look out below!

today i took my first ride on the light rail.

it was great, i look forward to being a frequent 

rider. while waiting at the tempe transportation

station, several paragliders sailed high overhead. 

i believe they launched from nearby "A" mountain. 

they are no doubt practicing

landing in sun devil stadium (directly below

this glider), where the minnesota golden

gophers will go against the kansas jayhawks for

tomorrow afternoon's insight bowl.

little boys and trains

tempe's light rail celebration included a farmer's market 

(planned to be a permanent tempe fixture beginning in 

April), displays of hohokam pottery found along the

 rail site, chronology of light 

rail planning and construction, and miniature trains 

like this one, chugging around a fanciful carnival. 

light rail celebrations

the cover band known as "the chris parker project"

played in the parking lot across from the new 

tempe transportation center yesterday while 

people drank hot chocolate, ate brats, and walked

to the light rail station at veterans way/college avenue.

they sounded great!

big turnout

today was the official launch of light rail. judging by the

turnout at the 2 tempe stations 

i visited, our new transportation is going to be very 

popular. there were so many people waiting to board

i decided to wait until tomorrow or monday to take

my first ride. each train can hold 575 people and each 

train was completely full of riders all day. i'm 

not sure how many trains are in the fleet, but they come

by every 10 minutes (20 during off peak hours). it was

quite a festival-like feeling in downtown tempe where

music played and crowds of people walked down mill 

avenue and along the side streets. 

more light rail art

light rail art

several works of art adorn the dorsey/apache 

light rail station, including this saguaro 

skeleton. when a saguaro dies, the flesh

decays leaving a beautiful woody skeleton. 

this rendering looks just like the 

real thing.

countdown to light rail

in just 5 days light rail will begin to transport 

commuters from mesa through tempe to phoenix. as 

typically happens when a new change goes into effect, 

there are cynics and proponents. i am among the 

excited and am hopeful that the train will be so successful 

that north-south extensions will follow in the 

not-so-distant future. until then, i plan to ride from tempe

to downtown phoenix, try out new restaurants, 

go to the phoenix library, catch a suns game - all without 

a thought about where to park. and on the way, 

i'll read a book. 

twas the weekend before christmas...

and all through the parking lot,

not a space was available, 

except in the very back - but that makes it easier to 

remember where you parked!

it was cars galore at arizona mills mall and everywhere 

from Normal to ASU

Arizona State University first opened as the Tempe

Normal School in 1885. it was renamed to Arizona

State College in 1945, and then was given university 

status in 1958 (by ballot initiative and 2-1 voting majority), 

becoming the only higher education

institution to have achieved university status by 

popular mandate.

tall man

this metal sculpture stands tall (30

ft?) near city hall.

Philomathian Bench

the philomathian bench was given to ASU in 1929

by the literary philomathian society. it is located 

near the piper writers house at the main campus. 

house sparrow

female house sparrow sitting on an 

agave stalk near Tempe City Hall. 

house sparrows were introduced to 

New York in 1850 and spread to 

California by 1910, they are now

found all across the U.S., Canada,

and Mexico. in the nearly 100 years 

since their expansion, they have 

developed some geographic 

variation due to varying environmental

conditions across their range. northern

populations tend to be larger and 

our southwestern birds are a bit paler

than those in the eastern and Pacific parts

 of the U.S.

Manzanita Hall

with its signature triangular windows, ASU's 

Manzanita residence hall was once its largest.

Many new dorms have been constructed in recent years, 

but Manzanita is still one of the most 

recognizable. it's located just north of 

university drive, right across from the noble science

library. the word manzanita is from the spanish manzana

meaning apple. in the southwest, Manzanita

is known to refer to several species

of evergreen shrubs found in chaparral habitats of 

western United States and northern and central Mexico. 

