Where to Walk During a Heat Wave

 

We are having more unusually hot weather here in the desert southwest and I wanted to walk so I headed to the mall.  Then I got to thinking, maybe there are some things to photograph while I walk around.  First up, the escalators at Nordstroms caught my eye.  X marks the spot!

Next I saw this bronze statue in the mall.  It has been moved to this new location.  For many years, this statue was located in the food court.

Next I saw these colorful olive oil jugs. I thought their patterns might make a nice photo.

This last one was taken in the cosmetics department of one of the stores.  It's a display for a perfume called Aqua Allegoria.  That display is so busy with plants, it's hard to see the perfume bottle.  

Mission accomplished, a nice long walk and a few pictures to go with it.

A Trip to the Bookstore

 

With so many bookstores long gone, it's a rare treat to spend some time browsing among the books.  I took some time to do just that this last weekend.  I only know of two bookstores that are still open in the Phoenix area and both are pretty far from my house.  The closest one is Changing Hands Bookstore and that's where I spent time enjoying look and feel of a room full of books.

I came home with two new books to add to my reading list.  "End of the World House" by Adrienne Celt and "The Angel of Rome and Other Stories" by Jess Walter, both sounded like something I might enjoy.  

Smiling Eyes

 

My friend Glenda and I had dinner at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants Saturday evening, Los Sombreros.  However, we went to the Phoenix location instead of the Scottsdale location that we usually go to.  That's where I found this mural of the girl with the smiling eyes.  

I couldn't make out the signature.  I tried several variations but couldn't locate an artist's name.  So this one may have to remain a mystery.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Clinging to the side of the Mountain

 

On an early evening drive on the south side of Camelback Mountain, I stopped to snap some photos of some of the houses that seem to magically cling to side.  This one is quite modern with lots of glass for enjoying the views.

This one is more of a Spanish style and as you can see, it's quite large.  

These last two are totally different from each other.  One is very modern and cantilevered over the rocky terrain.  The one below it is more traditional with a tiled roof and what appears to be a long porch.  I enjoy cruising around on the mountain.  I never know what I might find.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  An Oregon farmhouse is featured.

My Weekend Art Projects

 

I mentioned earlier this week that while I was in California, I took a couple of art classes at the Laguna Beach Art Festival. The first class I took was for glazing raku pottery.  I chose a pot from their small collection and then they taught me how to paint it with different glazes.  The before pot is to the right and at the top is how it turned out after firing.  I think I did a pretty good job with this one.

The second class I took was a painting class and this one wasn't quite as successful.  The above photo shows the finished painting.  The small painting to the side was the sample we were trying to duplicate.  The photo to the left shows how it looked before I added those white streaks.  My fish look a bit sad but I like the way the deep water turned out.

The Return Flight

 

The flight home to Phoenix went smoothly with no hitches like I described yesterday.  I love looking out the window to see what places I can recognize and I snapped this shot as we passed downtown Phoenix.  

My friend Dave got an even better view of downtown when he flew home at a different time.  He was seated closer to the front of the plane so there was no wing in the way.  He got a great view of downtown Phoenix.

A Sign From Up Above

 

Looking out the airplane window, this sight was my first hint that something was wrong.  When I flew to California last week, my plane took off on time and as we were gaining altitude, it appeared to me that we were swinging north when our destination was straight west.  That's when I spotted this scene looking  down on Sun City which is recognizable by its distinctive circle pattern.  My first thought was that I might have gotten on the wrong flight.  The flight path to Orange County California, does not go anywhere near Sun City.  Shortly after I noticed this, there was an announcement from the flight deck that we were headed back to Phoenix because of a mechanical issue.  Once we landed, the maintenance crew came aboard and determined that we shouldn't fly in that plane so, everyone got off the plane and we were directed to another gate where we waited to board a different plane.  All in all, it took 6 hours to get to California when it should have taken about 55 minutes.  The good thing is that we finally got to our destination safe and sound.  The other good thing is that there were no complaints from any of the passengers.  Everyone took it in their stride with a mixture of laughter and smiles.  

