Happy Halloween

I've seen a lot more Halloween decorations this year than I've seen in the past.  The one I featured yesterday was probably the most elaborate.  However, this one is still a favorite.  The tombstone and skeleton might seem simple until the foggy atmosphere was added.  It is a very effective effect.

New Neighbors

I have new neighbors who just moved in to a house across the street from me around 3 weeks ago.  A few days ago I saw something sitting on the roof of the house and my first thought was that they were going to have a new roof put on the house.  Later that day, I got a better look and saw this unusual row of characters sitting on the roof line of the house.

Later again, I noticed that this group had joined the "roof-sitters" to play around in the front yard of the home.  I would say that these people really enjoy decorating for the Halloween season.  I wonder what they will do at Christmas time.

Stylish

I recently found this interesting little house in the Cheery Lynn historic neighborhood.  The owners have decorated for Halloween quite simply with the two pumpkins on the steps but, the house itself has lovely style.

Halloween Decorations

I'm starting to see some very clever Halloween decorations going up around town.  I saw this very large bat hanging from a tree in my neighborhood.

I spotted it as I drove by and had to go around the block to see if it was real.  That's when I discovered there were more than just the one.  From the looks of these guys, I'm kind of glad they weren't real.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are starting to show up everywhere.  I found this "pumpkin patch" in front of a north Phoenix church last Sunday.  Something tells me that there was a seasonal party after services were over.

A Sign that Fall is here

When you live in the desert you have to look for signs of fall because they aren't always as obvious as they are in other climates.  One sure sign is the arrival of pumpkins.  I spotted this man carrying two large one's to the car.  I bet there will be jack-o-lanterns in his future.

Black Cat

I've been looking for something to help give me that "fall" feeling and not having much luck.  With temperatures in the high 90's (37C), I'm having a hard time believing it's almost Halloween.  Perfect for the season is this black cat who was heading my way when I stopped to check the sunset for possible photo options.  The sunset didn't develop but this cat was perfect to put me in the mood for Halloween.

Mohawk

This cactus is sporting a Mohawk haircut!

Hello There!

I had my camera focused on this elaborate nest wedged between the arms of a large cactus when all of a sudden this cactus wren popped out to see what I was up to.  I like the way he's grabbed on to two cactus needles to support him at his front door.

Mariachi

A few weeks ago when I attended the opening of a new Library, I took this photo of these very lovely young women who make up a Mariachi Band.  It's not common to see an all female Mariachi Band so I asked if I could take their photograph and they said yes.  Members of a Mariachi Band traditionally dress in "charro" style clothing heavily adorned with silver details.

The silver on the side of their skirts are called Botonaduras.

Wavy

Central Avenue Office Building reflected  three streets away.

Attracting Attention

Some businesses go to extreme lengths to let the buyers know there is a sale in process.

Shadows

Presentiment is that long shadow on the lawn 
Indicative that suns go down; 
The notice to the startled grass 
That darkness is about to pass.         Emily Dickenson

Dappled

This house in the Encanto Historic neighborhood is glowing with the late afternoon light.

State Fair in the backyard

One of our historic neighborhoods is adjacent to the state fair grounds so, at this time of year the entertainment seems to be right in their backyard.

Beauty among the bramble

If you look hard enough you can beauty anywhere!

Duo

This sculpture is the creation of artist Lyle London and is located at an office building in the mid-town area.    The building houses the local headquarters of the Drug Enforcement Administration but, I didn't see any relationship between that and this sculpture.  When I found this sculpture, I had never heard of Lyle London but after doing some research I've learned that he is a well know sculptor with pieces located all over the world.  One of his most famous pieces is located in Liverpool England and is a tribute to John Lennon.  It's called Peace and Harmony and you can see it here.  It is beautiful!

Speaking of Bugs

In contrast to yesterday's giant ants, this colorful grasshopper was also lurking about at the Desert Botanical Garden.  His size isn't as intimidating as the giant variety.  However, if he had jumped on me, I'm sure I would have jumped myself.

