Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Random Musings from Scottsdale


I have a selection of random shots all taken within the city of Scottsdale that have accumulated in my photo files.  It's a disparate collection of odds and ends.  Like this horse statue that sits in front of P F Chang's Restaurant.  They put these horses in front of most of their restaurants so if your city has a Chang's restaurant, you've probably seen these big guys.


There is a nice little rose garden at the Scottsdale Civic Center and it sits right up against the fountain in front of the city hall.  That blue water makes a great background for the pretty roses that bloom there.


That strange looking sculpture above is found sitting in the yard of a home in north Scottsdale.  There were a few other sculptures scattered around making me wonder if the home belongs to the sculptor.




Anybody remember these shiny, reflective balls?  When I was growing up, I used to see them in people's gardens all the time.  I was told they were supposed to keep birds from bothering the plants.  I haven't seen one in ages and then saw this one a while ago sitting in the middle of the cactus growing in front of some shops.










This is a chandelier over a table at the restaurant called Olive and Ivy.  I used to like this big round fixture but lately it has started to remind me of.......well.....a virus of some kind.


And, finally a photo I took back in 2014.  Neiman Marcus, the stalwart retailer of luxury goods had to file for bankruptcy last week.  The economic downturn caused by the corona virus is apparently to blame.  They must have been operating with a very thin margin which seems strange for a place whose tongue-in-cheek nickname is "Needless Markup".

12 comments:

biebkriebels said...

Where would we be without the archives..:) Nice pictures!

RedPat said...

Nice selection, Sharon. I remember that my Mum had one of those reflective balls in the garden. It was her pride & joy.

Mae Travels said...

It seems that all department stores were in big trouble even before the great pandemic. At least two others have also declared bankruptcy and are in process of either downsizing or totally disappearing. I would be sad except that I haven't been inside one in several years anyway, which shows what's happening to them.

be well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Revrunner said...

Now that you mentioned it, it does sorta look like a . . . Maybe it's time for a makeover.

Steve Reed said...

I didn't know that about Neiman Marcus! Wow! Tough times in the retail world.

I love the rusty sculpture. It looks like a big seed pod or blossom of some kind. The mirrored balls were a Victorian thing -- they were called mercury balls, I believe. I used to see them a lot when I lived in New Jersey. I hadn't heard they kept birds away but that's as good an excuse to have one as any!

Bill said...

I remember that reflective ball being in a neighbor's yard years ago. How fast we forget until we see it again.:) Great selections of photos, Sharon.

Kay said...

Great selection of shots. I just thought the reflective balls were eye candy for gardens.

Aimz said...

I like the sculptures, especially the ball - they make the garden more interesting.

Catalyst said...

"Needless Markup" - I'd never heard that but it's hilarious. However the photo of the Royal Palm and the beautiful blue sky against that very modern and severe (I had a friend once who would have described it as Stalinist) building is stunning.

Catarina said...

I liked this selection of photos.

Jack said...

I like seeing a varied collection like this one. So much to think about. I know that P.F. Chang horse from both West Hartford and southwest Florida. And I admired that rusty metal sculpture. And Nieman Marcus' story is sad but too common . . . I suspect that within five years there will not be such a thing as a department store. Sears . . . Macy's . . . Nordstrom . . . Penney . . .

PerthDailyPhoto said...

Lovely series of randoms Sharon, the reflection ball in the garden is fab, one could have a lot of fun with that 😊