That Sign at Night

 

Last year I did a post about this cute little deli on Central Avenue in Phoenix. There was some discussion about whether that big sign on top of the building lit up at night.  Well, it's a year later and I finally found myself near the shop after dark and when I saw that sign all lit up, I just had to get a photo.

I met some friends Sunday evening for dinner at a new restaurant that happens to be across the street from this deli.  We got to talking about the deli and how long it's been there which turns out to be since 1949.  

I learned that the shop underwent a major remodel inside and out.  The man who made that sign on top has been retired for a number of years but he came out of retirement to work on the sign and give it a facelift.  

I will have to make a point of going there some time soon. That will be fun.  I haven't been inside for a very long time.

Return to the Scene of the Crime

 

I featured photos of this house two weeks ago when I discovered those two very tall skeletons on each corner of this house.  I happened to drive by the same house on Saturday and discovered even more skeletons frolicking all around the house.  

These three even climbed atop that tall saguaro cactus.  I had to stop for a few more photos.

Normally, climbing on a saguaro cactus would not be advised but I guess it's okay for these three.  After all, they don't have any skin in the game.  

😉

More of the Skeleton Family

 

Here is a few more photos of the Skeleton Family that I featured on Halloween.  This group was lounging in the sunlight on the patio.

While this group was hanging around the street sign.

This group appeared to be having a conversation among themselves away from the crowd. 

I should drive by this house again this weekend to make sure this group has gone back underground.

Theme Day: Breakfast

 

I hardly ever eat a big breakfast but sometimes when I'm on vacation, a nice breakfast is just the ticket.  Last year when I was in Laguna Beach for a few days, I had breakfast at the oceanside restaurant at Crystal Cove State Park.  The place is called The Beachcomber and since it sits mere feet from the lapping waves, it's a perfect name.  On this particular day, I ordered the Ranch Skillet which is eggs scrambled with bacon, sausage, peppers and onions.  I had no idea it would be this big!  I hated to let any of this delicious dish go to waste, but I simply couldn't eat it all.  I could easily have split this with my friend Glenda and possibly the people at the next table too.   

However, Glenda was already deep into the house-made beignets.  Don't those look delicious?

The first of the month is always "Theme Day" for City Daily Photo Bloggers and the November 1st theme is Breakfast.  Check here to see more breakfast food from around the world.

Especially for Halloween

 

I made a special trip over to my old neighborhood to see if the skeleton family had made its annual appearance and I wasn't disappointed.  They were out in full force.  

One of them even waved at me.  

This trio was climbing a ladder to get up to their cousins sitting on the roof.

This group was there to greet anyone who comes to the door.  

As usual, the owner of this house has gone out of his way to make this group of characters welcome.

I'll show you a few more I found around this house next week.

Call the Exterminator!

 

I pulled over to the curb to snap a photo of this house that clearly has a problem with a large-spider infestation.  I certainly hope they have called an exterminator before those fellow make their way inside that house.

When I turned to put my camera down, I saw this fellow approaching my car.  It was time to step on the accelerator and get out of there.

I feel sorry for the mailman who has to walk past this tall dude to get to the mailbox.

A Coven of Witches

 

I found this coven of short witches doing a little dance around a tree in front of a house.  I couldn't hear if they were chanting, singing or just tossing an eye of newt into a cauldron.    

A little further away, this creepy pumpkin-headed creature was doing a little dance in another yard.  We all need to be very aware of our surroundings this Halloween season.  You never know what you will run into

Seasonal Decorations

I had lunch recently at this place that has joined the season of goblins and ghosts.  They have gotten into the 'spirit' in a big way.  

I turned that pumpkin around while I ate my lunch.

Mural in the Neighborhood

I found this lovely mural on a wall in one of the historic neighborhoods in Phoenix.  It was a long one so I took photos in sections.

It looks a bit like a colorful Mexican village.

