Just around the corner from the polka dotted dinosaur you saw yesterday is this happy wall of flowers. The flowers are ceramic; the leaves and grass are paint. Each flower is different and some have ladybugs and other crawly critters on them. What fun!
If I were in grade school I bet I would love having a purple polka dotted dinosaur guarding my playground! This cheerful view is the playground at Dunham Elementary School, home of the mighty Panthers. The photo was taken in late afternoon - notice the grey & overcast sky. The monsoons will start soon...
This nice community is definitely onto something. Throughout the neighborhood they have placed mailboxes painted with fun themes - desert wildlife, dog silhouettes, etc. As a courtesy to their dog walking neighbors, plastic doggie bags are stored inside the mailbox in case a clean up situation occurs when the dog walker is "bag-less."
Where to turn when you want to change your hairstyle, haircolor, and, in fact, your entire look? Why Wig-O-Rama, of course! And if cotton candy pink isn't quite what you had in mind, the store does carry wigs and hairpieces in all the conventional colors...
What wonderful expressions on these Gambel's Quail! Quail have a distinctive slender plume crest and beautiful markings. Gambel's quail are native to the Southwest and are very vocal birds (click the Tree of Life Project link below to hear them)! At this time of year families of quail are seen traveling together ~ often conveying great urgency as they rush about.
Even people who have never visited the Sonoran Desert often know about our fabulous sunsets. Western sunsets are certainly dramatic and a photograph can't really capture their astounding beauty (but I hope this photo can give you a pretty good idea!).
Today you can enjoy another view of the "Seeds of Knowledge" bronze sculpture garden. The pod sculpture featured in yesterday's post are in the background and here is the mighty cholla in the foreground. The walkways are beautifully decorated with glass bits. It's now late June so notice the dark sky ~ we're very close to our monsoon season.
This trio of desert seed pods is part of a wonderful art display at the public library at Golf Links & Harrison. A group of artists living & working at Rancho Linda Vista (an art commune) created these bronze works. The installation (appropriately titled "Seeds of Knowledge") is comprised of 7 pieces ~ 4 large ones and also 3 small ones which are placed to look like they are emerging from the ground.
There's no way to miss this storefront with its bouffant floral awning ~ WOW! And the store is equally fun with its selection of cosmetics, clothing, and super-girly accessories. "Cry Baby" is located on a sidestreet but here's all of their info so you'll be a know-it-all about this sassy salon.
Here is a third photo of beautiful Agua Caliente Park on Tucson's eastside. I can't help but describe this as a desert oasis ~ refreshing, isn't it? Scroll down to the previous two posts for more information (and listen to the call of the egret!).
Can you believe this is Tuscon? Many natives have never been to Agua Caliente Park on Tucson's eastside. Mmmm ~ cool and tranquil. Birders know this park is a paradise but you don't have to be a bird-watcher to enjoy the setting. Ponds, wildlife, shade, and lots of green... quite a refreshing outing!
This is such a showy flower with its intense color! The etymology of the Passion Flower does not refer to love, however. Spanish missionaries from the 15th & 16th centuries adopted the physical structure of this complex plant to correlate with symbols of the Crucifixion. Interesting! This beauty was photographed at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, home to thousands of species of plants, animals, & insects.
Seems like everyone has an opinion about "Sonora," David Black's 25' tall metal sculpture on the main library's plaza. Love it or hate it ~ it's definitely a conversation starter. With its brilliant color and undulating shape, "Sonora" is quite a contrast to the sharp angles of the stark white building. And it is HUGE!
A few days ago another piece of mural art ("Brick Dancers") from the Chicago Music Store wall was featured. This masked girl is on the same wall ~ painted inside a niche. With her mask and black boots I think she looks like a super hero ~ part flutist, part artist. Notice the stencil in the lower left: "Waste your life. Be an artist."
This metal and tile sculpture by artist David Elliott is one of a series of 3 that can be seen on Jacome Plaza in front of the main library. Twelve stone balls surround the sculpture. This one is really fun as the cutout frames anything you look at ~ giving all things a different perspective.
These arched colonnades serve as the elegant entrance to the downtown branch of Wells Fargo Bank. The bank established a remarkable stagecoach network that played an integral part in settling the Wild West.
Here's the patio of Cafe Poca Cosa in the morning hours before the restaurant opens. (Notice the lone purple towel hung to dry.)
