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. 

my favorite thing

oh how i love books!

if i have any money left over, i buy food and clothes

here's my travel section

i'm reading "the story of edgar sawtelle"

what are you reading?

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

happy halloween!

skeletons, spider webs, pumpkins, and spooky 

goblins are out in my neighborhood tonight

pumpkin spice

pumpkin spice latte, a great drink 

for a chilly fall morning

get out and vote

i have returned to tempe but couldn't resist one more

manhattan photo. 

bleecker street subway

*bleecker street, manhattan*

once a major center for american bohemia

i thoroughly enjoyed my day in manhattan and look 

forward to my return trip

photo of a photo for making photos

*manhattan, new york excursion*

every centimeter of space is 

occupied in manhattan. in time 

square, everything is big and

flashing, competing for attention

green space

*manhattan excursion*

new york city is a feast of sight. a million things

to see everywhere all at once. green spaces scattered

through the city offer respite from the bustle. i was 

impressed with how serene some of these areas were.

fall color

the trees in new jersey and pennsylvania were

in serious gorgeous color. 

one thing tempe does not have

fall color

it also doesn't have the cold, drizzle, damp days that 

kept me from getting outside much while in scranton

here is a shot i took on the way to a day in manhattan

13 days...

*college & broadway*

do it

serendipity

*petsmart, elliot & hardy*

what a happy accident that i was shopping for pet

supplies tonight and found the store overrun with canines

and their leash holders. dachshunds dressed in buns with 

mustard and bulldogs dressed in pink tutus. a halloween 

dog parade. i'm so glad i'm 

in the habit of carrying a camera. 

i'm off to scranton, pa tomorrow for the big annual 

bat conference -   

nasbr (north american society for bat research)

 and may have to post a few postcards from my trip 

to get me through til my return next week. 

Buffalo Theory

In an episode of "Cheers," Cliff is seated at the bar

describing the Buffalo Theory to his buddy Norm. 

For your enjoyment:

"Well, you see Norm, it's like this...

A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest 

buffalo. And when the heard is hunted, it is the slowest and 

weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural 

selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the 

general speed and health of the whole group keeps 

improving by regular killing of the weakest members.

In much the same way, the human brain can only operate

as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, 

excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. 

But naturally, it attacks the slowest and 

weakest brain cells first. In this way, 

regular consumption of beer eliminates the

weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and 

more efficient machine.

And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter

after a few beers." 

sailing

*tempe lake*

sailing on a sunday evening, what a great way to 

wind down the week

pass the hommus...

the phoenicia mediterranean cafe

*6th Street and Forest*

a great place for a gyro

fall plant sale

*desert botanical garden*

the annual fall plant sale (there's also one in the spring) 

is a big hit. members and volunteers get a special 

day to buy, and the public sale begins tomorrow. 

i found some fantastic additions 

for my desert landscape. 

to the victor goes the nectar

*my house*

what a fabulous fall day today was. downright chilly 

 morning, nice warm afternoon. the agitated squeaky chase

 calls of two anna's hummingbirds caught my attention 

around 1:00; buzzing, swooping, flaring tails, suspending 

animation in a stare off; one flies to the palo brea tree 

while the other drinks in temporary victory. 

butterfly sticker

desert botanical garden

one last monarch shot, applying the tiny blue

sticker to the butterfly wing

butterfly garden

desert botanical garden

in the butterfly pavillion

also called choje

desert botanical garden, galvin parkway near papago park

quiver tree, indigenous to south africa and namibia 

tracking monarchs

*desert botanical garden, galvin parkway near papago park*

after sticking a tiny blue adhesive tag on the hindwing of this Monarch butterfly, 

an enthusiastic future scientist releases the colorful lepidoptera. the marked Monarchs are being released 

this fall in hopes that recoveries will lead to a better understanding of their migration routes.

 a few years back one of the marked butterflies was recovered in Mexico City. 

got milk?

the manufacturing facility for the united dairymen 

of arizona at hardy and broadway. it operates

 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to produce 

cream, butter, skim milk, 

condensed milk, lactose powder, 

and can process 10 million pounds of milk per day. 

it is among the few remaining full service dairy 

co-ops in the country, consisting of approximately 

90 producers who represent 90% of the 

milk in the state.

 

please forgive me

i've been in the field for 3 days and in need of an easy post.

pictured here, a texas short horned lizard, found in southeastern 

arizona. they are beautiful! three species of horned lizards, 

or "horny toads" as they are sometimes called, 

can be found in maricopa county. a hike 

at one of our nearby mountain park trails

 will reveal a ubiquitous lizard 

bounty. 

as of this morning at 11:00 pacific, black-tailed prairie dogs

have been returned to southeast arizona. 

extirpated (local extinction) in the 1930s, 

we have been without this component of our ecosystem for more

than half a century. after many years of paperwork and preparation, 

a team of biologists worked to prepare the site, 

capture prairie dogs from ted turner's ladder ranch in new mexico,

 and transport 74 to the release site near sonoita 

where they will hopefully thrive. 

good luck little guys!

bicycle friendly city

tempe has miles and miles of bike routes.

this month there are bicycle events each weekend.

the weather is perfect for pedaling.

beautiful vision

what's my line?

i happy cleaning windows

take my time

i'm a working man in my prime

cleaning windows

not Rudy's day...

go devils!

despite the encouragement of fans

asu just couldn't get it done today

zoom, zoom, zoom

cars zoom westbound on the 202, near downtown tempe

male grackle

with head held high and proud, in typical male grackle fashion

lines and columns

at arizona state university