One of Chandler’s best kept secrets is the Basha’s corporate art museum. I’ve lived here for 14 years and didn’t hear about it until last year. Billie’s son did some work for Basha’s and told her about the collection. Since then we have been talking about taking a trip over to see it, but never got around to it.

The grocery wars haven’t been kind to this local, family run, grocery chain. They are in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. This week I read a news article about their creditors trying to force them to sell off the collection as a way to pay off some of their debts. They are fighting hard to hold onto it, but I thought we had better hurry up and see it just in case. Yesterday Recliner Man, Billie, her “Recliner Man”, and I headed out for an afternoon adventure.

Right away we could tell that this was going to be an even bigger adventure than we had expected. The Basha family has collected over 3000 pieces of contemporary Native American and Western art. The moment you enter the gallery, you begin to sense just how wonderful this collection is. Every corner turned, brings you to another wonderful sight. And there are a lot of corners to turn!

This one made me think of my grandpa, Archie. Grandpa raised Hereford cattle and my Uncle David told me that Grandpa was never happier than when he “relaxed” on Sundays by getting on his horse and riding around to check on his herd.

There were several that made me think of Grandpa.

I was captivated by some of the more modern works.

Recliner Man prefers the ones that “look like a photograph.”

There was something for everyone to enjoy in this high quality collection.

I tried to catch some candid images of our group enjoying the art, but every time I got the camera in focus someone would turn around.

Or everyone would turn around.

Or they would all run away.

Finally I’d had enough with failed candid shots and told Billie to pose for me.

Thanks, Billie.

I have to admit that when I first read about Basha’s having all this valuable art, I was more sympathetic to the creditors. If you owe money and you have assets, then you should use those assets to pay off your debt, right? Now I am not so sure about that. While walking though this gallery I couldn’t stop thinking about how each item was beautiful, but it was the whole of the collection that made it such a marvelous experience. It’s the type of treasure that mankind needs to have access to. I told Recliner Man, “Isn’t it amazing how much talent some people possess? And isn’t it good for all of us that they do!”

I had a nasty thought… If I really want to compare this to Gilligan’s Island I could promise you that it would only last 3 days and then drag it out for the next few weeks. I do have 176 photos, after all.

I don’t have the heart to do that to you though. You are being such a good sport about sticking with me this long that I promise not to overstay my welcome on this topic. Well, not any more than I already have.

Besides that, I don’t know how much longer I can keep up this oh so witty commentary. Now what was that phrase again? Oh yeah, Happy, Happy, Happy!

You can’t see it in this photo but this collection was displayed in a wooden boat. The boat is so out of place in the desert and yet it looked like it belonged there. A little bit of whimsy in a harsh environment. It brought a smile to all of us.

What does this one remind you of? When I saw it I immediately thought of a balloon vendor walking around at a fair. The Boy’s first thought was of a cluster of grapes.

This one makes me think of Irises.

Okay folks, that concludes our nature walk. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Posting may be a bit spotty for the next two weeks while we are traveling. I’ll have my camera and my laptop with me so if anything interesting happens I’ll try to share it with you. If nothing interesting happens and I’m bored and lonely I try to share that with you too. Dang, I’m just such a generous person, aren’t I?

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Lace up your walking shoes because here we go again.

It has taken a long time for me to really appreciate the beauty of the desert. I’m an East Coast gal and my heart longs for the hardwood forests and ocean views. I do have to admit that the desert is growing on me though. I never would have imagined that there would be such a variety of life here. Of course, if a scorpion had crawled into view this little arid love fest would have come to a screeching halt.

I’ll never learn to appreciate the scorpions.

Just give me the birds, flowers and cacti and I’ll stay happy.

Happy, Happy, Happy. (That’s what I write when I’m having trouble thinking of what to say next.)

When I look at this photo I notice all the sun shining on the flowers. You know what that makes me think of? It makes me think of next week when I’ll be freezing my buns off up in Illinois! My son-in-law started a new job this year and taking time off at Christmas just wasn’t in the picture. That means that it is Recliner Man and my turn to travel.

I really like these pieces. If anyone has a bank vault laying around someplace and wants to gift me with them I know the perfect place in my backyard to display them.

You really have to keep looking at the ground on this walk. You just never know who is coming out to say hello.

Are we having fun? Do you understand why it was so hard to limit the number of photos that I took and shared with you. I have been on beauty overload from this walk! There is one more day to go so come back tomorrow to see the rest of Chihuly and the Desert Botanical Garden.

Monday was a very special day.  It was the day that Recliner Man and I went to see the Chihuly exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens.The day was made even more special because we got to share it with two very good friends.

It was an absolutely beautiful day here in Phoenix. Our morning started a little nippy with the temps in the upper 50s but by the time we reached the garden the sun was climbing high enough to start chasing away the chill and adding dazzle to the glass sculptures.

Halfway through the walk we were able to shed our jackets and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Not to shabby for late November!

The Botanical Garden is a wonderful place to explore. The paths meander through an amazing assortment of desert plants.

There is something to catch your attention no matter where you cast your gaze.

 We arrived early, 8am, so the garden wasn’t very crowded yet. We were free to stroll at a leisurely pace and enjoy the sounds of the birds along with the many visual treats. The school groups didn’t start showing up until just before we were ready to leave.

It was a great day for taking pictures and I took full advantage of it. I came home with 176 images on my camera.

I’ve had the hardest time deciding which photos to share with you.

Editing has never been my strong suit but I did manage to get the list down to my favorite 26 photos.

Sorry folks, that means that we will be on this nature walk for 3 days. Just think of it as the Phoenix version of Gilligan’s Island.

