Up, Up and Away

 

I'm taking to the air today for the first time in two years!  This afternoon, I will be flying to Newport to spend a few days with my friends in cooler California.  My friend Julie has been there all this month and her husband Dave has been flying in for long weekends.  And Glenda, Julie's mom has been there for  the last three weeks.  I will stay for four days and drive back with my friends on Sunday.  I'm looking forward to getting into vacation mode.

If the plane takes off toward the east, I'll get this nice view of Camelback Mountain as we leave Phoenix.

Rainbow Wings

 

This mural was recently added to the side of Stacy's at Melrose.  I like the desert sunset colors on this one and the rainbow wings.  Stacy's is a gay bar so the rainbow colors are appropriate.  This was painted by Geremy Sites.  I wonder if anyone poses between those wings.  It seems like it would be a great photo opportunity.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Monumental Weaving

 

I received an email from the Heard Museum saying they had this special Navajo weaving on display so I went to the museum yesterday to take a look at it.

This was woven by Minnie Many Horses in 1932 for the Hubbell Trading Post and it took 23 months to create.

Shortly after its creation, it was on display at the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair. 

It is believed to be the 4th largest Navajo textile in existence.  

The weaving is on loan to the Heard Museum from the Foster Family for a short period of time.  I'm glad I made the trip to the museum to see it.  It's beautiful.  

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I have a look at the Grand Canyon over the decades.

My First Arizona Apartment

 

After leaving my parent's home that I mentioned in yesterdays post, I moved into an apartment in central Phoenix with a friend I met at work.  We shared this two bedroom apartment for two years.  This was actually my very first apartment and I enjoyed it very much.  It had a few quirks but for the most part, it was a great place to live.

These apartments are unusual because you can't see them from the street.  There is a row of apartments that run behind a home.  What looks like the driveway for the home is actually a driveway that runs along this apartment block.  I don't remember how many apartment there were but I'm guessing around six.  I also can't remember how we even found this place.  It was a long time ago.

I am now once again living in central Phoenix and actually not far from where these old apartments are located. I took these photos about a year apart when I walked by the place.  It was good to see they are still there.

A Half a Century Ago

 

I moved to Arizona 50 years ago along with my parents.  This is the first house they bought all those years ago.  It was located in the far northwest side of Phoenix right on what was the edge of town back in those days.  Now the city limits go much further north and west.  The house was brand new and in a new neighborhood.  Soon after moving in, mom and dad had a pool installed in the back yard.  Mom loved to swim and believe it or not, so did the family dog, a very large St. Bernard.  I lived here for a couple of years before moving into an apartment with a friend.  

About 15 years ago, I drove by this house and the whole neighborhood was looking a bit sad and run down.  I was happy to see that it has recovered and is once again looking like a great place to live.

National Dog Day

 

Someone mentioned to me that today is National Dog Day.  It's a day to celebrate our beloved, four-legged friends.  I thought I'd do just that by featuring two dogs I know and love.

First up is my sister's dog Pepper.  You might remember me telling the story of me adopting him from the Humane Society and driving to meet my sister to pass him along to her.  You will be happy to know that he has settled in comfortably and is now the center of attention at my sister's house.

To the right is my friend David and his partner Riley's new dog Alexis.  She is the cutest little bundle of energy I've seen in a long time.  She makes me think of "Tigger" from Winnie the Pooh.  She bounces up and down like she has springs for legs.

Two very cute and well loved dogs to celebrate today! 

Two Different Looks

 

I love roaming around the older neighborhoods and seeing how the houses there have been maintained.  This one caught my eye with its big porch and all those desert plants.  

In another neighborhood, I saw this house that has been totally redesigned giving it a modern look.  I sometimes like a modern look but this one just seems pretty stark to me.  If I was going to choose between the two, it's no contest.  The first one wins.

Archived Oddities

 

I was wandering through my archived photos this last weekend and weeding out a few here and there when I came across a few odds and ends I thought might warrant a showing.  

First up is a white winged dove stretching his neck to look at something.  I'm not sure what but he does look interested.

To the right is a profile image of a statue I've featured before on this site.  It's a giant blue head that sits in front of a Scottsdale art gallery.  You can see a full face image here.

