Downtown Mesa

Friday was a beautiful sunny day and we went to downtown Mesa to see a new sculpture that had been put in place a week ago. This sculpture is called "God Bless America," by J. Seward Johnson.





To give you an idea exactly how large this sculpture is, here is Jim standing next to the SUITCASE.



You might recognize this sculpture. It's based on a very famous painting by Grant Wood from 1930 called, "American Gothic."



The original painting is hanging in the Chicago Institute of Art. In fact, this statue has come from Chicago, and will be in Mesa until mid-July. Then it will move to another city, as per the wishes of the sculptor - to keep the statue moving from city to city.

Just a little bit of trivia for you - the woman in the painting is the artist's sister, and the man is the artist's dentist. They never posed in front of the house, but sat separately for the artist. The house still stands in Eldon, Iowa.



On two to three blocks of downtown Mesa there are several sculptures. These are just some of my favorites.

This is a cool one. Called "They are Waiting." Not sure what they are waiting for. The bus? Life to pass them by? What?



Whatever it was they were waiting for, I decided to join them. But then I got tired of waiting.



This is called "Flowering Stiletto." Needs no explanation.



This one is "The Big Pink Chair." Original, I know. Doesn't it look comfy?



It's not. It's made out of cement. I may LOOK comfortable, but I had a heck of a time getting up there. I almost fell flat on my @$$.



Two adorable horses....



This sculpture of a little girl, called "Booked for a day" is so realistic that you have to look twice to realize that she's a statue. Here's the side view:



and the front view:



Some yellow flowers blooming under a palo verde tree. No - the colors are not "off" on this photo - yes the tree is indeed "green".




Here is a photo of the tiny, tiny leaves of the palo verde tree.



I thought the shadow of the branches from this tree looked so beautiful on the stone sidewalk. Because the leaves are so small, the branches look bare.



Sometimes the trunk of the tree and its branches grow in such odd shapes with curves that go up or down and around. I liked the way this tree looked with its curvy branches.



This is the Mesa Arts Center. I love this big, sail-looking structure above the two buildings.



The grounds surrounding the Center are so beautiful with water fountains, benches, and wonderful landscaping.



Every Thursday they have a free concert outside. On this particular date we went and listened to an Irish band.



And finally, I leave you with some photos of flowers that are blooming around the outdoor pool here at the park.







The air is filled with a heavy, sweet scent from all the grapefruit and orange blossoms on the trees in the park. I wish I could bottle it up and send it out to all of you.

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A Day in the Mountains

One day recently Jim and I took a drive out to the Superstition Mountains. On the way we stopped at the Superstition Mountain Museum. The museum collects, preserves and displays the artifacts, history and folklore of the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction and the surrounding region. I didn't go into the museum, but just walked the grounds outside to snap a few pictures.

On the 12 acre site are reproductions of 19th Century businesses including a Wells Fargo office, stage coach stop, jail and other displays of authentic relics of the 1800's.







Many Western movies were made in nearby Apacheland Movie Ranch, which had two fires, one in 1969 and one in 2004, which finally closed its doors. Some of the movies that were filmed at this movie ranch were:

Purple Hills.................1961
Broken Land..................1961
Blood on the Arrow...........1964
Arizona Raiders..............1965
Charro.......................1969
Blind Justice................1994

The little white chapel that was in Elvis Presley's movie, "Charro" survived BOTH fires at Apacheland. It was dismantled and moved piece by piece and rebuilt here. It is called the Elvis Presley Chapel.



It is filled with movie posters of all the movies that had been filmed at Apacheland.

The gallows were used in several movies, most recently in the film, "Gambler II, The Story Continues."



This is another building that survived the two fires. It is the Apacheland Barn. It was used in several movies, but was made famous for the lengthy gun battle with Audie Murphy in the movie "Arizona Raiders". It, too, was taken apart, piece by piece, and put back together at the new site.



We left this little side trip and went on to Lost Dutchman State Park. This is a beautiful park with many trails around Superstition Mountain. It is one of the State Parks that is scheduled to close June 3, 2010 due to lack of funding. There are 13 out of 22 Arizona State Parks that are closing due to money problems.

This is one of the short pathways we followed that day. Doesn't it look inviting?



We had to cross this wooden bridge. It really was nice. This was made be an Eagle Scout. Looks like all the letters were carved with a router. The message says:

As an American, I will do my best to be clean in my outdoor manners, be careful with fire, be considerate in the outdoors, and be conservation minded

Take nothing but
memories
Leave nothing but
footprints

Leave no trace



We changed paths and headed up a little ways. I saw some of these, one of my favorite cacti. This is called Ocotillo. It gets bright orange blooms on the very tips. The green leaves hide the dangerous thorns on the branches. Beware!