Yesterday we went to the State Fair. This is the first State Fair that we have been to in 21 years. The first fair we’ve been to in 16 years. We were armed with old memories and expectations, and we found things to be a bit different that we thought they would be. I’m not sure if fairs have changed, we’ve changed or this fair just isn’t like the other’s we’ve been to. It is probably a little of all three. There were a lot less displays and assorted vendors than we expected to see but overall we had a good time and we are glad we went.

The sun was blazing and it was a fairly warm day. Temperatures were in the mid 90s while were there. This alone made the fair a very different experience for us. We were use to cool crisp autumn air as we strolled the fairgrounds. Not this time.

We got there around 1pm on a Tuesday afternoon.  There aren’t a lot of people there at that time. The whole fair had a deserted feel to it. If I were younger I would say that part of the excitement was gone with the missing crowds but I’m older now and can really appreciate being able to stroll through an uncrowded hall. Besides, did I mention it was hot? It would have been misserable shuffling along in a mob.This was one difference that I was happy to embrace.

It didn’t take long for Relciner Man to find the Fried Bread stand and again the missing crowds were a blessing because there was no waiting and empty space at the shaded picnic table.

The Fried Bread here is a little different than the Fried Dough we’ve had back east. The eastern version is a little thicker, fluffier, and more like a pastry. The differences didn’t seem to matter because we had no trouble enjoying this.

See that? That is the face of a happy man.

But seriously, where are all the people?

Look, there are people! But ignore them for now because I want to talk about what is behind them. You see these at all fairs,  the remnants of old fashion side shows where you could pay a fee to look at a freak of nature. These days they don’t usually offer you bearded ladies, living skeletons and wolf boys. Now they offer you a Giant Steer, a Giant Horse, a Giant Pig and a Giant Alligator. Honestly, who would pay a dollar to see a big cow? Would would you? Would Anyone? Why, yes they would! We actually saw a family for four paying their hard earned money to go into each of these shows. They must not get out of the city much.

Awwww, isn’t that sweet? Recliner Man made a new friend at the petting zoo.  I do have to say that this is the first petting zoo I’ve been to that didn’t smell like a farm yard. They did a great job keeping it clean. What else was nice is that as you leave the barn there was a washing stand with sinks and soap so you could clean up before you went out and ate some of the yummy fair food. OMG! I almost didn’t notice.. PEOPLE!

Speaking of cleaning up, they had the best outdoor bathrooms that I’ve ever seen at a fair. They were actual free standing bathrooms with air conditioning, a sink and mirror and a real flush toilet. And there was no waiting…. because there were no people!

See what I mean? No people. On a side note, the swings were one of my favorite rides when I was a kid and we would go to the Ledyard Fair every September.

Smells are a powerful thing. Oh stop, that isn’t what I was going to say! Most of the livestock was gone by the time we got to the fair so those smells were minimal. It was the smell of a CLEAN barn that caught my attention. It immediately brought me back to my grandfather’s barn in Odell, Nebraska. It was a place I loved to explore as a child. I haven’t been there since I was a teenager but one whiff of the straw and livestock and I was right there, 10 years old,  sitting on a bale and playing with the wild kittens.It was a golden moment.

This one is just for Kim. Everyone else can keep moving. Keep moving, there’s nothing to see here, move along.

We enjoyed watching a presentation by a group of Native American dancers. Isn’t the kid in the front a cutie? He was doing the ring dance. He is 10 years old and was darn close to being as good as a champion adult that we had seen earlier.

This is a Fancy Dancer. Hey mister, could you slow down just a little? My shutter speed can’t keep up with you.

A little slower, please.

Much better. Thank you.

We indulged in another of Recliner Man’s favorites – Corn Dogs. While eating we sat in the shade and enjoyed the music from this cover band.

The only problem with visiting the fair in the afternoon is that we were then headed home in rush hour traffic. Ah, now I know where all the people were.

Wednesday afternoon lightning from a Monsoon storm started a brush fire about 25 miles from my home. It has burned up to 2,500 acres. This afternoon they were reporting that man was starting to get the upper hand in this battle against nature.  Tonight they are reporting that the sneaky fire jumped around the crews, it just isn’t quite ready to give up.

Every payday my family goes out for pizza and today was payday. Normally when driving to pizza at this time of year I desperately need my sunglasses and the sun visor. Not today.

The sun didn’t have much of a chance against the cloud of smoke.

When I came out of the restaurant  my car had a light dusting of ash on it. It was kind of nice to just stand there and watch the ash flurries falling. It’s about as close as I get to snow now that I live in the Valley of the Sun.

It’s actually kind of beautiful, isn’t it? BTW, these pictures were taken with the small camera that I keep in my purse. I’m starting to think I need a bigger purse so I can keep my good camera handy. I never seem to have it around when the really great pictures present themselves to me.

Wow, an entire photo post without any pictures of birds or Abbey. I didn’t know I could still do that! LOL

Where were you last night. (Yes, I know you are reading this and you know I’m talking to you) We missed you at the ATC swap. I guess this is a busy time of year because only 3 of us showed up for the swap, Yasu, Sharon and myself. Let’s all try to make it next month!

This House Sparrow has been a frequent almost visitor to my yard. I say almost because he keeps to the insides of my neighbor’s trees. I could see him moving around and could see his black face but I never got a real clear look at him to determine what type of bird he was. Yesterday was my lucky day and he actually sat still long enough for me to focus in on him.

Just after the cat discovered that she could jump over the fence I discovered that there are different birds in the front yard than there are in the back yard. I plan to spend some time out front in the next few day to see if I can get some different pictures to share.

And just in case you thought I had given up on taking photos of Abbey in favor of bird photos….

Sorry for the picture quality. We were driving down the road and I had to grab a quick shot through the tinted windows while we were still close to this car.

The theme for the ATC swap at Mystic Paper this Friday is “Love Songs.” I chose “Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down.