Speaking of Scottsdale, here is another image from that city.  Along Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale is a place called Alien Donuts.  I snapped this photo of a few of the outside decorations a few months before the pandemic started. The photo has been sitting in a folder ever since.

Above is a closeup of the fountain in the city square of Carefree Arizona.  I was about to delete this one but I love how the photo captured the drops of water so it escaped the trash pile.

This last photo was taken back in May when I visited the Phoenix Art Museum.  I did a post about some new paintings on display by younger artists and that one to the right was one of them.  When I stepped back to get a broader view, I spotted the gentleman seated and couldn't resist another shot.  There is always something unexpected to see at the art museum.

Among the Bubbles

 

I found this new mural along 7th Avenue near Roosevelt street recently.  This one was painted by a new mural artist named Chele Hill.  She signed it simply "Chill".  It has an ethereal quality to it, so delicate and pale yet still able to catch your attention.  It caught my attention.  I drove around the block to find a place I could park to get the photo.  I then had to wait for a gap in busy traffic to get the shot.  It was worth it, I found two more murals just while scouting out this one.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Getting Out the Umbrellas

 

It rained almost every day last week.  It usually started in the evening once the monsoon clouds had built up and grew heavy.  But one day, it rained right in the middle of the day.  I went out and stood on my balcony to watch it come down.  That's when I saw this lady standing in the rain.  I wondered why she was just standing there.

After about 15 minutes, the school bus arrived and then I knew what she was waiting for.  That was nice of her to wait with the umbrella so her child didn't have to walk the rest of the way home in the rain.

A few hours later, I went out to get the view to the east and that's when I saw the rainbow.  It's a faint rainbow but there it is arching over Camelback Mountain.

This weekend has been dry again but the weather experts are saying we could get more monsoon storms late next week.  We have needed this rain for so long!

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm visiting the monastery in the desert.  

Bungalows

 

When I hear the word "bungalow" this is what I think of.  A cute little house.  This one is located in the FQ Story historic neighborhood.

Here's another example that fits my description.  This one was found in the Fairview Historic neighborhood.  

This one looks a little more modern than the first two houses but I'd still classify it as a bungalow because of its size.  It was found in the Idylwilde Park historic district.

This one has one of those turrets that I talked about in yesterday's post.   I'd still call it a bungalow.  This one is found in the Willo historic neighborhood.

Bungalow is a funny word, don't you think?  I looked it up and it describes a "small house or cottage that is either single story or with a second story built into a sloping roof."  I think these four fit nicely into that description.  

Houses With Turrets

 

I recently drove past a condo development that I have admired.  I love the southwestern look of these buildings and the little 'towers' attached to many of them.  I wish I could see what those rounded rooms look like inside.  

Just a few steps away from the condos above is a home that has a similar look to it with a rounded tower-like entrance area.  I love that balcony.  It would be fun to see how this one looks on the inside too.  

Cattails and Palm Trees

 

I drove to Papago Park last weekend in the hopes of seeing some water birds around the lagoon.  There was not a bird in sight the entire time I was there.  I usually always see birds here but on Sunday, none were out and about.  The birds must have been gathering in some other location.

So, I snapped a couple of photos of the cattails at the edge of the lagoon with the palm trees in the background.  

I'll look for birds another day.

Cruising Central Avenue

 

Does anyone remember "cruising"?  I grew up in Illinois so my "cruising" days were there.  It's my understanding that back in the 60's, Central Avenue was the place to cruise if you lived in Phoenix at that time.  Last weekend, I took a cruise up Central Avenue.  To be honest, I enjoy driving on this street.  I like to see the midtown buildings and the light rail.

I decided to snap a couple of photos right out the windshield as I made my way north.  I was stopped in traffic when I took both of these shots.  The top one was approaching the intersection with Thomas Road and the second photo was  a little further up the street at Catalina.  

A Tall Building

 

I discovered this building in a residential neighborhood on the western edge of downtown Phoenix.  The building's tall stature immediately stood out among all the single level houses.  

 It looks like it houses at least three apartments and all in the footprint of a single family home.

The Art Deco touches make it look appealing to me. 

