold mines deep within the mountains folds. The most talked about legend is of The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine. If you are interested in the story, check out this link.

Clouds

We had some rainy weather last weekend that finally subsided Sunday afternoon.  I took a walk at the Desert Botanical Gardens when the rain stopped and I saw some amazing clouds in the sky.  Here is a big, white one between two of the Chihuly towers at the entrance to the garden.  The palm fronds you see at the bottom center of this photo are from a real plant but they blend in perfectly with these glass beauties.

Sell Your Sole

A smart car advertising one of my favorite shops.  They sell previously owned designer clothes and accessories and great bargains abound.

New Toy

On Saturday I bought a new macro lens for my camera.  I also bought a bunch of flowers so I’d have a subject to practice with.  This was one of my favorite shots.  The flower looks huge in this photo but, it was only 2 inches (5 cm) across.   I think I’ll be ready for the upcoming wildflower season. 

Missouri Commons

One of the office buildings that are part of an office complex called Missouri Commons.  I find them appealing.

Urban Scarecrow

This little house sitting on the edge of downtown features a huge garden surrounding it and a great scarecrow to keep the pigeons away.  Last summer I featured a picture of a giant sunflower that I took from this very garden.  I’ll have to keep my eye on the place and see what comes up this year. 

Patterns

All the lines and patterns in this entrance to an apartment building caught my eye.

Street Art

When I arrived at the Farmer’s Market on Saturday, a group of artists were set up on the sidewalk painting the scene looking toward downtown.

Poppies

Spring can’t be far away!

Road Assistance

I spotted this young lady sitting at the side of the road over the weekend.  I’m betting assistance arrived quickly.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day in Phoenix sees the city ablaze with flowering pear trees.  They seem to be everywhere and they are bursting with snowy, white blooms right now.

Tree Trimming

My neighbor had his palm trees trimmed yesterday.  These guys seem to have no fear of heights.

Frank Memorial Lecture

Last night I attended an annual lecture at Arizona State University that is held in honor of John P Frank (1917-2002) a very well know leader in the Arizona legal community.  This year’s speaker was Nina Totenberg, pictured above.  Ms. Totenberg’s name will be well known to any of my readers who listen to National Public Radio.  She is the legal affairs correspondent for NPR and has spent the majority of her career reporting on the Supreme Court.  The evening was titled “a conversation with Nina Totenberg” and that is exactly what it was, an entertaining conversation about what it is like to report on our nation’s highest court.

This last December, I was fortunate to witness oral arguments in front of the Supreme Court, an experience I prize highly.  I think that experience added to my enjoyment of Ms. Totenberg’s descriptions and stories about justices and cases past and present.

Greekfest

Yesterday’s patio belongs to the Greekfest Restaurant in Phoenix.  They serve great Greek food in a wonderful atmosphere and with friendly service.  Beware, they have outstanding desserts.

A Touch of Greece

A little touch of Greece in Phoenix.  Tomorrow I’ll show you where it is.

Sun Kissed

A winter favorite of all Phoenicians.

The Sporting House

Another bar in the warehouse district.  This area is within walking distance to the US Airways arena where the Phoenix Sun’s play and the Chase Field where the Arizona Diamondback’s play.  That makes it a good area for bars, restaurants and clubs.

The sign for The Sporting House shows a girl in a baseball cap.

The Duce

A bar just south of downtown in the warehouse district.

Community

The owners of the home with this very large pine tree have created a small community for the local birds.  Birdhouses of all shapes and sizes are hung from this tree.

Hollyhocks

For sale at the Farmer’s Market

Salvage

This place appears to be salvaging old scrap metal and turning it into artistic creations.

Icicles in Phoenix

I looked over at this fountain on my drive home from work yesterday and did a double take.  Is that icicles I see?  I went around the block to check it out and sure enough, there were icicles in the fountain!  This is rare sight for Phoenix.

Birdsong

This fellow was singing rather loudly when I passed under the tree.  I thought he deserved a moment of Blogosphere fame.

Theme Day: Fountains

Phoenix is full of fountains both large and small and I’ve featured many of them on this site.  When you live in a desert, the need to see water becomes almost obsessive.  So instead of another grand, large fountain, today I’ll feature one of my favorite small fountains.  This one is located in the Desert Botanical Garden and I stop by to see it on every visit.  I’m not sure why.  It is very simple but I guess I love its simplicity.

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