Very, very large ants

These giant ants are part of the "Big Bugs" exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden that I told you all about two weeks ago.  After I took this shot I wondered if the passengers of that jet could see these creatures crawling down the hill. They might get a little concerned about the bug situation in Arizona.

Umbrella

In Phoenix our umbrellas don't see much rain but, they do get used to protect us from the sun!

Paragliding

Sunday evening I was on my way back into the city with a good friend after we had been out in the desert shooting photos.  (More about that at a later time.)  Suddenly we saw some gliders heading our way.  We pulled over and jumped out to grab a few shots.  This guy has got his own web site and he advertises it on the underside of his canopy.  You can check it out here.  He was doing all kinds of twists, turns, and flips right in front of us.  I found out later that there was a paragliding show on Sunday afternoon in the far north end of Phoenix.

Green Tomatoes

Perfect for frying!  Anyone else like fried green tomatoes?

Nature's Living Room

When I was at the Desert Botanical Garden last weekend, I saw this little scene on the edge of the pavilion that is used for private parties and meetings.  It looks like someone made a comfortable little place to visit with friends surrounded by nature.

Art and the Financial Crisis

Artist Enrique Chagoya created this piece called "Pyramid Scheme" designed to mimic the famous Campbells Soup cans.  He's serving up a selection of soups and stews that are very familiar to most of us.  Judging from the demonstrations on Wall Street, many people have had enough of this soup line.

Apple

A small tribute in front of my local Apple Store.  What an amazing man the world lost.  In all of my life, I have never seen such an outpouring of love for any other corporate leader.  Steve Jobs changed the way we think about technology, the way we play music, and the way we communicate with one another.  He's touched every corner of our world and left a mark that will last for hundreds of years.

Mail Delivery

I work in a pet friendly office where two or three of the employees bring their dogs to work on a regular basis.  This is Moose!  He belongs to one of our team and has free run of the office. He loves to greet customers and visit with all the staff. He's very smart, he knows where all the dog treats are stored.  Here he delivering some mail to my office.

Industrial Patterns, Part 2

Here is another one of my industrial pattern shots taken at the "tank farm" I found on the west side of Phoenix.  This one has a set of orange stairs heading in the opposite direction of the shot I posted last week.    This tank was also facing a different direction so the sun didn't create quite as deep of shadows as in the last shot.  I like both of these but I think I like the first shot (posted on 9/27) the best.

I did a little editing with this one too and came up with this pastel stairway.

Pampas Grass

Almost every morning on my way to work, I pass this growth of pampas grass.  Since I head east on the way to work, I'm driving into the sun and the grass is always glowing with the early morning sunlight.  It always catches my eye.  So I decided to stop and take a few photos to see if I could catch that glow.

Let's Get the Show on the Road

For the past 15 years (it could be even more), I've had season tickets to the Valley Broadway Series with my good friends Julie (Scottsdale Daily Photo) and Dave (Tamarindo Costa Rica Daily Photo) and Julie's mom, Glenda.  The shows are all Broadway productions that are currently touring the country.  Our tickets have always been on the last Sunday of the run so, when I arrive at the theatre, there is always a convoy of trucks sitting in the driveway ready for the stage hands to strike the set and pack it up.  Last night when I arrived, this truck was sitting in the drive.  It was the first time I'd seen one of these trucks with such a perfect logo.

Oh, by the way, last nights show was "West Side Story".  I've seen it so many times that I could almost sing along.  Don't worry, I didn't.

The Monarchs are back

The Monarch Butterflies are back at the Desert Botanical Gardens!

Theme Day - Mystery Object

I found my mystery object when I was driving around in a very industrial area of Phoenix.  These orange things were stacked up in piles making an interesting pattern in really bright colors.  I have no idea what they are.  After I downloaded the photo, I did some magic with my photo editing software and I created the image below.  I like it! 

To see more Mystery Objects, click the link below.
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