Three Day Get-Away

 

I had a bit of break from the desert heat and monsoon storms and spent 3 wonderful days in California.  I did lots of walking along the paths above the coast.

I never get tired of the view from Heisler Park in Laguna Beach California.  It's the best place to walk and watch the the ocean, the surfers and the wildlife.

I enjoyed the art show at the Laguna Beach Art Festival and I even took two short classes.  Those classes are a great way to get the creative juices flowing.

 I also enjoyed some beachfront dining.  What a pleasant setting for a relaxing meal.

It was a refreshing three days!

Ominous Looking Sky

 

A storm rolled in Sunday evening and there were some scary looking clouds as part of it.  I thought it was going to be a nasty storm but all that happened was some rain and lots of wind.

With all that cloud activity, I would have thought we would get a lot of rain but it only rained for about 30 minutes.  

This storm turned out to be all show!

The Human Heart

 

This mural was located on the same wall as the mural I posted last Monday.  This one is signed "Korsen" who turns out to be Jennifer Korsen.  I recognize the human heart which makes its way into many of Jennifer's murals.  The snake devouring the fish is a little scary.  You can see more of her work at her Instagram site.

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Mid-Century Architecture

This apartment building was designed by Al Beadle, a very prolific architect who most people have never heard of.  There are many Beadle designed buildings and homes in the Phoenix area.  This place is called the Triad Apartments.  Check the link.  There are more photos both inside and out.  This place was built in 1964 and it has the distinctive round bulb light fixtures.  Beadle used those round lights in almost all of his designs.  They quickly became known as Beadle Balls.  

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  More views of Abbey Road Farm.  

Looking Forward

 

I am looking forward to cooler months ahead when I can once again get outside for long walks.  I miss my time at the Desert Botanical Garden photographing birds and plants.  I spotted this humming bird perched on a twig and all puffed up.  They are such busy little birds, it's fun to catch them when they are taking a rest.

Here is another one taking a rest between all that buzzing around the flowers and blooms.  Hopefully, there will be some cooler days in September when I can get out there again.

Cactus Gardens

 

There are several cactus gardens on the outside of the Scottsdale Museum of the West.  I found a small sign that called the gardens the Louis M & Frances P Sands Gardens.  

The gardens are all beautifully arranged in symmetrical patterns.  They are very pleasing to look at and photograph.  

Sculptures Outside the Museum

 

These three sculptures are located outside the Scottsdale Museum of the West.  The one above is called Indian Mother and Child by artist Harry Jackson.  

To the left is a carved stone sculpture called Wing to Wing by Kirk Tatom.  The artist is from Santa Fe and is known for his abstract avian forms. 

This last one is by Melanie A. Yazzie.  I actually saw an exhibit of her work in Santa Fe New Mexico several years ago.  This sculpture is called Pollen Keeper II.  She has this quote to describe her work:

"Pollen Keeper II is a self-portrait of my state of mind when I am thinking about those who carry our people's history and stories.  They are the pollen keepers, the ones who make us live into the future, the wisdom keepers so to speak."

Scottsdale Museum of the West

 

I've posted many photos from this museum before but I've never featured the outside of the building before.  During the pandemic when everything was closed, I wandered around the outside of this building photographing the sculptures that are outside the museum.  I featured that "cowboy" in front of the museum in one of those posts.

Tomorrow, I'll show you some of the other sculptures that live just outside this museum.  

Totem Poles in the Garage

 

I found these two photos in my archives.  They were taken on one of those garden tours that  occur in the spring of each year.  This particular house belongs to the artist Janet Orr who creates these whimsical ceramic pieces along with a lot of other ceramic artworks.  Her garden was full of them.

In her garage, she had several that were ready to go on display somewhere.  There are even a few back in the corner that look like they haven't been fired yet.  

She also had these to the right that were part of her garden just outside the garage.  

There are also several of these colorful totem poles on the grounds of the Shemer Art Museum.

Artists at Work?

