A Successful Update

 

This is one of the high-rise buildings in the mid-town Phoenix area.  It's been there for many years and has displayed the Bank of America name as long as I can remember.  I recently noticed that it had been given a bit of a face-lift with the addition of the abstract trim around the building.

I took this photo of the same building back in 2009 when I was out taking photos at sunrise.  As you can see, it was just a plain, glass building at that time.  The addition of that abstract trim has made a big difference in the way it looks.  I'd say it's a refreshing "refresh".  

Arriving Forever....

 

Last weekend, I went to the Heard Museum again.  This time I was inspired to go because I was notified of a new exhibit called "Arriving Forever Into  the Present World".  The theme of the new exhibit was to convey how indigenous culture views time as cyclical.  On view were a number of items from the last three centuries.  All types of artistic pieces were on display from rugs and blankets to finely woven baskets and creative pottery.  

One of the pieces of pottery was this piece created by Jody Folwell who learned pottery making from her mother Rose Naranjo.  Jody became known for the unusual shapes of her vessels like this one that resembles a shell.  

Right next to the piece above was this bowl created by Susan Folwell, Jody's daughter.  When I saw this bowl, I suddenly recognized it as being made by the same non-traditional artist whose work I saw a few weeks ago.  She is the same artist who created the Harry Potter themed bowl in yesterday's post.  This bowl is called "Buffalo Girl".

Looking at the names of the different artists, I began to see and understand how talent and craftsmanship is passed down from generation to generation.  Each generation expresses the learned skills using their own creative style.  That way the tradition stays alive but the resulting art belongs to each individual. It's truly a beautiful thing. 

Native American Pottery

 

About three weeks ago, I visited the Heard Museum and noticed that the display of native pottery had been updated with some new items.  This piece dates from the 1970's by Mela Youngblood of Santa Clara. She was known for her ability to polish her pottery. 

The pot above was created 1999 by Jody Naranjo, also of Santa Clara.  The birds represent sand cranes that are found near her home in New Mexico.

However the bowl that rally caught my eye in this display was in between the two above.  It was created by Susan Folwell a contemporary potter who also resides in Santa Clara.  For this particular bowl, Susan was inspired by the Harry Potter books.  On a shelf with all the more traditional pottery, this one really stood out.

Tomorrow I'll have a more recent follow up to this observation from several weeks ago.

Garden Visit

 

Over the weekend, I realized that I hadn't been to the Japanese Friendship Garden in a long time so I took a walk there on Saturday morning.  The garden looked a bit different in several areas with a few new plants and others were gone.  

The crepe myrtle trees were blooming and showing off these red (and a few white) clusters of blooms.  I was surprised by all the unexpected 'bokeh' in this shot when I downloaded it.  

There was a large patch of lilies on one area.  I must have taken dozen photos of all the pretty blooms.  I found them so appealing.

My favorite sighting were these adorable little ducklings.  There weren't many ducks around while I was there so I was surprised when I spotted these two little ones along with an attentive mother near by.  They were relaxing in the cool grass while their mother did a little foraging.  

Hummingbird Antics

 

I love capturing those fast moving hummingbirds as they enjoy their floral nectar gathering.  This little one is stretching his neck to get to the good bits.

This tiny fellow has decided to sit  for a bit while exploring these little blooms.

This one appears to be balancing on one bloom while while enjoying its meal.  This little guy appears to have a good grip on that bloom but I'm not sure it would actually support him.  

Rainbows are Appearing

 

I went for a rare late afternoon walk at the Desert Botanical Garden Thursday evening and saw that the garden had once again decorated for pride month.   Good for them!  Those flags look great at the entrance to the garden.  

Mr. Bullfrog

 

When I went walking last Sunday morning, I heard Mr. Bullfrog croaking once again in the little pond at the Desert Botanical Garden.  I looked and looked for him and finally spotted him but he was facing away from me.  I snapped the photo anyway.

Then he suddenly hopped and turned around to face me so I could get his smiling face.  I love the way his bulging eye is reflected in the water below him.  

Theme Day: Smile

 

I found this photo deep in my photo archives.  It was taken in October of 2015 on one of my first visits to the Laura Dreier Breast Center at Banner University Medical Center.  This mosaic portrait was on the wall in the waiting room.  I had to do some research to learn about this mosaic portrait of the smiling lady.  It was created by artist Joan Baron was dedicated to the memory of Laura Dreier for her outstanding support of Banner Health and the Breast Center.  I did some Google digging and found an obituary for Ms. Dreier but no photos.  However I did find a photo of her daughter and I could absolutely see a resemblance there. 

Over the three to four months following my October photo, I visited the breast center several times.  She was always there smiling at everyone in the room.  

To see other Smiles from around the world, click here. 

Nesting Time

 

When I was walking at the Desert Botanical Garden, I saw several nests in use.  This mourning dove had a nest that was almost at eye level and she seems to be hard at work keeping those eggs warm.

This dove had a nest in the arms of a very large cactus.  This one appeared to be just settling in.  She kept turning around as if to find the most comfortable spot.

This dove isn't nesting but appears to be taking a nap on a big rock near the entrance to the garden.  The top of that rock was at my knee level which to me seemed like an odd place for this bird to be having a siesta. Nature is always a fascinating adventure.  