Possibly a Mexican village on the west coast of Mexico. I looked at it closely for a signature but I couldn't find one so I can't give the artist credit for the lovely mural.

Taking part in Monday Murals.

Halloween is "Popping-Up" Everywhere

 

The Halloween season has encouraged some pretty creepy characters to disinter themselves and join the rest of us.

I'm glad this guy didn't pop up near my house.

A little further away from the guy above, this scary fellow was also trying to get out of the ground.  

Murmuration

 

I was sitting on my balcony last night enjoying the nice weather when I noticed a group of birds swooping and circling in perfect unison just like a starling murmuration.  

They were almost impossible to photograph because of the movement and not enough light to capture them but this is the best shot I got.

These are pigeons so this isn't a true murmuration and it's certainly not the huge mass of birds like when the starlings do this but it was fun to watch just the same.  It was like an ballet in the sky.

Halloween is Making An Appearance

 

For almost a year, this house was surrounded by construction barriers and equipment while it went through a major remodel.  Recently I noticed it has added the Halloween look by adding two very tall skeletons.

It's that time of year!  Skeletons and other Halloween decorations are showing up everywhere.

An Investment in Art

 

Here are a few more wonderful pieces of art that I found on my recent visit to the Heard Museum's gift shop.  These were all for sale in the shop.  The piece above is by Dan Namingha, a very well known Native American Artist.  It is called "Corn Deities".  It's a huge painting that was filling one wall in the viewing room in the shop.  The price tag on this is $22,000.

This one was painted by Baje Whitethorne another well known Native American artist.  This one is called "Original Travelers of the Seven Stars".  The price for this one is $10,000.

On another wall inside the art viewing room were these three paintings by Raymond Nordwall.  They are called "Among the Leaves of Gold".  I didn't check the price on these pieces.

Some very lucky collectors are going to come along and take these home with them.  

Pumpkin Season

 

It's that time of year when pumpkins appear in windows on porches.  I've seen quite a few in the last few days.  The ceramic pumpkin was for sale at the local nursery.

These pumpkins were seen inside a Scottsdale business setting the fall-is-here mood.

This grinning fellow was found in the window of the offices where I live.  He was smiling at me as I walked past on my way out one evening.

Butterfly Dancer

 

I was at the Heard Museum on Saturday for another one of their members 'Artful Mornings' lectures.  As usual I enjoyed the presentation very much.

Of course I couldn't leave the museum without a stop in the gift shop.  That's where I saw this small painting by PJ Payestewa. It's called "Poli Mana Poli" which I believe translates to Butterfly Girl. I'm not sure why this image grabbed me but, I love this piece.

Payestewa is of Hopi heritage and that tribe performs a ritual dance to celebrate the late summer harvest of corn.  Back in 2017, I photographed some Butterfly Dancers who were performing at the Desert Botanical Garden.  You can see them here.

"Spare" Humor

 

I couldn't resist snapping a photo of this car I saw driving on Central Avenue this last weekend.

We've all heard the saying "the black sheep of the family" referring to that one that just doesn't fit the family mold.  This Jeep owner has done a cute play on that phrase and put it on the spare tire cover on the back of his black Jeep.  

I love it.

A Southwest Maverick

 

On Friday afternoon, I attended a member's preview of a new exhibit that opened over the weekend. The exhibit was at the Western Spirit Museum and it featured an artist that time had lost track of.  She went by the name of Mac Schweitzer (1921-1962).  

I love it when I'm introduced to an accomplished woman that history has forgotten.

If Mac had lived longer, she may well have become as well known as artists like Georgia O'Keefe but her early death cut short a career that could have moved into that echelon. Above is one of her paintings called "Wrangling the Brood Mares". It was painted in 1958.

She was born in Ohio but moved west in her early years and made the western landscape and its people the essence of her work.  Above are three paintings featuring scenes from Northern Arizona and New Mexico on the lands of Navajo, Hopi and Zuni tribes. The larger painting above is called "Second Mesa".

