I made a trip to the Japanese Friendship Garden over the last weekend to see how spring was looking in that environment. As it turns out, it was looking very good.
I was hoping I'd find some flowers that I don't usually see and I wasn't disappointed.
The iris patch was full of beautiful blooms.
The blooms were impossible to resist.
I must have taken a dozen photos of these delicate blooms.
The trip to Japanese Friendship Garden was a colorful success.
I snapped this photo the same evening I had dinner at the Barrio Cafe that I mentioned a couple of days ago. This mural is in the alley behind the restaurant which is a space full murals. In fact, I've posted photos of other murals in this alley before but it's been a while ago. This isn't the best photo. As you can see, I was shooting into the sun. Not always the best idea.
Taking part in Monday Murals.
I did take the time to capture a few birds with my camera when I was at the garden last weekend. Here is a favorite, a Gambel's Quail perched on a rock.
This fellow was examining the tables and chairs near the little cafe. I checked my bird guide and I think this might be an Abert's Towhee.
This female Gila Woodpecker was busy poking her head in and out of the hole in the cactus. She might have been feeding some young in there. Either that or she was looking for a new nesting spot.
Last Saturday night I had dinner with close friends at Barrio Cafe, a restaurant that has been in business over twenty years and has become well known across the country. Chef Silvana Salcido Esparza has earned the respect of everyone she meets and her food is loved by all. She is a James Beard nominated chef who has brought real Mexican food to the city while becoming a vocal community leader and activist.
Chef Slivana will be closing at the end of May so we wanted to make sure we had dined there one more time before it closes. Chef Silvana will be missed on the local restaurant scene. I wish her a comfortable retirement.
These tiny little flowers caught my eye at the Desert Botanical Garden. I've seen these flowers before but this striped variety was new to me. I always thought they were tiny pansies but I learned that they are actually called violas. They are so pretty.
There were a variety of cactus blooms to admire last Sunday when I was at the Desert Botanical Garden. I'll share just a few today. The colors were so vivid.
Such a pretty shade of pink!
An orange bloom!
They came in all shapes and sizes.
Even a short little cactus can push out a pretty bloom.
Pretty blooms on the claret cup cactus. It was a feast for the eyes.
I hadn't been the the Desert Botanical Garden in a while so I decided it was time to go. It was busy but I was able to enjoy the blooms.
There were lots of cactus blooms like the prickly pear bloom above.
The wildflower trail was bursting with color.
This is the perfect time of year for blooms so I need to get over there more often this month.
Last Monday's post featured a mural paying tribute to an old sign that was well known in the city of Mesa. This week's mural pays tribute to another historical sign. Buckhorn Baths was a small mineral hot springs resort on the far east edge of Mesa. Though the motel itself has been closed for years, the property has been given historical status. There have been several proposals for the sight but nothing has been settled. So it sits waiting for the right project to come along. This mural pays tribute to a very well known sign in east Mesa.
Taking part in Monday Murals.
Each board was covered with samples of the art produced by the many artists who participated in the expo. It's a clever idea for a raffle prize, part art and part fun.
If you are not familiar with the game of corn hole (sometimes called bag toss), you will find a description here.
It's fun to play. You don't need any special skill or talent, just a good aim.
I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today. It's an artistic discovery.
In march of 2022, I took this photo of that same cactus. It was still standing and still looking tattered and torn.
In March of 2023, the poor thing had finally fallen. I remember when I took this photo that we had experienced some serious wind storms over the winter so I'm sure one of those storms caused it to fall.
I was just here again on Thursday and I couldn't resist another photo. It looks like much of the remains have broken down or been carried away by animals but the root trunk is still standing. It's been interesting watching it over the past 4 years.
When I was leaving a restaurant one day recently, I saw this eye-catching vehicle parked in the parking lot.
It's a Lamborghini in case you were wondering. It is certainly a beautiful automobile but I'm guessing it's pretty expensive to own. I'll just admire it from a distance.
The last time I was there, I had the lobster ravioli which was incredibly delicious. Everything I've ever ordered there has been exceedingly good. This tiny little restaurant could successfully compete with any of the more popular places around town.
Yesterday I featured some flowers from my friend's garden. Today I have a photo of the table at my friend's house. It was set for our dinner party.
I have a group of friends who periodically meet for "soup night". Someone prepares the soup and someone else brings a salad and bread. It's always a great evening of conversation, laughs and a lot of solving of the world's problems.
This time it was at the home of Max and his furry siblings.
Here is Winston keeping watch on the cushion with Max tucked in below. You saw these two last year in this post.
These two dogs are good at posing for photos. The other dogs who reside here eluded my camera once again.
I had dinner at a friend's house last Saturday night. It's the same friend whose garden inspired photos last April.
She has the proverbial "green thumb". There are blooms in all directions.
This rose caught my eye.
And then this purple flower drew my attention. It looks like a petunia with variegated colors.
Then my friend pointed out this plant. She said it's the very same plant but this one gets more sun than the other one. She wonders if that's why this one has more white on it.
She has something blooming all year long.
The City Daily Photoblogger's theme for April 1st is "Medicine". As the saying goes, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away". That sounds like good medicine to me.
Click here to see how other bloggers depict "medicine".
I hope you all are enjoying the day!
I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.
Last Saturday I attended a fund raising dinner at the Omni Montelucia Resort in Paradise Valley. According to the photos in my file, I hadn't been to this resort since 2016.
This rocker with his guitar is still there rocking out on one skinny leg. I posted a photo of him back in 2012. He's been standing there for a very long time.
I had donated several items for the event's silent auction and this is one of the items. A photo of a white rose that I had printed on canvas.
When I was filing away my photos from that night, I saw that back in 2011, I had donated another photograph for a silent auction at that very same resort. However this one was for a different non-profit organization. I don't remember which organization this event was for. Too long ago. I hope my photos made it to good homes!
Last summer I had a post about a local pub called Postino's that I frequent with several friends. I mentioned that they had changed the chandelier over the corner where we usually sit. My friends and I were there this last weekend and we noticed that now that whole corner has been updated with a new sofa, new wall paper and new artwork on the wall. I like it. It looks even more cozy than it did before.
I've been noticing pretty, spring blooms in a variety of locations. The pretty flowers in the top photo are on a vine in my friend Glenda's yard. That vine is just bursting with blooms.
To the right are some blooms that have attracted a hummingbird. I was seated close to these blooms while having lunch at the Heard Museum. I couldn't believe that hummingbird got so close.