Their stiff twisty branches are beautiful,

 smooth and usually red or orange. 

upside down

Tempe's city hall building, built in 1970, is award-winning 

and unusual. its unique architecture - an upside down

pyramid - was designed by Michael and Kemper Goodwin

to conserve energy by allowing less light into the building.

the Tempe architects received an award of 

excellence from the American Institute of Steel 

Construction and an award of merit from the 

Western Mountain Region of American Institute

of Architects. 

festival of lights entertainment

musicians and dancers were part of the 

entertainment at the festival of lights boat parade.

snow on a 70 degree day...

it snows in some areas of arizona - it's 2 hours to the

ski slopes of flagstaff - but it's a certainty that there 

will not be snow in tempe, except on special occasions

when the someone gets the snow machine out. 

this afternoon, amidst sunny

skies and short sleeves, there was a big pile of the 

cold stuff for the kids to play in. it was part of the

festivities at tempe lake leading up to the 

fantasy of lights boat parade.

where we live

tempe homes are practical, functional, and if you like 

spanish style - beautiful. flat-roofed haciendas, cozy 

ranch style, flagstone, saltillo tile, arched entryways, 

rounded windows, smooth stucco, iron trim, terra

cotta tans and burnt umber browns. 

holiday displays

on tempe butte ("A" mountain), wise men

make their way east by camel. 

obscure

in the same little mill avenue courtyard next to Carlyn's 

barbershop (featured Monday) is a little

import shop - Yucatecan Imports. a great little store

that's been around for a while. if you're looking 

for a unique gift or a shirt unlike the mass produced

tees available from a chain, then this may be up 

your alley. specializing in hand-woven wallets and

clothing, bags, and necklaces from Mexico, Central

and South America as well as Thailand, Turkey, India, 

and Tibet.  

easy rider

*mill avenue*

some days i think it would be so nice to be pulled 

around in a small suitcase. 

Carlyn's Barber Shop

tucked away in a quiet courtyard on mill avenue,

Caryn's Barber Shop has just enough room for 

customer waiting and one in the barber seat. 

sneak peak

*mill avenue*

sneaking a peak over the shoulder of an artist

at the art festival. the colors in 

his painting are true to the colors of Arizona 

sunsets - vibrant.

festival of the arts

*Fall Festival of the Arts, Mill Ave*

for 40 years, tempe has hosted a festival

of the arts, usually the first weekend 

in december on mill avenue. so many unique 

arts and crafts, jewelry, photos, curios, 

paintings, tchotchkes, trinkets for the 

wall and garden. it was a gorgeous day 

and thousands came to shop and look around. 

So - oh!

so-oh contemporary boutique,

a mill avenue store

beauty in the details

*mill avenue*

i love artistic details. why have plain tile when 

a few tiles like these can add such flair?

that's what i enjoy about photography - finding details

through a lens.

stately bird

arizona's state bird, the cactus wren, is one of my

favorites. they're bold and inquisitive and even 

though their song is not really musical, i love 

the familiar chugging sound, which was described

to me once as the sound of a car not starting:

krrr krrr krrr....krrr krrr krrr

hard to spell what i mean, but when you hear it, 

you'll know.

notable: cactus wrens never cock their tails 

like other wrens do and form permanent pair bonds 

(like many birds) - i wonder if that's a civil union, a

marriage, or if they just decide to stay together?

will it go round in circles...

the chihuly exhibit at

the desert botanical garden

 provided an excellent opportunity

for December's circles and spheres theme: a rowboat

full of beautifully colored globes.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

blue light

a blue piece from the chihuly exhibit

at the desert botanical garden. 

fantasy of lights opening night parade

*mill avenue*

from tonight through the end of december, mill 

avenue will be lined with christmas lights. tonight's 

festivities included a parade complete with santa

claus, tree lighting, a concert, and fireworks over

"A" mountain. thousands of people lined

 mill avenue to enjoy the festivities. 

the nature of glass

*desert botanical garden*

chihuly: the nature of glass exhibit just opened this

week. the exhibit includes 15 fantastic compilations 

of blown glass. each piece is a magnificent creation 

of color and light. this piece is getting a wash to 

clear away mesquite leaflets.

a different sort of bird

*iron bird sculpture at Priest & Warner*

another on and off shower day with

clouds all around - arizonans cherish days like

this. happy thanksgiving!

a day in the mid 70s

it was a gray day and very 

sprinkly, off and on.

and then there was a rainbow!

focus

*tempe sports complex, warner & hardy*

another photo from the dog show last weekend;

so many dogs intently focused on their handlers

willing to do whatever they're asked for a 

piece of cheese!

speed racer

*elliot road & hardy*

fiddlesticks is a fun park offering miniature golf,

an arcade, bumper boats, batting cage, driving range, and

go-karts. the kids, dads and moms who were 

racing around the go kart track seemed to be

having a great time, in the zone. 

