Dragonfly

Actually it's two dragonflies.  The first one I saw flitting around in Julie's garden at her house.  He had a rather shiny body but his wings are almost invisible against the greenery.

This one was spotted at a local nursery and it was sitting pretty at the very tip of a leaf.  This one is a lot brighter in color than the first one.  His wings stand out a lot more.

Two insects, miles apart doing pretty much the same thing!

Perfectly Framed

I recently saw this house on a quiet street that I rarely visit.  Those two perfectly shaped and perfectly trimmed trees caught my eye.  Those gorgeous trees are framing this home as perfectly as a fancy picture frame.  I don't think that house would look as impressive without those trees to encircle its face so beautifully.

Looking Down

Remember last month when I was doing all those 10-year anniversary shots?  One of the photos I posted was of a fountain at the Phoenix Plaza Office complex.  Well, here is what that fountain looks like when you are high up in one of those tall office buildings that make up this office complex.  It's just a little circle of frothy water from way up there.

Taking a Look Backstage

If you saw the thumbnail version of this photo, I bet you thought it was a colorful sunset.  This is looking into the audience at Grady Gammage Auditorium at Arizona State University.  Last Saturday I joined a group of people for a backstage tour of the theatre I visit so often for plays and other events.  Unfortunately, you can only see the first balcony in this shot.  There is a another one above the one shown here.  The theatre seats 3000.  At the very front of the stage is a section that lowers to create the orchestra pit.  We all rode down to that level and further into the basement riding on the front area of the stage.  That was a unique experience.

Then the group headed up into the rafters where we got to see all the controls for the various curtains and lights.  One of the group even got to lower a light bar and bring it back up again.

On one of the walls backstage were these mementos from the various plays and musicals that have graced this stage.  Many of them signed by crew members.

We got to peek into a series of dressing rooms right behind the stage.  Our guide told us that actors love doing shows here because the dressing rooms are so close to the stage.

It was a great tour where I learned a lot more about this great Frank Lloyd Wright designed theatre.  To see the outside of this fabulous theatre, click the link under the first photo.

Forever Watching

This larger-than-life fellow with the narrow glasses is forever watching the traffic roll buy on McClintock Road in Tempe.  He's on the side of an apartment building in the Omnia McClintock Apartments.  The happy observer was painted by Andy Brown known as ABRO as a muralist.
To see more murals from around the globe, click here.

A WORD..about the passing of John McCain.  Although I was often opposed to some of his political decisions, there is no doubt he was a hero and a patriot who represented the state of Arizona nationally for 36 years first as U.S. Representative and over 30 years as one of our two Senators.  His humanity and statesmanship is something to be applauded especially in these times of division and incivility.  Rest in peace Senator, you will be missed.

Pop-Art Models

  Yesterday I mentioned the virtual reality films I experienced at the Phoenix Art Museum.  Today's photos are of the models that were set up for each one of the films we saw.  This one to the left is to go with the Andy Warhol film.

This one was for the David Bowie/Ziggy Stardust film.

And this one was for the Kenny Scharf Cosmic Cavern film.

I think they were all there to get you in the mood for what you were about to see.

The suit this mannequin is wearing would have blended right in with the psychedelic walls of that room I saw in the film.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm crashing a party in LA....sort of.

Reality Check

On Friday, two friends and I went to the Phoenix Art Museum to see a temporary exhibit showcasing three short virtual reality videos.  These are my two friends watching the Andy Warhol film.  The other two films were about David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust and Kenny Scharf's Cosmic Cavern.  All three dealt with pop art, music, fashion and culture.

I'll describe it as an interesting experience.  I think I liked the Cosmic Cavern one the best because it put you in a room filled with neon colors and crazy objects.  You could look around and see every corner of the room.  The other two I'd describe as images flying at you from every direction. They didn't really appeal to me that much.

I kept thinking about all the possibilities for this genre.  Wouldn't it be fabulous to see a film from inside the International Space Station viewed this way?  I'd love to feel like I was floating around the space station which is an experience I'll never get in real life.

Obelisk

Back in July I posted a photo of the Cancer Survivor's Memorial sculpture that is located in a little pocket-park. That little park is named the Cancer Survivor's Park.

This pretty obelisk is also located in that same tiny park.

It's called the Blue Moon Obelisk and it was created by Marlo Bartels.

Bartels is a well known California ceramic artist.  I don't know of any other pieces he's created that are located in the Phoenix area but this one certainly is a beauty.  I love it!

Potpourri

I'm going to mix it up again with today's post and show you a random selection of photos out of my photo file.  The above shot was actually pretty recent.  When I was last at the Phoenix Art Museum, one of the galleries was all boxed up and ready to be shipped out.

This assortment of antique toys was sitting on the counter of a local sandwich shop.  I love that guy on the motorcycle with the sidecar there in front.

A throw pillow that caught my eye.  I'm the black sheep of course.

