August is a great month for capturing spectacular sunsets here in Arizona. We have plenty of monsoon clouds that build up in the late afternoon, making a perfect backdrop for the sun's light. This one was taken facing directly west where the sun had just slipped below the horizon.
This one was taken looking north. The sun's light was painting the skies in every direction and I was surrounded by this warm, orange glow.
I bet the birds at the Desert Botanical Garden are splashing around in the water to cool off. There were a few times when I was in Oregon that I would have loved to do the same. The weather there was unusually hot.
I'm glad there are plenty of watering spots at the garden so that all the birds have water to drink and to splash in.
Drink up little ones!
I love seeing the bouquets of flowers that are available at the Farmer's Market. I'm not sure where they are grown, but it is wonderful to see so many beautiful blooms all grouped together.
I didn't buy any when I saw these a week ago because I knew I would be leaving for the trip to Oregon. I hope I see more the next time I go to the Farmer's Market. I will be sure to bring some home.
I'm back home again but, thought I'd post just a few photos from my few days in Oregon. To the right is where we stayed. It was a rental property called The Farm House and it was really an old farm house that had been updated enough for comfort but still held on to that old country living style.
We were there to attend a conference called the International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC). It's an annual event that hadn't met for the past two years. My good friends Julie and Dave have gone in years past but, I had never attended before.
All of the events were held on the campus of Linfield University, one of the most beautiful campuses that I've ever visited. The grounds were full of huge trees, large rhododendron plants and baskets of flowers hanging on the light poles.
We visited several wineries and saw lots of beautiful, big grapes on the vine. And, in between all of that, we attended educational sessions and had fabulous, chef-prepared meals.
It was a fun few days!
I saw these huge, stainless steel letters on the side of the AZ88 restaurant in Scottsdale a week ago. At first I didn't know what they represented but I finally realized this is a symbol for "hugs and kisses". I think the restaurant is giving us a very warm greeting. Nothing beats a good hug!
I love the architecture of this Greek Orthodox Church in Scottsdale.
The copper domes and "ruffled" trim make it stand apart from other modern churches.
I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today. I'm looking at the Oregon wine country landscapes.
I enjoy wandering around the many historic neighborhoods in the Phoenix area and seeing homes that have been so lovingly maintained. The one above is from the Alvarado neighborhood.
Also from the Alvarado neighborhood is this large house with Tudor styling. Those hedges around the yard are also interesting. I like the way they look like waves.
This last one is from the Fairview Place historic neighborhood. The word "charming" comes to mind when I look at this one. It has a storybook look to it.
All that gorgeous Chihuly glass is now gone from the Desert Botanical Garden. When it's cool enough to walk there again, it will seem bare without these beautiful installations.
Luckily, I took plenty of photos while the exhibition was up so I can be reminded of all the beauty from time to time.
If I sit on the right side of the plane, I can get a good view of Mt. Hood just as the the plane approaches the Portland airpot. Luckily, it was clear and I got a good shot out the window.
I encountered this strange thing at the Portland airport. It wasn't ready for use yet but, it looks like it will be telephone booth-like places to sit and work or make calls. It has plugs for phones and internet. What an interesting business concept with a cute name.
After a very nice lunch, we finally arrived in McMinnville where we are staying. I love the look of this city, it's so Americana. We are staying in a rental called the Farm House and it really is a real farm house. It looks great but judging from how long it took to upload these photos, the internet might be a little slow. We'll see how that goes.
I'm leaving early this morning and flying northward to Portland Oregon. And, after a short drive I'll be in the Willamette Valley, Oregon's renowned wine country.
I'm looking forward to views like the one to left for several days. I was hoping it would also be a break from the heat but it sounds like a bit of a heat wave is headed for Oregon too.
It will be a busy week, so I may not have time to post from the road. Just in case I can't get to the blog, I've posted ahead so I won't miss any days.
Remember my post about trying a new Mexican Restaurant that I posted on July 15th? This mural was on the building next door to the restaurant but it was positioned so that it could be viewed from the restaurant through the big windows on the south side of the building. The signature on this one reads "Moises". If you look closely you will see that green in the center is a car with a rather colorful driver with his hair (?) blowing in the wind. It's a very southwestern mural.
There is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed home not far from me but every time I've passed it, there has been a gate across this drive blocking the view. The last time I drove by, the gate was opened so I finally got the shot. I love the outside of this home. I wish I could see the inside.
I have a new post on Sharon's Sojourns today. I'm looking at the architecture of the Getty Museum.
I had an appointment with the eye doctor one day last week and I didn't realize they were going to dilate my eyes on this visit. So there I was sitting in the darkened room and waiting for 15 minutes while my pupils reacted to the eye drops. Needless to say, I was bored. That's when I got out the trusty iPhone and took a picture of the interesting gadget with all the dials and number that the doctor uses to measure the strength of my eyesight.
Just to put it in context, I decided to take a photo of the exam room across the hall.
I hate wasting time sitting around doing nothing so I did what I always do, took some photos.
The garden calls these white ones "cloudless sulphur" butterflies but I think most people call them cabbage whites.
The white peacocks are always a pleasure to see.
My personal favorite is the malachite butterfly. I love their shade of green.
At least I have an archive of photos from the garden that I can enjoy during this time when it's simply too hot to walk there.
The palm trees at the building next door to me were looking a bit shaggy lately and sure enough, the tree trimming people arrived last week to clean them up.
It's always entertaining to watch these guys swing from tree to tree.
The team on the ground pick up all the fallen fronds and debris and feed them through the giant shredder.
The trees look so bare when they are all done but it won't take them long to fill out again.
Today's post is about my dining experience last Saturday. I went with my good friends David and Riley to Vincent's for a special dinner the chef had prepared in celebration of Bastille Day. I've featured photos from Vincent's before here and here. We were seated in a dining room that I had never been in before with huge windows looking out toward Camelback Road.
I started with the Frisee Salad with bacon and grain mustard dressing. Very tasty!
My main course was Steak au Poivre which was delicious.
My dessert was the Tart au Citron with strawberry sorbet. It was fun to have two fine meals in a row. It was like being on vacation without all the airport hassles.
I had two fine dining experiences this last weekend. On Friday evening I had dinner with my friends Glenda and Julie at a Scottsdale restaurant I've been wanting to try called Sel. It's a small restaurant that has been called one of the best restaurants in Old Town Scottsdale.
It might have been a small place but it had a mighty menu with a variety of gourmet choices.
Here are my choices. I started with the spring garlic and potato vichyssoise. I would go back just for this. It was fabulous.
My entree was the grilled New York strip steak with pink peppercorn au poivre, caramelized wild mushrooms and truffle fries. Delicious. I'm glad I tried this place. I'm sure I will return.
Tomorrow I'll tell you about my Saturday night dinner.