show of support

*rooftop near kyrene & southern*

this cardinals fan was no doubt disappointed today.

the cardinals gave it a valiant effort, but were 

outmatched by the 10-1 new york giants. 

agility dance

*tempe sports complex, warner & hardy*

a slow walk among tunnels, jumps, and weave poles;

arm extended to a pointing finger

memorizing.

that's what they are doing. they are memorizing the 

route they will take with their dog when their turn

comes. a route that will allow them to be quick,

and hopefully clean. that's what they're hoping for, 

a clean run.

usdaa good dog agility club event 

united states dog agility association

i've missed several postings this week, but

am back on track. just got a new puppy and have 

been occupied!

ctenosaura

*tempe lake*

this little dinosaur was on display last weekend

at the arizona herpetological society exhibit

at the dog walk event

little people climbing

*tempe lake*

the climbing wall was quite a hit at

the big dog walk this weekend

walk to save animals

today was the annual 2k and 5k pet walk to raise

money for two pet charities: the arizona animal 

welfare league and the society for the prevention of

cruelty to animals. strays were available for adoption.

it was a gorgeous day and there were hundreds of 

dogs out with their people, walking and smiling. 

the old Laird and Dines drug store

historically, the building on fifth street

and mill avenue was a dry goods store

called Laird and Dines drug store. the

building consisted of two stories and

a basement, which served as a bookstore

for the high school. Laird and Dines was

a drugstore for 63 years. When the

downtown Tempe area was revitalized

the old Laird and Dines store was razed

and rebuilt to resemble its original 

appearance...except now the second

floor is a Hooters restaurant.  

egrets in a row

so many egrets were lined up 

along the dam. made me wonder if the

lake was recently stocked, maybe

they were waiting for fish to spill

over. 

neighborhood trees

*10th street and ash avenue*

the newest piece of irrigation

standpipe art celebrates the

diversity of trees in the

maple ash neighborhood. 

purple orchid, 

cork oak, chinese pistache, 

shamel ash, aleppo pine and 

arizona sycamore and a northern 

flicker (bird) are featured.

this standpipe art is one of 8 

works decorated with ceramic tile 

to beautify old concrete irrigation

cylinders. nina solomon 

is the artist. 

 i previously featured "the windows of maple ash" standpipe here:

2008/06/public-art-irrigation-standpipes.html

Semper fidelis Veterans!

my father, Allen D. McIntire, served in vietnam in 

the early 1960s,with the United States Marine Corps, 

to this day he is a proud marine; 

and of course, behind every man or woman in service, 

is the loved one who gives them strength,

my mother, Carolyn A. McIntire

thank you veterans and veteran families for your service!

garage door feature

*hardy & university*

in the blue recycle bin shadow 

chosen graffiti stenciled on a garage door 

let's hope that a new tone will pervade

that we will not question every last motive

that we will have optimism

that everyone will feel included

and responsible for what happens next

bridge over troubled water

*railway bridge, tempe lake*

sorry for the cheesy title, it was quite blustery 

this evening. the water was choppy, the wind was

strong. 

love bug captain

*parking lot of tempe marketplace*

no worries about overheating on this beautiful day

in the upper 70s. even if you're a black dog in a yellow

bug, it was a nice day to just sit back and enjoy the

sunshine

what's for dinner?

*fresh & easy market*

Mr. President

i voted today

no matter your choice, no one can deny

there's a buzz in the air in tempe and across the

country. people proudly wearing red, white and blue 

flag stickers to show they voted today. free starbucks

coffee, krispy kreme donuts, and ben and jerry's 

ice cream. long lines and patient people. 

history being made.

cynosport world games

*west world, scottsdale; tempe's sister to the north*

late october, early november in AZ is a coin toss.

temperatures are supposed to 

dip in the upcoming week, but the last few days 

have been warm ones. on one hand, AZ is a great

place to hold a big event like the cynosport world games

since we can almost guarantee that it won't rain. on the 

other hand, a warm weekend like this one can make for

a pretty uncomfortable event. nevertheless, handlers and

dogs from around the world have come to compete in

agility - the USDAA Grand Prix of Dog Agility 

World Championships, Steeplechase, and World 

Flyball Championships. In addition, there are frisbee

demonstrations, lure coursing, herding instinct tests,

and K9 Unit exhibitions.