Is it Temporary or Permanent?

When I was at the Scottsdale Civic Center Park last Friday, I was surprised to see one of my favorite scenes marred by chain-link fencing.  This is a side entrance to the Saguaro Hotel property and it's there to give hotel guests a short-cut to the restaurants, museums and art center located in this area.  I've always liked the look of this entrance.  In fact I first photographed it back in 2012 when the hotel operated under different ownership.

Here's a photo I took in February of 2013.

And here is another that I took in October of 2015.  I did some searching to see what has happened to this hotel and the only thing I could find was that it was temporarily closed and due to open again in June.  I've seen several hotels that have been closed during this pandemic, but this is the only one that has been surrounded by fencing.  It makes me wonder if the hotel will survive.

Ducks!! Piles of Ducks!

I took my walk last Friday at the Scottsdale Civic Center park because it was in the path of that VE Day flyover.  There were other people there for the same reason but everyone was very good about staying way farther away than the recommended 6 feet.  I usually see ducks enjoying the water feature in front of city hall but, I didn't expect to see so many.  This group was running across the sidewalk to get back to the water.

This pile-up of ducks was hiding under the rose bushes.

And, this one was wondering what I was doing.  They all look like they are pretty young.  Old enough to be on their own but still not quite mature.  They were fun to watch and there were a few children around who were thrilled when a group jumped into the water.  

Let's Be Safe Out There

One-Eyed Jack is reminding everyone who passes by that it's important to be safe and wear a mask when you are around others.

The last time I showed you this sculpture in Scottsdale he was wearing a big holiday wreath around his neck. When I spotted his new attire, I made a trip around the block so I could get a photo for the blog.

That's a pretty clever way to remind everyone of the importance of staying safe at this strange time.



I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I get a peek at a place only scholars get to visit.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.  I hope you have a day full of laughter and great memories.

I thought I'd post a photo of my mother taken for her high school graduation.

Fill your day with wonderful memories!

Another Flyover

There was another flyover tribute yesterday morning, this time with historic WWII aircraft.  It was to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of VE Day and to salute the enduring spirit of Arizonans throughout history.  It was conducted by The Commemorative Air Force.  My first shot only caught two of the three planes.

It was a pretty good shot so I decided to crop the photo to isolate both planes.  This one is a B-17 Flying Fortress.

This one is a B-25 Mitchell Bomber.

The third one (top) is a C-47 Sky Train.  All of these planes flew in WWII.

It was a quick pass over but fun to see nonetheless.  

Sights on My Early Morning Walks

Since our excessive heat has made a way too early appearance, I've switched my afternoon walks to early morning walks while the temperatures are still pleasant.  Consequently, I've been seeing a whole different group of walkers and a lot of different activities.

In the above photo, I got to watch the waste company arrive to pick up the construction dump bin.  I see these big bins all the time at construction sites but this the first time I got to watch one being loaded up to take it away.  This happens to be the same house I told you about back in March that has taken a whopping 6 years to complete.

To the left are the tree trimmers working on one of the many palm trees.

I loved the early morning shadows on the golf course. You can see that players were out for an early morning round of golf.

And finally, I was drawn by another pretty jacaranda tree.  Such pretty blooms!

Observations During These Strange Times

When I was photographing trees last weekend, I happened to see this political yard sign.  I think that sign speaks volumes about our current political situation and the petulant miscreant at the top.

There is a small shopping center at the top of my street and I drive up there to get views every now and then.  Of course all the shops are closed right now but I was intrigued by these two chairs I spotted in the parking lot.  Some form of social distancing?

The Air Force did a fly over last Friday to honor first responders and hospital workers.  I thought I had chosen a good spot to see them fly over but I was wrong.  They were way off in the distance.  This was the only shot I got and it's not good at all.  There were about 6 more planes in the group that I missed entirely.

I took this last one last Saturday when I went to the mall to see if I could walk there.  Scottsdale Fashion Square is a huge shopping center with several huge parking garages all around it.  It was strange to see the garages virtually empty when normally I'd have to drive around a bit to find a vacant spot.

Yellow is the Color of the Day

In addition to the blooming Jacarandas I featured on Sunday, the Palo Verde trees are also in full bloom.  Above is a close up of those pretty yellow blooms.

Since the palo verde tree is very prominent in our state, we are seeing yellow everywhere we look.  

I saw these last weekend in front of a home in one of our historic neighborhoods.  

And, this one was in front of one of the Phoenix Financial Center buildings.  

They are looking very pretty these days!

Cinco de Mayo in Isolation

For as long as I've lived in Arizona, I have celebrated the unofficial holiday of cinco de Mayo by joining friends for an evening of Mexican food and margaritas.  Obviously, that's not going to happen this year.  I took the photo above back in 2018 when I arrived at one of my go-to Mexican restaurants, Los Sombreros.  It was around 11:15 on a Sunday so I was one of the first to arrive at what is normally a very busy restaurant any day of the year.  But this photo of empty chairs and tables kind of sets the mood for the today's predicament.

Here's another photo I took last summer at the same place.

Since I can't be there with friends to enjoy the day, I'll have to make do with these photos of their delicious chili relleno and a nice bowl of guacamole.  

Maybe I'll see if they are doing take-out.  At least I can have the food if not the company.

Free Arts

For the past five months, this building has been going through some extensive renovations to house an organization called Free Arts.  It is an art therapy organization founded by philanthropists Bob and Renee Parsons.  The group works with children who have experienced family trauma such as homelessness, abuse and violence.  They use the healing powers of the arts to help children learn to trust, build resiliency and heal.  The new mural on the outside of the building fits that ambitious goal perfectly.

