My Happy Place

 

Today I just feel like talking about my "happy place".  I'm avoiding the news and thinking about all the things that make me happy.  My happy place here in my home town is of course the Desert Botanical Garden.  I decided to pull out a few photos that show why I love it so much starting with the beautiful Chihuly glass Desert Wildflower Towers that greet me every time I enter.

I also love the beautiful views of the Papago Buttes that frame the garden with their red and rocky hills. The view is even better in wildflower season with pretty blooms as a splash of color.

I also love all the things that bloom there.  In the May and June it's wonderful cactus blooms, the rest of the year it's an assortment of other pretty flowers scattered all over the garden.

I also love the variety of birds and other wildlife that make the garden their home.  Sometimes I sit in one spot for 20 minutes or longer just watching the different birds stopping by for a drink of water or some nectar from a flower.  

Today is a day to think of happy things. Tomorrow I'll deal with the news.

Theme Day: Blue

 

I dug very deep into my archives to retrieve this photo.  This was taken in 2008, the very first time that Dale Chihuly did an exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden.  This was one of my favorite pieces from that exhibit.  I love the color.  These glass figures look like graceful water birds stretching their heads toward the sky.  

The City Daily Photo Bloggers theme for the first of October is "Blue".  Check out other Blue shots here.

Chihuly: Master of Artistic Glass

 

I made a quick trip to Oklahoma City last Friday specifically to see an exhibit at the OKC Museum of Art.  I had read that the museum had the biggest exhibit of Chihuly glass works outside of Seattle.  I saw the exhibit in Seattle several years ago.  I love his work so much I decided that a trip to Oklahoma City would be an adventure.  

My only past views of OKC has been from the freeway while driving through the city on trips to my home town in Illinois and back to Phoenix.  I've never actually been in the city before so this was a new experience. I was only there for two days but I saw quite a lot and enjoyed my time there.  The city was impressive in many ways.

The Chihuly exhibit was well worth the trip.  Once again I got to enjoy his artistry with glass and bold colors.  This is just a peek at the pieces on view.  I'll show some of the other things I discovered in OKC over the next week.

I think this was my favorite display.  So many wonderful shapes and colors piled into this boat.  I sat in the room for a few minutes to soak up the magical beauty of it all.

Theme Day: My Favorite Place in Town

 

This was a very easy theme for me and I have thousands of photos to prove it.  The Desert Botanical Garden is decidedly my favorite place to walk and enjoy nature.  I spend a lot of time there.  And, those Chihuly glass sculptures at the entrance are a great way to greet all visitors.  

To see more favorite spots around the globe, click here. 

A Change in Weather

 

We had a big change in weather this last weekend.  It was cloudy with temperatures in the 80's so I decided to do an early morning walk at the Desert Botanical Garden Sunday morning.  It was a bit humid but, it was perfect walking weather.  

We are getting a bit of the remnants of the hurricane that hit California so badly.  We just didn't get the heavy rain.  We only saw a few sprinkles here and there.  

I climbed the high trail so I could catch the sunrise.  I was hoping for some spectacular color but this was the best I got.

It was so much fun to be out walking in my favorite place once again.  All the animals and birds were out and about so I was able to get lots and lots of great photos.  The desert critters almost seemed happy to see some people around.  

Surrounded by Wildflowers

 

I've had pictures of these Chihuly glass sculptures on my site many times before but here they are again, this time surrounded by wildflowers.  They looked so pretty with the flowers framing them that I couldn't resist another photo to add to the thousands I've taken before.  

These are the sculptures that the Desert Botanical Garden purchased back in 2008.  They've been adorning the entrance to the garden ever since.  

The Night View

 

When I was at the garden last week, I stopped to take a night time view of the Desert Wildflower Towers at the entrance to the garden. 

They look very dramatic lit up at night.  

I'm so glad that the garden invested in these beautiful Chihuly sculptures all those years ago.

Theme Day: Luxury

 

The City Daily Photo Blogger's theme for December is Luxury.  I wasn't sure what to post for this theme and then I thought of all those Chihuly glass bowls and ornaments that have been for sale in the Desert Botanical Garden gift shop over the years.  These beautiful works of art start at around $7000.00 so I think it would truly be a luxury to own one.  

You can see luxury from other cities by clicking here.  

Careful Cleaning

 

Every now and then when I go to the Desert Botanical Garden, I catch the cleaning crew (all volunteers) polishing up the Desert Wildflower Towers.  They do it ever so gently so they don't break any of the glass 'leaves'.  

