More Unusual Weather

At the beginning of the month we had some unusually hot temperatures for this time of year.  Now this last week we've had unseasonably cool temperatures for this time of year.  I'm glad because it gave me an opportunity to do two walks at the Desert Botanical Garden, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon.

I even found some pretty cactus flowers to share with you.  This cactus had five at once.

And they were all so perfectly shaped, they were hard to resist.

But, I thought I throw in the pretty little coneflower for good measure.  

Fingers crossed that this weather will hold out for another week!

That Look!

This mourning dove was giving me a look that seemed to say "don't you dare come any closer".  Then I spotted a tiny bit of activity behind him so I walked around the cactus he was sitting in and guess what.....

...Mamma mourning dove appeared to be sitting on a nest wedged down in the arms of this cactus.  Can you see her eye peeking between the thorns?  She's right below Mr. Mourning Dove.  (You might have to enlarge to see her.)

The Wild West

There was a part of the Scottsdale Princess Resort that I don't remember from all those years ago when I stayed there.  It's this little wild West village located off to the side of the resort property.

It looks like it's been set up for parties and could very likely be the place that conferences have a bar-b-que event.

There was all kinds of western items scattered around the area.

And, quite a few rusty horses to admire.

Welcome to the Princess

This is Gibbs, the official greeter at the Princess Resort.  Although this photo doesn't convey it, he was very friendly and walked right up to everyone who displayed an interest.  In fact, when I stopped petting him, he sort of nudged me for some more. What a sweetheart!  When I asked if I could take his photo, he got a bit bashful and retreated to a corner.  (It's so rare to find a dog that loves to have his picture taken.)

Gibbs had a partner who was on break when I was there.  He had retreated to his bed in the corner of the lobby and was fast asleep.

I don't believe I've ever encountered a resort that uses dogs to greet guests before.  Have any of you seen this done anywhere?  Being a dog lover, I enjoyed it very much.

Fit for a Princess

The resort I visited last weekend was the Scottsdale Princess, a Fairmont property located in north Scottsdale.  It's a huge property that has been located on that spot for about 30 years.  In fact, I stayed at this resort many years ago for a conference and I remember well how beautiful the rooms and the facility was.  It was painted a desert pink back in those days.  I see now that it has been painted a cream color.  This is the place where I saw the girls I featured yesterday practicing some type of "air" dance.

This is one of the pools on the property and it was busy with a lot of people out soaking up some desert sunshine.

The lobby was adorned with a stunning flower arrangement full of bouquets of salmon-colored roses.

I recall that when I stayed here, there was a huge flower arrangement on this table.  I remember that it's size impressed me at the time.

Tomorrow I'll introduce you to an unusual "greeter" who was working in the lobby.

Just Hanging Around

It's amazing the things one runs into when just out looking for things to photograph.  I took a drive out to north Scottsdale to visit another resort that I'll tell you more about next week, when I saw these lovely ladies just hanging around.

Or were they climbing the walls?

They appeared to be rehearsing for some type of performance.

I watched until they were done and came back down to earth.  Since this was on the grounds of a big resort, I'm guessing it will be part of some type of celebration for a conference.  I did see several people about with the requisite name tags hanging from their necks.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  It's Florence....but not the one you are thinking of.

Is It a Trend?

I recently noticed these new apartments located near a heavily commercial part of central Phoenix.  The colors caught my eye so I stopped to take a few photos.

They are called Trend at 51 and the 51 means the state route 51, a freeway that cuts north and south through central Phoenix.  You actually can see the highway from this complex.

I checked their website to see what these apartments might run and I have to say I was a bit shocked by the prices they are charging.  They seem quite expensive for the area and in my opinion they don't really look upscale at all.  It made me think about that Frontline investigative report that was on my local PBS station this week about affordable housing.  Did anyone see that?  I found it quite disturbing.  It talked about how we (the taxpayers) are paying more in tax money to subsidize housing for the poor but there are less and less affordable housing places being built.  You probably guessed the problem.  Some developers have figured out how to scam the system to make themselves rich.  Couple that with the neighborhoods that fight against any affordable housing being built in their areas and you have a double hit.  Don't you just love it?  Grrrrr....

The Bunny in the Window

I was sitting at a traffic light when I spotted this big fuzzy bunny watching me from an apartment window so I grabbed my camera to see if I could capture him.

He ws in the window of one of the apartments in the recently built student housing building in downtown Phoenix.  I wonder why he's watching so vigilantly.

A Scottdale Resort

I've driven past the Westin Kierland Resort many times but had never been inside the place so I remedied that recently when I took a little tour around the hotel.

First I stopped for lunch at the hotel's restaurant. I had heard good things about the food there but, I'd have to say I wasn't impressed.

However I was impressed by the view from the restaurant looking out over the golf course and a little lake.

The decor inside gave it just your average hotel look.  I think they did a much better job on the grounds than they did on the interior.  But, I did quite like this table and art piece sitting in an obscure little corner.

Argentinian Giant

I thought I had missed out on the blooms on the Argentinian Giant cactus this year but I finally caught one this last Sunday at the garden.

This cactus has the most spectacular blooms that are always the size of a large dinner plate.

This one was in perfect condition and was beautifully shaped.  I'm so glad I got to see it and photograph it.

Cactus Blooms & A Scotsman

I caught a few cactus blooms when I was at the garden last Sunday.  This Saguaro bloom was just above eye level so it was a good opportunity to get a nice close up view.