North of the Flight Path

 

I made another 6:00 AM trip to the Desert Botanical Garden on Sunday.  I was standing at the top of the trail that goes up the side of a mountain and noticing the stream of flights taking off from the airport.  One right after the other, they kept emerging from behind the mountain.  I decided to try to snap a photo of one of the jets popping out from behind the cactus on the hillside.  This was the best one I got.  

When I was looking at the photo after downloading it, I wondered if I could tell what airline the plane was part of so I made a duplicate of the photo and cropped it way, way down to get just the jet.  I was surprised to see how clear it was.  After all, that jet was traveling pretty darn fast and the camera was hand-held.  

The Desert Botanical Garden is located north of the flight path for Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.  Every time I visit the garden, I always see jets taking off and if I'm there early in the morning it seems like a steady stream of them are flying past.  I'm so used to seeing (and hearing) them that I hardly notice them.  I'm glad I took notice this time.

Santa Fe Style Creature

 

I have another mural from my trip to Santa Fe New Mexico.  It looks like this one is a little worn in places.  It depicts an interesting and mythical creature, part angel and part demon.  At least that's my interpretation.  

I had to do some serious editing of the original photo to try to eliminate the unsightly utility pipes.  It's an interesting mural in a very strange spot.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.  

The Construction Continues

 

Last Friday I went to Scottsdale Fashion Square for a quick shopping trip and decided to check out the progress of the construction going on.  I first posted about it in April.

It looks to me me like it's still pretty far from being completed.  In the top photo to the right, you see an escalator. When I posted in April, they had taken the escalator out and now it's back.  

With malls closing everywhere, I hope they know what they are doing.

Two by Two

 

Every now and then, a little scene in a corner of a store or a museum or other place catches my eye.  I found these photos I had taken at different locations and each was a set of two.  The two chairs above were found in a corner at the Scottsdale Museum of the West.

This pair of chairs was at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel and Resort in a quiet corner of the hotel lobby.  

This table with two chairs was found in the courtyard area of the Heard Museum.

And, it just happened to have two oranges sitting on top of the table.  There were sets of two everywhere I looked.

More Spring Blooms

I've featured quite a few different cactus blooms these last few weeks but I thought I should feature some other plants I've seen blooming lately.  These 4 o'clock flowers were looking very pretty.

The datura are showing their big, white blooms.

The passion flowers are still blooming and the desert roses are starting to show some blooms after their winter storage.

I just noticed the squash blossom above on my last visit to the garden.

The yellow bells to the left are blooming all over the garden showing these big clusters of bloom.  

The Desert Botanical Garden is a very colorful place right now.  We have to enjoy it now before the intense, summer heat hits us.  

 

iPhone Silliness

 

Just a few very silly iPhone photos I've accumulated over the past few weeks.  This first one is what happens when I've been left sitting in the doctor's exam room on my own for too long. I get intrigued by the wheels on the rolling table in the room.  I was going to delete this after it was downloaded but I like how you can see the reflection of me taking the photo in the chrome.

Inside a restaurant where a I had a late lunch with a friend. I kept expecting Frank Sinatra to come walking in.  Doesn't this look like the kind of place he'd frequent?

A couple of mindless gentleman sitting in a hotel lobby.  I say "mindless" because they each had a giant whole in their head where their brain should have been.

This one was a little tricky to get.  It's an advertising display inside a department store featuring a Coco Chanel perfume called Mademoiselle.  I took this one just to see if I could get the photo without getting me in it.  I almost made it.  You can still see a tiny sliver of me in two of the mirrored panels.

A New Plant in the Garden

 

I discovered a new plant in the garden that I hadn't seen before.  First I noticed these unusual but very pretty blooms.

The small bush-like plant had lots of these wispy looking blooms on it.  Then I noticed the sign underneath the plant.  It said it was a caper plant.

Sure enough, there were caper berries all over the plant. This was a first for me.  I'd never seen a caper plant before.  I have to admit that from time to time when I've opened a jar of capers, I've wondered where they came from.  

Desert Critters

 

This bullfrog was calling to another frog across the pond. I could hear him but I couldn't see him.  He was well hidden in among the reeds and vines that grow at the edge of the water.  Finally another photographer pointed him out and I was able to get just this one shot. 

The desert spiny lizard wasn't hard to spot at all.  He was in the path just ahead of me and he stayed put as I walked past him and turned to take his photo.  Nothing shy about this fellow.

The rabbit actually jumped straight up into the air when it heard me on the path close by.  However, he took one look at me and decided I was harmless and continued his search for things to munch on.

This little round-tailed squirrel found something he could munch on.  There were two of these little guys scavenging for food and drawing a few photographers.  If those photographers hadn't been there, I might have missed him altogether.  The wildlife was plentiful Sunday morning at the Desert Botanical Garden.

Close Encounter

 

I went for another 6:00 AM walk at the Desert Botanical Garden yesterday.  At one point, I was watching this quail walking around near me when all of a sudden he jumped up on the wall only about two feet away.  He was watching me and I was watching him and we both were perfectly happy to be there.

It was a good morning for bird watching as well as other desert critters.  I saw rabbits and squirrels and lizards and I even saw a bullfrog.  I'll have more photos to show you this week.