A very elaborate playground that I found in south Phoenix.  When I went to school all we had was a slide, a swing set and a rickety merry-go-round.

Spreading Sunshine

As usual, there were some beautiful flowers available at the Farmer's Market last Saturday.  I thought a photo of a nice big sunflower would spread some sunshine around.

They also had these great looking squash blossoms available.  If I had been planning a dinner party, I might have gotten some.  Stuffed squash blossoms can be quite tasty.  Have you ever tried them?

Dog Days

I went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning and was surprised to see so many dogs there.  I saw at least 10 different dogs shopping around with their owners.

I grabbed a few photos but, none of them really were in the mood to pose for me.

Except for this fellow.....

...who when he spotted my camera, got up and gave me a smile.

Recovery and Resiliency

I found a mural dedicated to mental health but, it's in a very difficult location to photograph.  It's on the side of IMHR Epicenter building which is a place offering services related to mental health such as therapy, education, support and medication management.

Most of the mural has a fenced area around it.

With just this one section at the end free of the fence.  The mural was painted by Antonio Pazos with Art Awakenings Artists and it was sponsored by Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care which is a non-profit health plan offering services to those who qualify.

To see more "Monday Murals" click here.

Happy Birthday Julia Child

Julia Child's birthday was August 15, 1912 so she would have been 106 years old this month.  Because of her cooking skills and effervescent personality, she will live forever.  Vincent's on Camelback did a tribute dinner for her this last week using her recipes.  The chef/owner, Vincent Guerithault actually knew Julia Child and she once cooked with him in his kitchen.  The restaurant offered this special dinner for four days last week starting on her birthday.  A friend and I decided to go last Friday evening and we were not disappointed.

There were three courses to the dinner and guests were given a choice of three items for each course. I'll show you the courses I chose.  I started with the French Onion Soup which was superb.  In fact it was better than any French onion soup I've ever had in France!

For my entree I chose the Lemon Sole "Bonne Femme" which was also excellent.  The lemon sauce was rich and tangy and the sole filets were wrapped around fresh spinach and mushrooms.  Yum!

For dessert I had the Cream Puff au Chocolat which was truly delightful but, I could only finish half of it.  Not to worry though, I brought the other half home to eat the next day.

I've featured pictures of the outside of Vincent's and the inside of the Vincent's Bistro before on this blog.  You can see one of those posts here.  Vincent is the only classically trained French Chef in Arizona.  He's won many awards including the James Beard award for best chef in the southwest.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Last week I wrote about a market in Seattle, this week I'll show you a market in Paris.

Rusted and Hiding

Last weekend, I was trying to track down a mural to photograph when I spotted this rusted old card sitting in a driveway, partially hidden by the car in front of it.  It looks like it's all ready for some TLC to bring it back to life.  I hope that's what the owners have in mind.

Arches

There is something about arches that attracts my eye.  Since Spanish style architecture tends to use arches quite a lot, I see many homes with arches built into the facade.  This one emphasizes the arch with three layers.

The one above has used an arched door as the focal point to the home's entrance.

And, to the left is an arched gate in front of home.  I find them all very appealing.

Pink Castle

Four years ago I posted about this place calling it an "empty castle".  Well, it's empty no longer and today I'm calling it the "pink castle".  I was actually surprised last weekend when I drove by this place and saw the color of it.  So surprised that I had to turn around and go back to get a photo.  Check out the link to my old post and let me know what you think.  Does it look better in pink or was it better in that stone look?

Nickel City Baby!

On one of my alternate routes home from work, I pass this store and every time I do I keep telling myself I have got to get a photo of it.  Well, I finally did.  I happened to catch it last Sunday when that man by the door was busy hanging all those mannequins all over the front of the building.  As enticing as it looks, I wasn't tempted to go shopping.

Neighborhood Villas

Over the last weekend, I discovered a very attractive little condo area that I think was called "The Villas".  

It's only one street that wraps around to form a horseshoe, but all the condos have a Spanish style that is very appealing.

I love the balcony on this one.

And, I especially like the pretty glass above each door!  

I Like You

The trees and shrubs surrounding this mural have grown up so much that part of it is hidden from view.  This is actually a two-headed bird and other head has a sort of amorous eye on this head.  Next to the hidden head are the words "I Like You".

This mural was painted by iggy who paints a lot of different birds in murals.

I you would like to see other murals from around the world, click here.

I Recognize Those Ladies...

I recognized these ladies when I spotted them standing in the yard of a home in Paradise Valley.  They appear to the sisters of another group I see all the time at the Heard Museum.

This is one of my favorite sculptures by Doug Hyde.  It's called Intertribal Greeting.  I think these ladies and the ladies in the top photo are all related to each other.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm visiting one of the most famous Farmer's Markets in the U.S.

Grand Entrance

These three Paradise Valley homes have what I'd call "Grand Entrances".  Some might even call them a bit dramatic.

With entrances like these, you would anticipate that the inside is just as grand.

Having never been inside any of these, I can't say for sure.