 

I found this mural in an alley where not many people will see it.  It appears to depict two artists getting ready to paint something with their spray cans.  There is no signature on this one but I've seen that fellow with the "bird-face" before.  I just can't remember who it is that paints them.

Thanks to Andy for finding the artist's name.  This was painted by Joseph Anthony "Sentrock" Perez.  I've seen a couple other murals signed "Sentrock".  Thanks Andy!

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

Commemorative Statue

 

This statue of Pope John Paul II is located in downtown Phoenix in the park next to St. Mary's Basilica.  It commemorates Pope John Paul's 1987 visit to Phoenix.  

There is no artist's name for the statue but I did learn it was cast in Pietrasantre, Italy.  

The pope visited 9 cities on that 1987 tour and Phoenix and Tempe were two of them.  In Tempe Arizona, he said mass for 75,000 people in Sun Devil Stadium.  I remember when he was here but I didn't attend any of the events.  

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  A visit to Abbey Road Farm.

Office View

 

I've mentioned before that I work part-time for a non-profit organization. Last week, I needed to meet with employees at our newest office location.  This new location has only been open for less than a year and I hadn't been there before.  I was surprised to find it located on the third floor of an office building directly across the street from the Tovrea Castle.  Anyone remember when I did some volunteer work at the castle? (That was over 10 years ago! My how time flies.)

I took these photos with my iPhone looking out the windows facing the north.  On the south side, they have a view toward the airport where they can see jets taking off all day long.  It's a wonderful office space.

A Patch of Blue

 

I saw this desert spiny lizard on one of my spring time walks at the Desert Botanical Garden.  It has a very distinctive blue patch on its back and I wondered why.  I have a book about common reptiles and it says that male lizards have a blue patches on their bellies and throats and sometimes purple patches on their backs.  I've photographed many of these lizards but this is the first one I've seen with such a distinct patch of blue/purple on its back.  It certainly attracted my attention.  

On the Corner

 

I've passed by this house several times and I finally stopped to take a photo.  It looks to me like the house has been enlarged.  It's much bigger than the other houses on this street and it looks like two wings have been added to the back.  I'd love to see the inside.  The layout must be interesting.  

All That Glass

 

I remember when this apartment complex was built about four years ago.  As I watched the construction, I was curious about all that glass.  I do love big windows that let in lots of natural light but, it also lets in a lot of heat from our desert sunshine.  I noticed when I took this photo, that almost all the windows have shades covering them.  

Food and Friends

 

I had dinner Saturday evening with my good friends David and Riley and we went to a beautiful Asian restaurant called Tottie's Asian Fusion.  I hadn't been to this restaurant in at least three years and it still looked as beautiful as I remembered.  

This mysterious trunk was on a shelf just above our table. 

I ordered a special salmon dish that was beautifully served in this fish-shaped dish.  In addition to my delicious entree, we shared a number of tasty appetizers.  Everything was perfectly prepared and extremely good.  I can't wait to return for another great meal.  

Respect & Resilience

 I found this mural on the side of a charter school.  There is a bit of positive thinking going on here.  Respect for others and being resilient are both good qualities.  I didn't see an artist's signature on this one.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Lunch Followed by Art

 

I had a craving for some of that tasty pazole they serve at the cafe at the Heard Museum so I went for lunch on Friday.  I didn't go into the museum but I did stop at the gift shop and the Berlin Gallery after my lunch.  The Berlin Gallery is where they have special works of art for sale.  I always find interesting things in that wonderful gallery.  This painting by Monte Yellowhorse is perfect example.  This work is called "Bird Buffalo Trail".  I love the combination of patterns.  

I also admired the painting above by Dolores Purdy.  It's called "Running With the Buffalos".  This type of art is  called ledger art, artworks painted on old ledger pages.  

To the right is another piece that caught my eye.  This piece is by an artist named Marvin Oliver and the sign on it said it was 'chiseler glass'.  I didn't know what that was so I did some searching and I've come to the conclusion that the sign should say 'chiseled glass'.  It's certainly an interesting piece.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  It's about a surprise encounter in Oregon.