Library with a view….

 

This is the White Tanks Branch Library.

 

“The White Tank Branch Library, a 29,000 square feet LEED registered project, includes a collection capacity of 35,000 items, story time room seating for 137 children, Wi-Fi, Friend’s of the Library bookshop, 44 public computers, Dewey-less bookstore arrangement of materials, dedicated space for teens -- "Teen Oasis", 4 public use quiet study rooms, state-of-the-art book return sorting machine, on site coffee café, study table seating for 30 and a Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department Nature Center.”

Tracy and I visited it one beautiful Sunday afternoon recently. Unfortunately, the library portion wasn’t open that day.  This facility has million dollar views in every direction and has so much to offer the community.

They offer daytime and nighttime tours of trails in the White Tanks Park.  I believe this is the area where they stage to begin the tours and share whatever educational information they have to share.

 

 

I liked how the interior lights appeared to be ornaments on the reflection of the saguaro cactus.  These were obviously transplanted cactus….hence the boards propping them up.

 

 

Even the bike rack looked like a work of art.

 

It’s a gorgeous facility that would be well worth the trip to visit.

It’s coming….

 

Can you see….they’re warning us.

 

Closer still…

 

It’s here!!!! 

Set in stone….

 

On one of our recent trips out and about, Tracy and I went to the new Avondale Library.  She’s shown some pictures of some of the mosaics before, but encouraged me to take some shots. So here are a few of my favorites.

 

The large mosaic at the beginning of the post contains several smaller panels picturing important features and locations in the Avondale area.  I don’t know who Fred is, but he’s obviously an important local personality.

 

 

Scenes from some well-known stories….Moby Dick

 

Rapunzel….a story currently enjoying a rewrite in Disney’s studios.

 

Oh, those naughty caterpillars!!  Alice in Wonderland. 

Of wings and things….

 

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.”  ~Maya Angelou

 

 

“The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.”  Rabindranath Tagore

 

 

“The fluttering of a butterfly's wings can effect climate changes on the other side of the planet”  Paul Erlich

 

 

“Just like the butterfly, I too will awaken in my own time. “ ~Deborah Chaskin

 

“ We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think it is forever.”  ~Carl Sagan

 

These wonderful butterfly moments were brought to you by the Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. :)

I know it’s my imagination but I swear as I watch a butterfly flutter by me, I feel the air move and ripple around me.

And finally, here’s a sweet little poem that sums up a butterfly.

“The butterfly, a cabbage-white,
(His honest idiocy of flight)
Will never now, it is too late,
Master the art of flying straight.”
~Robert Graves, "Flying Crooked"

Having a bad hair day….

 

The day Tracy and Kathy and I went to the Botanical Gardens, every time I would pass one of these cacti I just couldn’t help but think “That looks like me having a bad hair day.”

Just finished another busy weekend  and I have a  busy week shaping up. So, please forgive my lack of posts….I’m working on it. :)  But I’ll still be dropping by and enjoying all you have to share with me on your blogs.

Cotton pickin’ weather….

 

This is the time of year when the cotton is ready to be picked.

I took this photo Wednesday morning after driving the girls to school.  On the way to pick them up in the afternoon, they were  already picking the same field.

 

 

 

Things will really get busy for the cotton farmers for the next month or more.

Something is….

 

blowing in the wind.

 

I think it’s the grass.

 

 

 

Soon you may be smelling a different kind of “grass” blowing in the wind in Arizona.

Left turn to nowhere….

 

This left turn to nowhere is brought to you by the recent downturn in the housing market in Phoenix.

 

This lonely corner is out in the middle of about a square mile of property where the roads and road signs were all put up….but nothing else.  No houses, no families, no community….

 

no bikes.  What a waste.  What a shame.   

May the Bird of Paradise….

 

CHORUS
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"
"May an elephant caress you with his toes"
"May your wife be plagued with runners in her hose"
"May the bird of paradise fly up your nose"

Song by Little Jimmy Dickens

I don’t think this is the kind of Bird of Paradise Little Jimmy had in mind.

Isn’t it beautiful though.

Arizona rain….

 

He’s dressed in his wet weather gear to go out walking in the Arizona rain. 

 

Petals aplenty….

 

 

Black-foot Daisy.

 

Salvia.

 

Something really pretty I didn’t find out the name of.  :)

 

Golden Fleece.  Tracy liked this one.  We’ll be looking for it at our local nursery.

 

Sorry, didn’t see a name for this one either.

 

I guess I spent more time looking at the flowers and not enough time at their names.  Don’t know this one either.

 

 

Echinacea.

 

Looks like some kind of Gazania.

 

Shrimp Plant.

 

Bromeliad.    

 

Cactus blossom.

Tracy was so right…I spent a lot of time taking pictures of flowers at the Botanical Gardens.  Duh!  B-o-t-a-n-i-c-a-l  Garden.  It was a no-brainer. 

Up close and personal….

Here are some shots from the Botanical Gardens where I was able to get a little up close and personal with the flora and fauna.

These are all pretty much straight out of the camera. I haven’t had time to do any post processing.

Not sure I’m going to either.

The textures were amazing.

    

This shot was taken with Tracy’s expert help.  She had to hold the stalk of the plant so I could see the bug.  Then between her shaking and mine, we did pretty good.  The shot was Kathy’s idea though.

In the shade garden there was a sign with this quote:

“To see the world in a grain of sand, and to see heaven in a wild flower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand, and eternity in an hour.”  William Blake

A day with special people…

 

always makes my face smile.

Tracy and I had a wonderful day yesterday at the Botanical Gardens with Ramblin' Kathy.  This is Kathy and you won’t see a picture of either Tracy or myself here.  We’re very camera shy and critical of ourselves….not to mention sticks-in-the-mud.  (Is that the right way to make that statement plural??? You know like brothers-in-law instead of brother-in-laws?)

We saw so many wonderful things and I, myself, took 197 pictures.  I’ve whittled that down to 156, but obviously they will take a little time to sort through. 

Kathy started her post at KFH Photo Journal with one of the beautiful BioMythic masks of Gwynn Popovac.  So I thought I would share my favorite from that group here today. 

This is Patience….

 

“Artist Gwynn Popovac’s biomythic masks will be on display in Ottosen Gallery in Dorrance Hall. Each mask blends the textures, shapes and hues of natural habitats such as deserts, wetlands and tide pools with human features. These intricate three dimensional masks incorporate a variety of man-made and found objects such as wire, plaster, beads, fabric and stones.”  americantowns.com

I believe “patience” was required to complete this mask.  It is very intricate and beautiful.

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing more of what Tracy, Kathy and I saw at the Botanical Gardens.  Spending time with friends is what the day was really all about though.  You should do that every chance you get.