Beyonce and Jay-Z

 

This mural of Beyonce and Jay-Z was commissioned for the side of a new bar called The Boom Boom Room.  The bar's owner wanted something that would reflect black excellence and Black Lives Matter.  She thought this power couple could represented that perfectly.  The mural was painted by Giovanni "Just" Dixon whose artistic business goes by the name "Just Create It".  

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Quick Trips to the Mall

 

I took this photo with my iPhone last February when I made a very quick trip into the mall to pick something up.  I thought this wall surrounding a construction area was very nicely done.  

I made another quick trip to the mall last Friday and discovered what was behind that fancy covering.  It's actually a Dior store.  No, I didn't go it to look around.  I was fairly certain that there was nothing I could afford in there.  However, I do like the look of the outside.  

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I have some more photos from the beautiful Mission San Juan Capistrano.  

Observations on the Road

 

This pink car caught my eye.  That is a a very unusual color for a car.  My first thought was that it would be advertising something but no, there were no ads on this car.  It's just PINK!

The car above is another that caught my eye.  An example of a seriously misinformed person.

Ho hum...the amount of proudly displayed irrationality is so disheartening.  

Impromptu Dinner

 

Given the rise in COVID cases, my friends and I are starting once again to limit our exposure to large groups.  My friend Glenda decided instead of going to a busy restaurant we would have dinner at her house.  She invited Dave to join us.  (Julie is out of town.)

Glenda made a delicious Caprese salad and I tossed together a pasta dish.  It was all very delicious

After dinner we went out on the patio to enjoy the cooler temperatures when this handsome fellow stopped by for a visit.  He "chatted" for a while and then was on his way.

The evening turned out to be every bit as good as any restaurant experience.  

Four Days of Clouds

 

We've had four days of cloudy skies here in the Sonoran desert.  It's been a very nice break in summer's extreme heat.  Every evening we get emergency alerts warning of flash floods but where I am located, very little rain has fallen.  South Phoenix and the cities further south have gotten most of the rain.  

The sun has been peeking over the top of the clouds every now and then but for the most part, the skies have looked like this.  I'm not complaining.  It's a welcome change.  Watching all the changes in cloud shapes and sizes is also very entertaining.

Filling in a Narrow Lot

 

I recently saw these condos going up on small, narrow lot along Osborn Road.  They caught my eye because they look so out of place to me.  They look more like something I might see in the midwest or maybe the Pacific Northwest rather than in the desert southwest.

I also think they would involve way to many stairs to suit my needs.  

Clusters of Red Berries

 

Here are few photos I took this last winter on a walk at the Japanese Friendship Garden.  The garden has two or three of these Brazilian Pepper trees and during the winter months they produce these bright red berries.

The berries are sometimes harvested and dried and sold as pink peppercorns.  In fact, I have some in my spice cabinet right now.  I don't use them often but I have used them to give a light peppery taste.

They certainly have a sort of "holiday" look to them.  They make me think of the holy berries used in Christmas decorations.

Smoke Form A Campfire

 

I found this mural in an alleyway near downtown Phoenix.  It appears to depict the desert plants and birds engulfed in the smoke from a campfire.  Since wildfires are such dangerous things in our desert environment, maybe the message is to make sure campfires are well contained and put completely out.  At least that's the way I'm going to interpret this one.  I didn't see an artist's name.

Update:  I learned that the artist's name is Mac.  A friend of mine let me know.  Mac (MacKenzie Schneider) happens to be the niece of a another friend.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Living in a Date Palm Grove

 

I happened to be driving down 44th Street last Friday and I decided to pull into an old neighborhood that sits in a former date palm ranch.  There are two parts to this neighborhood, the part I was in when I took this photo was the newer section with homes originally built in the 1970's.

Way back in 2009, I did a series of posts about the older half of this neighborhood.  That is an area called Palma Viva.  That area is composed of the old date ranch buildings that have been lovingly converted into a series of condos.  What was once the packing house and the employee lodgings are now small condos.  You can see those older photos by clicking the "Palma Viva" label below.  Back in 2009, my posted photos were much smaller.  I tried editing them to make them larger but blogger wouldn't let me.  I will simply have to make another visit to the Palma Viva neighborhood and take some new photos so I can update those old posts.  It's a historic place that is well worth visiting and photographing again.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm visiting a lesser known California wine country.