This is a Palo Verde tree that is being overtaken by some kind of weed. You can see the different bunches of weeds in the tree branches.



This is a close up of the same tree. It has a bird in it. I didn't have my zoom lens on the camera. I was trying to sneak up on the bird when my husband decided to make some kind of call that he thought sounded like a bird. Yeah. He's helpful that way. Usually scares the bird right out of the tree. This bird is called a Phainopepla.



This is a much better picture.


Photo courtesy of pie.midco.net/dougback/arizona_2005.htm



Here is another favorite of mine. The saguaro. All of these holes are made from a woodpecker.

The Gila Woodpecker - uses the Saguaro, and burrows through its tough outer flesh into the body of the plant where there is plenty of moisture, and a relatively cool environment shaded from the searing desert sun. Once through the skin, the bird makes a sharp downward turn and hollows out a space for itself. A cactus, being little more than a living water container would continuously lose moisture, and be open to infection if it didn't do something to protect itself, so the Saguaro begins to exude a resinous sap around the void which the bird has made. The sap gradually solidifies to form a hard, bark-like substance around the wound, rather like a scab on animal skin, only this scab doesn't go away. The woodpecker has learned to leave the newly excavated burrow for a while in order to let the sap harden, although other birds sometimes decide to make it their own before the woodpecker returns, particularly desert owls.

courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk. The Guide to Life, the Universe and Everything

A saguaro boot.


Photo courtesy of Sonoran Desert Naturalist.



I found this large hole inside of a saguaro. This gives a good view of the inside of the cactus. You can see the "ribs" of the tall cactus.



I hope you enjoyed my trek in the mountains (actually it was a short walk) and your little lesson on the saguaro.

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And the Oscar Goes To......

Sunday was a big night in Hollywood. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, the 82nd Annual Academy Awards was broadcast live from the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles. I love watching the Academy Awards. I love the Red Carpet events prior to the BIG EVENT. I love to see what the stars are wearing (or lack of wearing).

There were some dresses cut down to THERE as in Hilary Swank's gown,



Or both cut down to THERE and UP to THERE as in Mariah Carey's dress,



Then you just have to wonder. What was Charlize Theron thinking, exactly, when she chose this dress? Cinnabons?



Do you see the resemblance?




Here's a little bit of trivia for you. The official name of the Oscar Statuette is the "Academy Award of Merit".



Its stands 13 1/2 inches tall and weighs a whopping 8 1/2 pounds!

It was designed by Cedric Gibbons, chief art director at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM).

It is a knight holding a crusader’s sword, standing on a reel of film. The film reel features five spokes, signifying the five original branches of the Academy (actors, directors, producers, technicians and writers).

The Oscar is manufactured by R.S. Owens & Company in Chicago, IL. It takes 3-4 weeks to manufacture 55 statues.

The first Oscar was handed out in 1929 to Emil Jannings, for Best Actor, in "The Last Command" and "The Way of All Flesh".


I celebrate the Oscars by having an Oscar Party, of course! We have a nice, private room here in the park that is available for use with a large, flat screen TV. I reserved the room a couple of months ago. My friend, Kathy, and I, went to Party City to buy decorations. They have the decorations you need for any themed party you might think of such as my luau party, or a movie party.

I bought red plastic tablecloths and cut one in half lengthwise to make a "red carpet" for the ladies to walk down before entering the room.



Here is our "Oscar" sign. After it was hung up, I noticed that the background sign was hung upside down (before the letters were put on). We all thought those things at the top were microphones, when in fact they were stage lights! Oh well, I don't think anyone else noticed!



Here is one of the decorated walls leading to the room where the party was being held.



This is a close up of one of those stars that are all over the walls. Each one had a celebrity name on it. We could have used them for a game where each of us tape a star to our back, then try to guess who we are by asking questions to other guests. We decided just to use them as decorations.



Walking the Red Carpet

This looks more like Shannon is "Easing Down the Road"!



Mary Ann:



BFF's Cathy and Sue:



I'm the one always BEHIND the camera, and someone said, "Hey, why don't YOU walk the red carpet and I'LL take the picture!" Oh. Okay.



The Party Room with big, flat screen TV



I asked everyone to bring either an appetizer or a dessert and their own drinks. Look at all the scrumptious food!



Also, if they wanted to participate in a gift exchange, they should bring a small $5 gift. Then we each pulled a number. The person with number 1 chose a gift. Number 2 got to either steal the gift from number 1 or select a new gift. It was a lot of fun. We did the gift exchange during commercials, and I also asked movie trivia questions to the group.