This toothpick cactus had only two or three blooms on it but this one was standing up and reaching for the sky.

And, you just never know who you might run into at the botanical garden.  This fellow was performing background music for a private memorial service near the herb garden.  A fellow playing the bagpipes is not a common sight in these parts!

Weather Extremes

So I mentioned yesterday that it got to 108 degrees (42C) on Friday and yesterday it barely made it over 70 (21C).  Talk about weather extremes!  The normal temperature here in the desert southwest for this time of year is about 86 degrees (30C).  Things just seem to be a bit on the strange side weather-wise.  However, the good thing is, the cool temperatures and heavily overcast skies on Sunday made for some perfect picture taking.  I was just ready to press the shutter on this shot of a guayacan bloom when I was photo bombed by the bee who seemed to want to get in on the action.

The lion's tail blooms were standing up tall and proud at the Desert Botanical Garden.

And these lovely artichokes are just about ready to open up and expose their lavender blooms.  I always have mixed emotions when I see the artichokes blooming or ready to bloom.  When they open up, they've missed their time for eating purposes but, I guess they do need to go to seed once in while to encourage new growth.

Crazy Crowds, High Heat & Slow Service

On Friday I mentioned that it was Cinco de Mayo, a non-holiday that we crazy Americans celebrate by drinking tequila and eating Mexican food.  My friend David and I had plans to get some Mexican food and at the last minute we decided to join his sister and a few other friends at restaurant near his sister's house.  When I arrived, there was a line about 30 people deep.  Once inside, it was wall to wall people and the wait for a table to eat was about 2 hours long.  To top that off, we had to wait outside where the temperature had topped out at 108 degrees (42C).  (By the way, those were freakish temperatures for this time of year.  It will back down to 77 today.)  We lasted an hour and a half and decided it wasn't worth it.  The whole silly Cinco de Mayo thing has gotten out of control.

The good news is, David introduced me to a relatively new place that has a secret bar on the second floor.  It was sort of like and elegant speak-easy.  We had to get there through a door in the restaurant kitchen that looks like the door to a meat locker and we had to be escorted by the restaurant manager. It felt so decadent!  I loved it.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Every world class city has a dependable and well planned mass transportation system.

Garden in the City

There is a patch of land on Central Avenue between Camelback Road and Indian School Road that has been sitting vacant for many years now.  From time to time there will be a sign on it with a picture of some planned building or development but nothing seems to stick.  Recently I noticed a lot of garden activity on that patch of land.  I decided to stop and see what it was all about.

It seems a nursery that is located on the far west side of Phoenix has opened an outlet right there on our central corridor.  This is an area full of high-rise buildings, businesses and multi-housing units and of course the light rail that runs right up the middle of Central Avenue.  I can only assume that it is a temporary arrangement until some type of development is finally approved for this location.  It certainly adds a lot of color to a once barren plot of land.

They lady I talked to was a volunteer working on the site and she told me that all of the rose plants I was admiring are breeds from South Africa and they are new to our area.

They were the most fragrant roses I think I've ever been near.  I could smell their sweet scent just walking along the paths between the plants.

Break Out the Chips and Salsa

Today is Cinco de Mayo, that Mexican holiday that we Americans celebrate but most Mexicans do not.  It's the day we head to our local Mexican Restaurant for a hearty meal and a Margarita (or two). My friend David and I have plans to celebrate the day with a delicious Mexican treat and of course it will start with some chips and salsa.

Homes for the Birds

I found two classy looking birdhouses hanging in a tree last weekend.  They remind me of the houses I photographed last year in some of our historic neighborhoods.  They have that mellowed with age look.

I think they are very appealing in a vintage sort of way.  I wonder if they are well used.

Walking Weather

Last Saturday was a beautiful day for a walk so I decided to head to Old Town Scottsdale where I could walk the streets of old western storefronts and maybe find a photo or two.  That's how I happened to find this little restaurant called Cien Agave.  I had never even heard of it before but, I decided to stop in.

This is where I found the painting I featured yesterday by artist Moises.  You can see it just over the head of the guy in the tan T-shirt.  The restaurant turned out to be very good with exceptional service provided by a very friendly staff.

The walls were covered with paintings by Moises so, now I'm wondering if this might be one of his favorite places to eat.  Regardless, finding this place was a very pleasant surprise.  I have a feeling I'll be back.

A Coincidental Find

Just last week, I had a few photos from the most recent exhibit at the Heard Museum about Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and one of the pictures I featured was a self portrait of Frida called "Diego on my Mind".  Last Saturday, I found a painting by Phoenix artist Moises that is his take on that very same painting this time with Diego Rivera pictured with Frida on his mind.  It kind of looks like he might also be thinking about a nice taco but that's beside the point.

El Moises was born in Mexico and raised in Phoenix. His artwork has a sometimes whimsical look at culture and society and is always done in vibrant colors.  You can read about him and see some of his other art a the link.  

Tomorrow I'll show you the unlikely place I found this painting.

Theme Day: Let's Eat

The May 1st theme for all City Daily Photo bloggers is "Let's Eat" and what a fun theme it is.  Everyone loves good food and food is a central part of our social lives.  I decided to show you these great puff pastry desserts I made a few weeks ago.  They are called Apple Rose Puff Pastries and they are as delicious as they are pretty.

I liked them so much I made them again a few weeks later.

To see the other "Let's Eat" photos from other City Daily Photo bloggers, click here.