Jacaranda's are Blooming

Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping center might be closed but, at least I got to see this jacaranda tree in full bloom.  I was hoping they had the mall doors open so I could walk there but no such luck.  However, seeing these beautiful blooms reminded me that I should take a drive downtown to see if the trees on Central Avenue were blooming too.

And...they were!  Jacarandas are not the only tree that's blooming right now.  Next week I'll show you another annual favorite.


I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm visiting a project in urban living that has been developing for 50 years.

The White Horse

Last Sunday I did a post about a sculpture of a woman with a herd of goats that I found on my walk in Scottsdale.  I mentioned that I was guessing it was created by the artist known as Elk Woman.  Today I have one that I know for sure was created by Elk Woman.  This one stands right in front of Bischoff's Gallery.  I like this one a lot.

Not far from the white horse is another sculpture of a native American rider.  There was no sign here either but I'll guess it might also be the work of Elk Woman.

To the left is a pretty tile on the wall that surrounds the front of Bischoff's Gallery.  There is quite a lot of art on the outside of this gallery so it's a great place to explore even when the gallery is closed.

Theme Day: Shopping

Shopping has changed dramatically in the past 60 days.  These days, almost everyone is doing their shopping (what there is of it) on-line.  I decided to feature a view of the world's biggest online shopping site for today's post; the mighty Amazon.

Of course, many of us are still going to the grocery store from time to time.  If the store is in a smaller building, like Trader Joe's stores, the amount of people in the store at one time is limited, so strategically spaced lines are forming outside the store.  Shopping has changed dramatically since the pandemic began and it may be this way for quite a while.

The first of every month is a theme day for City Daily Photo Bloggers.  As you can see, the theme for May 1st is Shopping.  Click here to find links to other shopping photos from around the globe.

Light Inspired Art

Since the Phoenix Art Museum has been closed since mid-March, they have been sending out emails to members as "virtual visits".  The one I got recently feature several pieces that all deal with light in one way or another.  Since I recognized each piece as one I had photos of, I decided to create a post around those same pieces.  Above is one of my favorites that hangs in the main lobby so it is one of the first art pieces you see when you enter the museum.  It's called "The Last Scattering Surface" by Josiah McElheny.  It's part of the artist's big bang series and attempts to explain the creation of the universe.

This next one is called "Palindrome #1" by Glenn Ligon.  It's neon lettering against a black background.  Your first thought might be that the phrase really isn't a true palindrome.  The artist calls it a conceptual palindrome, not a verbal one. I almost always see people doing selfies in front of this one.

This is a very subtle piece called "Mohl Ip" by James Turrell.  It's located in the great hall of the museum where events are held.  I call it subtle because it changes colors and intensity very slowly.  I've seen it almost red and often blue.  It has a kind of hypnotic effect if you sit and watch it.

I'll have to describe this one to you because the photo doesn't do it justice.  The piece is called "You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies" and the artist is Yayoi Kusama.  This one is a completely dark room that is strung with thousands of strands of tiny LED lights.  You enter from one side and exit the other.  I don't go into this very often because I have a hard time adjusting my eyes to find my way out which of course, is the whole purpose.

You might remember this one.  I've featured it several times before.  It's another favorite.  This one is called "Mike Kelley 13" by Jennifer Steinkamp.  It is a digital projection of a tree that sort of sways in the wind and changes with the seasons.  I believe this view is summer.  Jennifer named the piece after her teacher and fellow artist.

The only photo I have of the last piece is this collage I created way back in 2008.  I couldn't even find one of the original photos.   This is another digital creation and it's called "Julian & Suzanne Walking" by Julian Opie.  Several pieces like this exist in places all over the world.  I saw one once in London.  This  piece is located on the outside of the museum so even if you are just driving by, you can admire this couple who walk, walk, walk but never get anywhere.

I love getting these emails from the museum.  They have all kinds of bits of information in them that I wouldn't normally get just reading the description cards.

The Tacky Tiki

The Tacky Tiki is every bit as good a name as the real name of this place, The Drunk Munk.  I saw this scene last Friday on my walk.  The truly sad thing is that this "Drunk Munk" restaurant/bar is located in the same building that once housed the beloved Cowboy Ciao restaurant.  I featured that former valley favorite back in 2015.  After 21 years of booming business, the restaurant suddenly closed in October of 2018.  It appears it has been replaced by this unfortunate looking place.

Perhaps I'm being unkind.  I haven't tried this place so I can't comment on the food, drink or atmosphere other than my observation of this inelegant entrance.  However, I did check their website and the pictures there did not make me want to rush to try it.

P.S. The good news is that the famous "Stetson Chopped Salad" that I described in my 2015 post, is still available at two other valley restaurants.  Or it was until....you know....the pandemic shut down.

The Annual Maternity Parking Lot

If you've been following my blog for a while, you will probably remember that every spring a couple of Canadian Geese turn up in the parking lot where I live and hang around until the eggs are hatched.  This year was no exception.  I took the photo to the left on March 26th when this fellow first showed up for his ritual of sitting in the parking lot.  The top photo I took just last Friday when the same goose was watching things from the top of the carport covers.

Yesterday when I was sitting at my desk I heard a lot of very loud goose "honking" going on so I went outside to see what was happening.  It turns out they were rather loudly staking their territory around two newly hatched goslings.  They might be hard to spot in the photo above.  One is at the feet of the goose on the left and the other is up on that shelf just below his head.

It wasn't long before one of them was trying out his new and very unstable legs.  In the past years, I've always questioned why these fellows choose to nest in a parking lot where cars are coming and going all the time.  So this year I questioned Professor Google about just that.  Apparently it's quite common.  Just take a look at all the photos I found on Google!