Here is Helen modeling her gift of a hat:



Pat got a cute little purse that holds two pairs of glasses.



Nadine received a nice smelling candle.



I'd say a good time was had by all!

And some day, maybe I'll see my own name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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The Crazy, but True, News of the Week

Sheriff's Deputy Goes Off Half-Cocked

Imagine paying $12.4 MILLION for a new city judicial center, and it taking over a year to construct.

Finally it is opening day. You are the Sheriff of this town, and it turns out to be the worst day of your life.

That's exactly what happened to Sheriff Ralph Curry. It seems that his deputy had accidentally locked himself in a jail cell. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? Except that he was EXTREMELY claustraphobic. He panicked. He figured that the only way out was to start shooting. So he did. Several times.

Luckily no one was hurt when Charles Wright went off half-cocked. He did lose his job, though. Last I heard, they were looking into if he was related to this famous deputy:



Take Your Child to Work Day Goes a Bit Too Far

You've probably heard by now the story of the air traffic controller at JFK Airport in New York who brought his young son to work one day last month. You think that would be distracting enough, but no. THIS FATHER let his kid control the planes. I KNOW. Hard to believe. I know the kid was repeating exactly what his father was telling him to say, but how easily could he have said "left" instead of "right"? What was this controller thinking? Or that's it. He WASN'T thinking. I think a simple tour of the control tower would have sufficed for the kid. If it was a problem with babysitting (no school that day), the father should have taken off of work. It would have been safer to have one less controller than have the air traffic controlled by someone under the age of 10!




Stick 'Em Up at Starbucks

It seems that Starbucks is embroiled in a bitter dispute. Well, the company, itself, is trying to stay OUT of the dispute, but they are the CAUSE of the dispute. You see, it is legal in 43 out of 50 states to OPEN CARRY a weapon. But even if it is legal, some local establishments don't allow patrons to walk in wearing a weapon. Starbucks wants to honor the law. Yep. If the law says you can carry a weapon openly, when then, gosh darn it, you are welcome in their establishment.

Here's where I see the problem. Do you SERIOUSLY want caffeine deprived customers who are waiting impatiently in long lines to carry a gun? Think about it. You are only asking for trouble. And what if the barista should screw up the order, and give you an Iced Peppermint Moca



























instead of an Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha






Would YOU want to be on the receiving end of that angry customer's wrath? With a gun?

So the situation is, law abiding, gun carrying citizens are walking around showing off their weapons, and the gun control crowd is petitioning Starbucks to "offer espresso shots, not gunshots" and declare its coffeehouses "gun-free zones".

To read Starbucks letter to the public on their position on Open Carry Law, click HERE.







I'm not going to get into THIS discussion, but I can tell you that I can finally use that line, "Are you happy to see me, or is that just your gun?"

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TMI Thursday - The "Ins" and "Outs" of an Ultra Sound

TMI Thursday is sponsored by Lilu at Livitluvit. It's where we share a completely tasteless, humiliating story about our self or someone else for everyone to enjoy or not! Click the button to read more TMI stories.

My gynecologist wanted me to get an ultrasound for some minor problems I had been experiencing. This meant that I had to drink 24 ounces of water right before my visit so I could go in with a full bladder. This is not fun. This is even worse when you are pregnant, WHICH I AM NOT, but it's uncomfortable nonetheless.

I went into the doctor's office and tried to act nonchalant when actually any minute I felt I was going to pee in my pants. I tried to focus on the TV in the waiting room and what should come on but a Brita water filter commercial.



It showed clear, running water, people drinking water, people pouring water, Water, Water, Water. I swear a few drops escaped in my lower half, but those old Kegel muscles kicked in and I shut that dam down.

Finally my name was called and I was led to a darkened room in the back. I put my coat and purse on the chair, took off my shoes and lay down on the table.

The young woman pulled my sweater up a little and my pants down some and tucked a towel in my waistband. She put gel on my belly and touched the wand to my skin. She began to roll the wand back and forth with one hand, and typed on the computer with the other hand.

The woman, let's call her "Mary", did an awful lot of sighing. I didn't know why. Was it because my stomach was not flat and taut? Get over it! So she had to roll the wand over hills and crevices! Deal with it! Meanwhile, Mary was pushing so hard on my bladder that I was praying, "Please, God, don't let me pee. Don't let me pee."

Just an aside here. Do you think God thinks my "pee" prayer is just as important as someone who's on a plane that's going down and praying for it not to crash? Just wondering - you know - God's not supposed to show favoritism and all that.

Then Mary said what I wanted her to say:

"You can go to the bathroom now."

(Of course, not on the table but in the bathroom.)

Before I went skipping off, Mary said what I DIDN'T want to hear.

