Crane Woman, Heron & Turtle

Here are two more sculptures from the Heard Museum sculpture garden.  These two are tricky to photograph with the glass behind them.

I tried it from two different angles.  The sculpture on the left is called Crane Woman and the one on the right is called Heron and Turtle.  You can see the heron is standing on the turtle in the top photo.  Both of these pieces are by John Hoover.

After taking a photo of them from the garden, I went inside the museum to take a shot through the glass and the sun screen.

After I snapped the first shot, these two walked up to admire the sculptures so I snapped them to.  After I took these two shots, I thought they'd probably get deleted but, I kind of like that filtered look.

Floating

I've been home bound all week with a very nasty cold.  I think it's on the run now and I hope to never see it again!  Needless to say, I had to pull something out of the archives to post today.  That's how I found this sculpture in the garden area of the Heard Museum.  The name of this piece is "Woman in Love" and it's by Bob Haozous.  He describes it as a woman floating, eyes closed, in a daze and with a smile on her face.  I don't believe I ever "floated" but hey, that's just me.

Fine Chocolates

It seems like it's getting harder and harder to find a really good fine chocolate store in the Phoenix area.  Earlier this year the Godiva stores closed their doors for good.

Thanks to the recommendation of a neighbor, I found a great place in north Scottsdale.  It's called Zak's Chocolates and his chocolates are made right there on the premises.

I pointed my camera through the window into the chocolate kitchen to take a peek.  Can you imagine working in there?  I'd have a hard time not eating one (or three) while I was back there.  Zak's chocolates have a really deep and smooth chocolate flavor.  I'm glad I found this place.

Decorating the Front Yard/Garden

Lately I've found a lot of homes that have gone that extra step to make their front yard or garden area very inviting.  Some create a a place to sit and relax.

Another has the same idea of a place to relax only with a little more casual air to it.  

Some adorn the front of the house with a piece of sculptural art.  This one was modern to go with a rather modern looking home.

This house has a fountain in front with a sort of whimsical lass standing atop ready to capture some water in her buckets.  Unfortunately, the fountain looks like it's run out of water and is now serving as a planter.

There is a lot more whimsy going on at the front of this house.  An old tree stump is used to support a collection of ceramic characters and a flower pot that appears to have not been watered enough to keep that plant alive.  It's kind of fun to find these little artistic expressions.

Stark White

Back on May 26th, I posted a photo of a new "spec" house that had a windowless front.  I found this house in that same neighborhood of older Phoenix homes.  This place has such a stark look to it that it stands out from the rest of the neighborhood.  It's either a new build or an older home that has been pretty much gutted and rebuilt.

It's quite unusual for a neighborhood full of traditional single family homes.  

Thinking of My Favorite City

Sending lots of love and sympathy to beautiful London England and all her citizens!

Those Colorful Birds

I met my friend Glenda for lunch at Kierland Commons yesterday and look who I found living in one of the palm trees there.  See that hole in the tree?  He was going in and out of it so I assume he has a nest there.

I took these shots from across the street using the telephoto lens and it looks like the camera was more focused on the tree than the bird so they aren't the best snaps.  But, I so enjoy seeing these jolly little guys flying about and chattering in their parrot voices.

As I was watching, the flat mate popped out of the hole in the tree to see what was going on outside. They are such cute little guys.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  I'm reviewing a bit of London's history.

Extreme Machines

I found this mural on the side of a business in north Phoenix.  

And this was on another wall.  It turns out that this is the name of a business that does custom paint and body work for vehicles.  So, if you want to "trick-out" your car or boat or motorcycle, this is the place to go!

Nibbling on the Plants

On my most recent walk at the Desert Botanical Garden, I spotted some movement in bush near by.  I took a closer look and found this little round tailed ground squirrel munching away on the the buds on this plant.  He was so busy chowing down that he didn't seem to mind me clicking away in front of him.

Theme Day: Nature

What could be a better theme for me than "Nature"?  I LOVE nature and spend a lot of time photographing its wonders.  For today's theme I chose one of my favorite natural surprises, the cactus flower.  How can nature produce such spectacular beauty attached to such prickly and unfriendly plants?

I never get tired of them.  Every spring I'm out there photographing as many as I can find.  To me they are part of nature's mysterious ways!

To see how there city daily photo bloggers have represented nature, click here.

Figurative Sculpture

I'm going to end the merry Month of May with a whimsical figurative sculpture of a woman holding (of all things) a urinal.

It begs the question 'why', doesn't it?

Well, I can't answer that question.  It's a mystery.

This sculpture is in front of The Fountain Apartments, an older apartment complex right in the heart of Phoenix.  There is no name for the piece and no artist credit.  The curly headed lady just sits there day and night holding on to her porcelain treasure.

I suppose it might be a welcome sight to someone staggering home after a late night at the bars and clubs.

"You can make it.  You're almost to your door!"

