Happy Halloween!

 

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a pleasant Halloween and that there is enough trick-or-treat candy leftover for some snacking.  I'll be looking for a slice of pumpkin pie.

More Halloween Decorations

 

Two more decorations I saw at my grocery store.  I just had to get a photo of that very excited green pumpkin head.

This one reminded me of an old fashioned snow globe only this one is electric so the snow falls all the time when it's plugged in.  That's a witch scene inside.  

Strange Garden

 

Every year, the Desert Botanical Garden does an event called "Strange Garden".  It's meant mostly for families to bring their kids to enjoy instead of trick-or-treating.  All The action happens in the evening so in the morning hours, I just get to enjoy the displays they've set up.  The one above greeted me at the entrance gates.

Even though the pumpkin patch was closed until the evening, I was able to snap a photo from the entrance.  That is a lot of pumpkins!

I thought the scarecrows on either side of the entrance display were quite nice too. Obviously, they haven't scared away any of the crows.  

The Skeleton Family Gathering

 

I drove over to my old neighborhood to see what the Skeleton family was up to this year.  They were gathered together once again in my former neighbor's yard.  

As I was taking these photos, the home owner arrived and asked me if any of them had spoken to me.  I said "no, they were all very quiet."  He said "they don't have much to say, they are all a bunch of boneheads." 

I visit this "family" every Halloween season.  If you want to see some past photos of this group, click on the Skeleton Family label below.

Dog Day at the Garden

 

I went for a walk at the garden early Saturday morning.  Saturday mornings happen to be "dog days" when the garden encourages dog owners to walk their dogs at the garden.  I was lucky to get a quick snap of these four posing in their trick-or-treat costumes.  There was actually a fifth one to the right but I had to snap this so quickly, I cut him out of the photo. Aren't they a cute group?

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this handsome fellow.  His name is Roger and he was happy to pose for a photograph.  

The Goblins Are Out in Full Force

 

It appears that the goblins are making a seasonal appearance right now.  I'm seeing a vast array of Halloween decorations everywhere I look.

This yard was especially busy with scary scenes.

This one has a special "African" look and I see the bats are hanging around in the background.

While just across the street, this skinny guy was giving me a cheery wave.  He's such a friendly fellow.

Three Witches

 

I had lunch with a friend last weekend at a restaurant in Scottsdale that was decorated for the season with  an abundance of Halloween themed items. 

My favorites were the witches.  

There was a collection of witches sitting all over the restaurant.

I only photographed these three because I didn't want to disturb other diners but there were plenty more of them to be found.

It was clear what holiday was being celebrated the moment you walked in the door.

Bloodline, Part 2

 

I have three more images from the "Bloodline" exhibit at the Heard Museum that I wrote about yesterday.  I am struck by the symbolism in each of these photos.  This one is called "Remember the Sky Your Were Born Under".  McMaster states: "For the most part I'll never meet my viewers. But those are probably the most important conversations that I have, the silent conversations through my work. They're just like seeds that are floating around. They'll catch ground somewhere hopefully, and maybe get enough water to grow."  What a beautiful way to think about how her work impacts those who view it.  Maybe my little blog post is helping to spread those seeds.

In this work, McMaster is expressing her connection with all her grandmothers.  "There's a lot going on underneath that we don't see that's connected to who we are."

I really love this one.  This one is called "Cartography of the Unseen".  "The curator's note says "The ever shifting sands offer a potent metaphor for the history of colonial oppression - the systematic erasure, rewriting, and covering over of previous lives and endemic species."

All of her photos were taken in Canada, even the one on the dunes.  It was taken at the Great Sandhills in Saskatchewan.  

What an amazing artist and what an amazing exhibit.

Bloodline

 

I mentioned in my post last Sunday that I had gone to the Heard Museum to attend an event.  It was a lecture about the latest exhibit on display called "Bloodline".  It contains the work of Meryl McMaster a member of the Cree Nation in central Saskatchewan Canada.  Her work is called performance art photography. The works portray herself in a variety of costumes and arrangements that she fashion and constructs herself.  Each one has multiple layers of themes. The photo above is called "Anima".  The artist says that in the Cree culture, butterflies are associated with the presence of ancestors.  McMaster says "It's as if I were turning to ice and the butterflies are in a sense breathing life back into me."