"Your doctor ordered an internal ultrasound, too, so take off all your clothes from the waist down, put on a gown, and come back in."

Great! Now it was time to have sex with a machine.

I re-entered the room wearing a delightful gown and crawled back on the table. Mary used a different "wand". It's longer and more slender. She slid what looked like a condom on it.

I've had these internal ultrasounds before, and each time the technician handed the wand to me and said, "Please insert it." This one thought she'd take a "stab" at it. Literally. She missed. Yeah. Sooo. I grabbed it from her and did it myself.

Well, it seemed Mary couldn't find her way around the outside, let alone the inside of my uterus. She had to call in her supervisor for help. So then I had TWO technicians between my legs whispering, pushing on the wand, click-ckicking on the computer.

"What's the matter?" I piped up. "Can't you find my right ovary?"

"Oh no," replied Tech #2, "I've got it. I'm measuring it right now."

Whatever the hold up was, I was in there for an hour, of which half of that I had a wand up my, well, you know. That's all I'm saying is, the least they could have done was lit candles and introduced themselves first, and after all was said and done, I was dying for a cigarette.

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A Picture Paints a Thousand Butts Words

All art requires courage*. ~Anne Tucker



*especially in the following cases


I don't get it. I just don't get it. I try to appreciate ART in all its forms. I'll try to see the beauty of a big red triangle on a dark blue background that's called modern art. Sometimes I'll have to cock my head this way and that, or squint my eyes to see the beauty of a painting. But I must be missing something here. Tell me the beauty of this.



Yesterday morning 5000 gay, lesbian and straight people stood in front of the Sydney Opera House in Australia. Naked. As the day they were born. Spencer Tunick was the photographer.



The photograph is stunning, true. But what I find even more stunning is getting everyone to stand still long enough to shoot the photo. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, "Tunick directed the crowd via megaphone with a flurry of instructions, seemingly able to pick out individual people among the thousands: 'that guy with the hairy chest', 'the really white guy'". He often reminded the crowd not to look at him. He also instructed the crowd to embrace one another. Now remember, THEY ARE NUDE. Some people balked at this, shall we say, act of "togetherness." His response? "anyone who didn't should get out."

Okay, the truth of the matter is, I'm just baffled over the logistics of this whole scenario. For instance, where does everybody put their clothes? Are they handed one of those plastic bags you get in the hospital to put all your clothing in, and mark your name across the front? Or do they just fold their clothes up in neat little piles, tucking their underwear and bra in the pants, like I do when I have a doctor's visit, so no one can see my underwear? What about socks? Somebody's GOT to lose a sock! And do you think EVERYONE comes with clean underwear?


Look closely at this shot.




Look at the position every one is in. How close together they all are. You can't tell be that somebody didn't fart there. Seriously. Scrunching into the fetal position like that you're bound to squeeze out a little gas. Can you just picture a group of people scattering, and old Spencer there see's a gaping hole in his sea of people and thinks, "WTF?", and gets on his megaphone,

"Crrrrk! Okay people! What's the problem?"

You'd hear somebody yell from the crowd, "He farted!"

"Crrrk! Get back in your places! Now!"

The people would be coughing and waving their hands in front of their faces.


Now here's an interesting shot.

I wonder if the people were lying directly on top of the snow, or if they had something under them. In either case, I'm sure there was a LOT of SHRINKAGE involved for the men, and as that old southern saying goes, "NIPPLES TO THE WIND", ladies. And how much you want to bet there was at LEAST one guy who "wrote" his name in the snow, if you get my drift?


Could you imagine being late for your train, running through Grand Central Station in New York City, and stumble across, well, nude bodies?



This had to of been taken in the middle of the night because there is NO WAY they could have cleared it of people to take this photo. When I think of all the germs on that very same floor that they are lying on, it kind of gives me the dry heaves.


So let's say you have a kid in college, and you asked what he did over the weekend and he said something like, "I got naked with about 3,000 other kids and we got on our hands and knees in the middle of the campus." You'd think he was kidding. Maybe not. This was at a university in Mexico. So maybe he'd say this all in Spanish, but since my Spanish is rusty, and I can only remember, "Yo tango lachuga in mis pantalunas" which loosely translates to, "I have lettuce in my pants," I figured I couldn't really say the above sentences in Spanish so deal with it.





I DO know how to say, "Donde esta el bano?" (Where is the bathroom?) which makes me wonder if being nude makes the guys want to just piss behind a tree instead of going to a real restroom? Just wondering.....

If you want to learn more information about the Sydney photo shoot, watch this video. It does contain images of nude bodies. All for the sake of art, of course.




A photograph is memory in the raw. ~Carrie Latet

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