Celebrating Hispanic Heritage

 

I had heard about this new mural at Park Central Mall so I decided to drive over there to take a look.  The mural was commissioned to celebrate the hispanic heritage of the neighborhood and it was painted by Estevan Curiel and Jesus Gallo.  The colorful patterns represent the colors of a serape and the bee hives represent housing.  The sun is depicted by a giant marigold bloom.

My favorite park was the cactus bloom being visited by a busy bee.

Taking part in Monday Murals!

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 Pretty Scene & An Update

 

I took this photo at my friend Glenda's house just two days before I got sick with COVID.  Thankfully, Glenda did not get sick but my friend Julie did and a week after that her husband Dave got sick.  

My doctor prescribed the drug Paxlovid which is supposed to shorten the duration of COVID.  However, one of the side effects is nausea.  In my case, severe nausea.  The sore throat and cough went away in 3 days but the nausea hung on and on.  It finally eased up last weekend but it left my stomach a bit queasy.  I  have to be careful not to eat too much or anything too spicy.  

So that's my COVID experience.  Not as bad as the poor souls who got it two years ago but, bad enough that I don't ever want a repeat.  

Young Acrobat

 

This young man's parents were waiting for a table at a Scottsdale restaurant.  While they waited, this lad was entertaining himself with all kinds of acrobatic tricks.  I was wishing I had his youthful energy and flexibility.  

Warm Waterlily

 

I don't see waterlilies in Arizona because it's just too hot here.  However, I did see this one located in a small man-made pool at a nursery a few weeks ago.  

I loved seeing these but I'm thinking they won't be lasting much longer.  Our temperatures have started their extreme measures in the past few days.  We are projected to exceed 110 degrees this weekend.  Did I miss spring?

Downtown Skyline

 

This was taken from the top floor of a downtown parking garage looking at some of the tall buildings in the heart of downtown.  The building with the "hat" on top is the Hyatt Hotel and that round part on top is the revolving restaurant.  We sometimes go up there for drinks after a symphony performance but I haven't been for about 3 years now.  

Friendly Lizard

 

These Desert Spiny Lizards are a very cooperative bunch.  When I encounter one, usually at the Desert Botanical Garden, they sit quietly while I take a few photos.  They almost appear to be posing. 

When I spotted this one, he was lounging on top of a stone bench.  He might have frightened someone taking a rest on that bench if they didn't see him when they sat down.  

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.

Between the Walls

 

My friends Julie & Dave have an atrium in their house on Camelback Mountain.  A few weeks ago, I snapped this photo out the atrium window and when I looked at it on the computer, I was amazed at how lush and green it looked.  The slight reflection in the glass even adds a misty look to the whole scene.  Not what you would expect in the desert southwest.  

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Photos from the historic Mission Inn.

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.   

Lot's of Butterflies

 

This colorful array of butterflies was found on the wall of a local art supply store.  I'm not sure what they were made of but, they were designed to adorn walls and windows and other surfaces.  I thought they were very pretty.  

Right Next to the Tanks

 

I took this one several years ago when I met friends at a brew pub to grab a bite to eat.  This is how close our table was to those huge tanks.  I don't care for most beer but the food was good.  

Theme Day: The Road

 

I found this Welcome to Phoenix sign way out on the northern edge of town.  It always makes me laugh when I see it because it looks like there is no city ahead at all.  The city limits stretch pretty far north giving the city room to grow which it does, every year.

I thought this would work well for the theme "The Road".  

To see other interpretations of the road, click here.  

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.  

The Cat

 

This cat was hiding among the plants and watching me on one of my visits to the Desert Botanical Garden.  Years ago, the garden had a resident cat.  I'm not sure if this is the same one.

Friends Meet

 

The last time I visited the Heard Museum, I stopped in the Berlin Gallery.  That's the part of the gift shop that houses the very special pieces.  These two sculptures caught my eye.  They are both by Doug Hyde, a well known Native American sculptor.  The ribbons on the side indicated that these were prize winners at the Indian Market and Show.  They really are lovely.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Take a look at "Cloud Gate".  

When the Backyard is a Mountain

 

I took this photo three or four weeks ago when I was at my friends Julie and Dave's house.  Their house sits on the north side of Camelback Mountain so their backyard is the mountain.  It's also a wonderland of desert plants.  

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 Variety of Blooms

 

Here are a few more blooms I photographed the last time I was at the Desert Botanical Garden.  This one is a squash blossom.  Have you ever tasted a stuffed squash blossom?  The one I had was delicious.

A patch of Yerba Mansa.  Such unusual looking blooms.  

This is an evening primrose.  There is a spot in the garden where lots of these are blooming right now.  Some of the stalks get quite tall.

Tidy Condos

 

Two more from my archives.  Some cute semi-detached condos I found in south Phoenix.  I thought they looked interesting and very different than the condo we usually see around here.  

COVID update:  First, thank you for all the positive comments. I'm feeling only slightly better.  My doctor sent a prescription for Paxlovid and I started taking it.  It's supposed to shorten the run of virus.  Hopefully that works.  Others I've talked to said it helped them. Fingers crossed.

Brilliant RED

 

I found this cactus blooming the last time I was at the garden.  These blooms are about as red as they can get.  I snapped this with the iPhone.  My camera tends to struggle with the color red. 

Update on the cold.  It turns out I have COVID.  After a day of coughing and feeling generally run-down, I decided to take a test.  Sure enough it was positive.  Apparently we are not out of the woods with this virus yet.  I'm fully vaccinated and single boosted so I'm hoping that helps me get rid of this soon.

Garden Sightings

 

I developed a nasty head cold and spent all of my weekend at home so I scrolled through my archived photos for today's post.  I take lots of photos at the Desert Botanical Garden so there is always something that hasn't been posted before.  This spider web is a perfect example.  Isn't that an amazing web?

Gila woodpeckers love to feast on the fruit of the saguaro cactus so I often find them sitting atop those tall plants.  It looks like he's sharing the fruit with a dove on the other side.  

I haven't seen or heard the frogs in the little pond over the last few months.  Last year I got some good shots of these amphibious creatures.  I even see few tadpoles in this shot too.  

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.

Frothy Blooms

 

Yucca plants have been blooming like crazy for the past month or two.  I know I photographed some at the end of February and these new blooms made an appearance just last week.  Those big, cascading blooms make me think of cotton candy.

In the photo above, you can see one to the left that bloomed a few weeks ago and has now lost all of its white petals.  I photographed these at the Desert Botanical garden but I've seen many others in yards and landscapes all around town.

Rags to Riches

 

I've got a couple of random shots today starting with the rags...expensive rags.  I saw these shorts for sale at Nordstrom's and they obviously made me stop for a second look.  I know I'm sounding a lot like my mother but, why would someone pay good money for these.  And by good money, I mean $70.00.  

Moving on to the "riches" part of this post, This is a view of the penthouse at the top of an office building in Scottsdale.  The city of Scottsdale has very few high-rise buildings but this one has been there for at least 30 years.  The original owner had a penthouse residence at the very top.  I'm not sure if anyone still lives there.  I happened to park on the top level of the Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping center where I got a great view of the top of this building.