These are the Chihuly sculptures that the garden bought back when they had the very first Chihuly exhibit at the garden.  The three tall towers are one of the very first things visitors see when they enter the garden. You wouldn't believe how many people I hear say "are those real plants" when the first set eyes on them.  

A Glass Perch

 

Yesterday I had photos of the Chihuly sculptures that are located at the entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden.  Today I thought I'd show you who else likes these beautiful sculptures.  The birds settle on those glass branches just as easily as they do all the cactus and trees in the garden.  They might be made of glass but to the birds, they are just another plant to rest on.  

Desert Wildflower Towers

 

On my way out of the Desert Botanical Garden last Sunday, I stopped to take another photo of the beautiful Chihuly sculptures that have adorned the entrance to the garden since 2008.  Last year's Chihuly exhibit might be gone but these beauties get to stay year after year.  

I've taken lots and lots of photos of these sculptures over the years.  The one above was taken several years ago when I visited the garden in the evening.  The one to the right is a favorite of mine. I used the telephoto to sort of merge all the green glass together.  

One thing is for certain.  I never get tired of seeing these welcoming works of art.

All That Glass

 

All that gorgeous Chihuly glass is now gone from the Desert Botanical Garden.  When it's cool enough to walk there again, it will seem bare without these beautiful installations.

Luckily, I took plenty of photos while the exhibition was up so I can be reminded of all the beauty from time to time.  

Hard to Photograph

 

I think I mentioned before that this Chihuly sculpture was located in a spot that made it difficult to photograph.  In the mornings when I'm more likely to be at the garden, it was backlit by the sun causing deep shadows.

If I photograph it from the other side, the light on it is good but it tends to melt into the trees in the background.

I'm glad I got some night time photos of it.  That seemed to be the only way to enjoy the pretty colors of this sculpture.  

This one was called the Aqua Blue & Amber Chandelier.  

The Last Day for Chihuly

 

Today is the last day for the Chihuly in the Desert Exhibit at the Desert Botanical Garden.  On Monday morning, the crews will arrive to start dismantling the sculptures.  It will probably take all week.  

When I went for that walk on Friday morning, I snapped a few more photos just for posterity.  

Above are the Blue Birch Reeds and Scorpion Tails that was located near the entrance.  To the right are the Paintbrushes that were located at the Cactus and Succulent Garden.

Above is a close up of the Lime and Lava Red Tower.  The whole thing is pictured to the left.  I took that photo about a month ago when the palo verde in the background were still blooming.

Of course, the Desert Wildflower Towers will stay right where they are.  The garden purchased these after the very first Chihuly exhibit at the garden back in 2008 and 2009.  Guests are greeted by these beauties right at the entrance to the garden.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm looking at the grand homes in my home town.

Red Reeds

 

Here is one of the Chihuly sculptures that I haven't pictured here before.  It's called simply, Red Reeds.

The reason I haven't shown this one before is because it is my least favorite.  For the longest time, I thought it wasn't done yet.  But it has stayed this way for the entire show.  To me, this one just doesn't have the appeal of all the other installations.  It appears to be lacking in imagination.  What do you think?

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm stepping back in time....way back.  

Just a Glimpse of Glass

 

I'm peeking through the trees and yucca to catch a glimpse of one of the Chihuly installations.  This one is called Desert Fiori and it's composed of blue, orange and red glass pieces.

Here are two closer views of the Desert Fiori.  Such graceful curves and bulges.  They almost look like they are swaying in a breeze.

Yellow Glass

 

The Chihuly sculpture called Sol de Citron is another good subject for some close-up glass images. 

It looks like it's all yellow but there is a touch of green in there.

There is even a few orange piece in the mix.   

More Close-up Glass

 

I have another close-up of Chihuly glass.  This time from the colorful glass arranged inside the boat.

There are a lot of colorful and varied pieces in this sculpture called the Fiori Boat.  

Chihuly Glass....Close Up

 

Here is another close up shot of the glass pieces that make up the Chihuly sculptures.  This one is called Aqua Blue & Amber Chandelier.  

To the left is the whole piece.  This one is located in an odd spot at the garden.  I haven't found a good time of day to photograph it because in the morning it is backlit from the sun and in the afternoon it is in the shadows.  The best photos I have were taken at night with the lights shining on it.

A Closer Look

I love taking a closer look at the Chihuly glass sculptures. I've taken several photos where I get close enough to see the many pieces of glass that make up these beautiful creations.  This one is called the Opal and Amber Tower.

In the photo above, I captured the very top of the tower.  When I took a closer look at this photo, I wondered if I had captured a bird in the shot.

No, it wasn't a bird, it was a helicopter.  They pass over the garden quite often so I don't even realize they are there most of the time. 

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm wandering around Milan.