 Her artistic skills included drawing, painting, print making and sculpture.  The two pictures above feature scenes from the blessing ceremonies at the Zuni Pueblo.  

The exhibit featured paintings from many private collections to bring together a large scope of her work.  The curator who led the private showing was Ann Lane Hedlund who was the daughter-in-law of Mac Schweitzer.  Ann and her late husband Kit were instrumental in bringing Mac's work back to the public eye and putting together the exhibit and the beautiful book to go with it.

When Did All This Screaming Start?

 

On Thursday evening, I joined friends to attend a performance by Jeremy Jordan at the Scottsdale Center For the Performing Arts.  Jordan is a Tony-nominated Broadway star with an incredible voice and excellent stage presence.  The show was excellent and beautifully staged.

The behavior of the audience is what troubled me.  The constant screaming caused me to cover my ears multiple times.  It seemed like every song he sang spurred many audience members to scream as though an alien creature had just grabbed them.

I'm used to enthusiastic applause and loud, exuberant  cheering but screaming at the top of your lungs seems a little much.

I've noticed this phenomenon probably over the past 4 years.  In fact, it's one of the reasons that I gave  up my season tickets to the Valley Broadway series.  I've had those 5th row/center tickets for over 20 years but lately I've been finding it hard to enjoy the performances when the audience pierces my ears with their constant screams.   

The photos of the plants above were taken near the Scottsdale Civic Center.

Cactus Wren Sighting

 

The Desert Botanical Garden is the best place to find those busy little cactus wrens hard at work.  This one was taking a breather and enjoying the view from atop a cactus.  I'm always amazed by how comfortable they are with all those thorns sticking out around them.  This one is actually perched atop those thorns.

Back to Blue Skies

 Our blue skies have returned here in Phoenix after several days of clouds, rain and wind.  In fact, on Monday we had a sort of micro-burst that caused some tree damage in certain parts of town.  I didn't notice any damage near where I live but I have heard that in Tempe, two buildings lost their roofs and many trees were uprooted.

The early morning temps are now in the low 60's and just yesterday I heard then saw a huge flock of Canadian Geese flying over the golf course next door.  

Fall is certainly in the air here in the desert southwest.

Ugly or Beautiful?

 

I saw this machine parked in a parking lot recently and I was curious about what such an ugly piece of equipment was used for.  I did some research and found that it is used to pave the streets and in this case, the parking lot.  It's a scary looking contraption but I bet to the construction company that owns it, it's a beauty.  

The Phoenix Symphony Gala

 I was treated to an evening of music and friends on Saturday night.  It was The Phoenix Symphony Gala and my friend Julie was the co-chair of the event.  She invited me and other friends to join her at her table.  Before the gala dinner, we saw the symphony perform the music of Danny Elfman.

And then, Danny Elfman himself came out to sing a few of his songs from some of those famous Tim Burton movies.

My friend Julie snapped the photo to the left.

After the performance, everyone walked across the street to the Hyatt Hotel for the festive dinner.  I snapped this photo of our table just as a red spotlight swung by and made that candelabra centerpiece glow.  

I think I had only seen one of the movies featured in the concert but the music played by our symphony members was so good I enjoyed it all.  I wish I could share a video of the pixie-like violinist who performed one of the songs.  Her name is Sandy Cameron and she was fabulous.  Check the link to her bio and you can see a photo of her leaping into the air with her violin.

Woven From the Womb

 

This mural is located inside the Western Spirit Museum.  It was commissioned by the museum and was painted by Thomas Breeze Marcus. It covers over 1500 square feet of space and 3 walls.

It stretches out over the wall above the stairway down to the first floor.  

It's called "Woven From the Womb" and the geometric patterns represent the traditional basket weaving patterns.  Marcus has Akimel and Thono O'odham Native American heritage.  

Taking part in Monday Murals.