The Ever Changing Restaurant

I took this photo looking out a second floor window at the Phoenix Art Museum.  That building with the red roof has been so many different restaurants, I've lost count.  It was a simple diner for a while and an Asian restaurant and then recently a Thai restaurant.  Now I see it's a Mexican restaurant.  I wonder how long this one will last.

Enduring Freedom

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a day when we remember and honor people who have died while serving the nation in the armed forces.

I thought this memorial located in the park in front of the Arizona State Capitol was perfect for this day.

It's called the Enduring Freedom Memorial.

  It's dedicated in honor of our men and women from  Arizona serving in the armed forces who lost their lives fighting terrorism.

It also symbolizes the gratitude and respect for those who continue to protect our nation's freedom in the global war on terrorism.

Smile for the Camera!

The Japanese Friendship Garden will close for the summer at the beginning of June so I decided to take a walk there on Friday before the heat forces us in doors for the summer.  That's where I found a gentleman with an impressive camera taking portraits of the young ducklings who had gathered at his feet.

The man's wife would toss out some food for the ducks at different intervals while he focused on the young ones.  Mamma duck watched the action very carefully from behind.

I would love to have seen what close ups he got with his camera.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Walk with me on some narrow ancient streets.

Interesting Doors

I see a lot of interesting doors and entrances when I cruise around different neighborhoods looking for things to photograph.  Today I have an assortment I recently spotted.

This one with its colorful bouquet of flowers is very inviting.

This one with the nice arched entrance to a little courtyard has an appealing look to it.

This last one has the door located right on the carport and it's been painted a pleasing color and is surrounded by plants and statues and wall plaques.

Each of these are appealing in very different ways.

"Spec" House

I pass by this house quite often and actually watched it being built.  It went up on lot that used to be part of a very large yard.  Right after it was completed, the "for-sale" sign went up so it looks like it was built on speculation.  Does anyone think it's unusual looking besides me? It just seems so odd to have only the upstairs window facing the front and no others.  I can't see into the back area so I'm hoping there might be a lot of windows back there.

Dinner at My House

Last week I cooked dinner for my friend David and I made a recipe for coq au vin that I've had for many years.  Since it was a French recipe, I decided the dig out the French dishes to set the table properly.  This dinnerware is one of the sets that survived the great purge of "things" I did when I moved three years ago.  To add to the table since they match perfectly, I got out the candle holders that David brought me from his trip to Prague a few years ago.  I think they added just the right touch.  Sorry, I didn't take a picture of the coq au vin.  It was so delicious we ate every single bite.

Zooming In...

I can find all kinds of critters hanging out at Papago Park and if I use the my zoom lens, I might be able to capture a few without disturbing them.  This dragonfly was resting on one of the reeds in the lagoon.  It looks like he's looking right at the camera.

This blue heron was on the lookout at the edge of the lagoon.  He was looking toward the water so I'm guessing he was deciding what to do about dinner.

This colorful duck was floating about in the lagoon.  He kept to himself away from the large group of mallards that were also using the lagoon for a swim.

And then I spotted this little cactus wren sitting atop a rock and watching me take pictures.  It looks like he has a tiny bit of nest building materials in his mouth.

My zoom lens does a good job of zeroing in on all kinds of wildlife in the park.

Out the Windshield

I have two "out the windshield" photos for you today.  The first is the back of a gold pick-up truck with a louvered tailgate.  I've never seen a tailgate like this before.  Have any of you?

The second one is a special license plate on the car of someone who is obviously a Phoenix Suns fan. The colors of the Phoenix Suns are purple and orange and the "are you purple" plate is asking who else is a Suns fan.  "Vanity" plates are popular in Arizona and every now and then I see a good one.  Sorry about the hazy look, my windshield was either dirty or the sun was hitting it.  Either is highly possible.

Animals in the City

Remember that building with the copper flag in front that I posted about last month?  While I was exploring around the building, I found this mural at the end of the driveway that leads to the garage.  It's on a building next door to the copper flag building and it's completely hidden from the street,  I was surprised to find this wonderful mural by Medina Art.  It's painted over a garage door.

These elephants were roaming on the side of the building next door to that one above.  There is definitely an African Safari theme going on here on these buildings.

Phoenix Municipal Court

The Phoenix Municipal Court building is an attractive building located in downtown Phoenix sitting at an angle on it's corner lot.   It actually sits right next door to Phoenix City Hall which you can see to the far right of this photo.

Fortunately, I've never had to appear in any of it's courtrooms so I can't tell you what they might look like.  I think I'll keep it that way and just admire the building from the outside.

I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today.  Is it a bank or is it a pub?

Camera Tricks

I haven't used the on-board special effects setting on my camera in ages so I decided to give it a try on this photo of some cactus up against a white wall.  However, I just couldn't stop there.  I decided to take the same photo and try a few looks available on the photo editing tool I have on my iPad.  Here's the results.

A Kandinsky version.

A mosaic version.

And, a pop-art version!

Sometimes I start playing around with a photo and I can't seem to stop!

Hope you are having a fun weekend!