This photo is called "From a Still, Unquiet Place". It is an expression of her hybrid ancestry reflecting her Scots ancestry on her Mother's side and her Cree and Siksika family on her Father's side.  She is wearing a large, feathered headdress, a Scottish plaid garment and carrying school bells in her hands recalling the legacy of residential schools.  

This photo is from the same series called "From a Still, Unquiet Place".  The whole exhibit shows an amazing amount of creativity and thought.  I enjoyed reading her descriptions of the different photos and what they mean to her.  Meryl McMaster is a very talented woman.

More Blooming Lights

 

More photos from the "Light Bloom" exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden.  

There was no way to get photos of this grouping without people in them so I incorporated them into the photo.  This group changes colors. To the left is a shot when they were glowing red and above they were a turquoise blue.  

Someone asked about the artists for this installation.  It is called Light Bloom by HYBYCOZO and the artists who make up that group are Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu.

Above are the thin reddish towers that I pictured last week.  They aren't quite as red when the lights are shining through them.

I love the patterns on this one to the right.  

I'm glad I went to see them lit up.  They are fun to photograph.  It takes a little patience waiting for a break in the crowds but it was worth it.  I might try a week night the next time.  There might be fewer crowds during the week.

The Lights Were Blooming

 

I went to the Desert Botanical Garden Saturday evening to see those lacy sculptures all lit up.  It was busy with lots of people there to see the lights but I did manage to get some good shots.

The shadows or "light blooms" were amazing.  

I think the photo to the left is my favorite.

Sudden Change in the Weather

 

We experienced a rather sharp change in our weather on Friday.  It went from 99 to 100 degrees to low 60's and rain.  I had to dig in my closed for a sweatshirt and jacket.

On Saturday I attended an event at the Heard Museum and then had lunch in their cafe.  Just look at all these "Arizona" people wearing jackets, vests and sweatshirts.  After one of the hottest summers on record, it takes a bit of time to get used to the cooler temperatures. 

I'll tell you more about the event next week.  

Nothing Wrong With Being Green

 

I found this lovely lady at my grocery store yesterday.  

She looks a bit like Elphaba from Wicked, don't you think?

The store had lots of Halloween decorations to choose from.  They are certainly ready for the big day.  

Light Bloom....A Few More

 

When I arrived at the Desert Botanical Garden last Sunday morning, I saw one of the "Light Bloom" installations right away.  This one is at the entrance before you get to the gate where you check in.

This one was being lit up by the rising sun.

This one looks great sitting in the center of the contemplation garden. 

As I said before, I can't wait to see them lit up at night.  I'm going to try to get there this weekend.

Only a Few Blooms

 

After such a long and very hot summer, there weren't many blooms to admire when I was at the garden last Sunday.  I did see one white bloom on the toothpick cactus above and one of the Desert Rose plants had blooms to the right.

In the section that gets replanted often I found these pretty blooms.  According to Google, these are called willowleaf angelon.  They are pretty blooms.

Hopefully, the hottest part of the summer is over now.  We are still having highs in the high 90's but the mornings and evenings are now a lot more pleasant.  

Light Bloom

 

The latest art exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden started three days ago and I got a daytime preview of it when I  went for my walk on Sunday.  These lacy geometric objects are filled with light that will make patterns of light around the garden.

They make pretty sculptures during the day.  I look forward to seeing them at night.  I'll have to plan on an evening trip to the garden sometime soon.  

Roadrunner Morning

 

On Sunday morning I finally was able to take a nice walk at the Desert Botanical Garden.  I went at 7:00 AM for the members only hour.  I was greeted by this roadrunner before I had even made it through the park's entrance.  I had my cell phone in hand because my ticket was on it so I snapped this photo.

Then I stood there quietly and got my camera out of the bag so I could get a closer view.  The roadrunner obliged by getting up on the fountain for a little drink of water.

Then an hour later, this fellow crossed my path.  It was a roadrunner morning at the garden.  Sometimes I can go to the garden and not see any roadrunners. On Sunday they were everywhere.

The Hand of God

I recently found this mural on the side of a shop that sells antiques and unique furniture and decorator items.  It's an image of the hands in Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.  I remember getting a bit dizzy trying to see all the paintings on that ceiling when I visited years ago. This is much easier to see.

The "Eye of Horus" was found on that same building high up over the entrance to the shop.  The eye depicts protection, health and restoration.  That seems perfect for a place that gives old furniture a new life. 

Taking part in Monday Murals.