Heard Museum

The Heard Museum of Phoenix is a showcase for ancient and current Native American history and art with a focus on the tribes of the southwest.  Once again, we were astounded at the craftsmanship and resilience of these peoples.

The Wall is a combination of glass and pottery:  greens to browns to blues.

Commemorative Painting -- can you find some famous folks?

Ancient Pottery

A common theme in all the pottery:  WATER symbols
We saw examples of the pots as 3D maps -- rotate the bowl and then scroll as you go.

Hopi Kachina dolls bring guidance and support 

Dragon Fly is a symbol associated with water, a blessing in the arid southwest.

A Hopi Family Tree with potters & their wares displayed.  Amazing detail. 

PLAY BALL!

Yup -- time for spring break; time for spring training.  Welcome to the Cactus League here in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

Welcome to Phoenix!  THESIS IS DONE!!!

Pizza complete with a concert on the world's largest Wurlizter Organ.
It was fabulous -- and the pizza was pretty fine too.

That be us!

Overall -- we had a great time.  Easy going & friendly crowds; small and intimate stadiums (less than 10,000 seats); approachable players.  We all went to have fun and spent a couple glorious days watching baseball close up.  The season beckons.

 Our first game was the Mariners vs Oakland.  Old town; New town.  We wanted to see Robinson Cano work some magic.   We sat about 3 rows behind the A's dugout and definitely were on the look out for line drive foul balls.  One came through and DUCK!!!  Time to pay attention.

The Mariners took an early lead; then fell behind....until the bottom of the 9th inning.

Go TEAM

Will Cano bring the Mariners into contention???  

3 run HOMER (Romero) to win the game in the bottom of the 9th.  SWEET.  

 The Yees came south for spring training too.  We had them to the RV Park and we enjoyed all the amenities:  outdoor fireplace, putting green, horseshoes, batting cage, bocce ball, pickleball, and pool.  It is tough to have so many choices!!

Stephanie, Michelle, William, and Marcus Yee

 Game 2:  Giants vs Angels.  We sat in the lawn and it was so HOT.  Everything was HOT except for those Giants.  Hunter Pence signed Bryan's Giants hat.  The Giants started off to an early lead, and then, well, a long afternoon of batting practice for the Angels. Final score:  11-4

2014 Giants

Hunter Pence #8 -- kind enough to sign the hat.

Looking good -- bases loaded & Pablo Sandoval at bat.  OOPS.  Downhill after the 3rd inning.

Cactus League smiles

 Game 3:  Giants vs Brewers.  We were back in seats.  About 8 rows up.  Great friendly crowd.  Everyone from Milwaukee was just glad not to be THERE in the deep freeze zone.

The game was exciting...the lead changed hands and in the top of the 9th -- we took the lead with a homer and held off the Brewers for a 5-4 win. Very exciting!

Walking out they were passing out ice creams.  Fun!

Game 3:  Giants vs Brewers

Giants Fans!  Ticket autographed by manager Bruce Bochy!  

Buster Posey.  The Best!

Sergio Romo -- in relief.

Boyce Thompson Southwest Arboretum

In a class of its own, the Boyce Thompson Southwest Arboretum showcases desert plants from around the world.  It's mission is to instill in people an appreciation of plants through the fostering of educational, recreational, research and conservation opportunities associated with arid land plants.

Boyce Thompson was a mine owner, wealthy wealthy man and initially wanted to figure out a way to develop and grow legumes in the desert to address widespread hunger.  But, he was always enamored of plants and the Arboretum grew and expanded its mission.

It is located about 60 miles east of Phoenix and absolutely worth the hour drive from the city.

I spent my birthday wandering the paths of the Arboretum and just amazed (again) at the diversity of shape, size, color, and adaptations of the arid land plants.  Um, I took only a few pictures....at least 1 battery worth.

Peak inside the bloom

Picket Post Mountain overlooks the Arboretum

Spring is sprung!

Color!

Butterflies & Hummingbirds were abuzz.  Spring!

Demonstration Garden path...I want one!

Color me ORANGE

Healthy stand of that icon of the Sonoran Desert:  The Saguaro Cactus.  Blooms in another month...

Cactus wren on a cactus!

Golden Barrel cactus just shimmering in the sunlight.

Shape & Pattern

The Boojum Tree reminds me of the Baja...yes it does grow in the wild!

Fun cactus -- no spines!

Yucca Plants in bloom.  Yuccas will bloom year after year.
Agaves die after flowering -- but live 50+ years before flowering.

Hop Plant.  No, it is not a good substitute for hops & beer brewing.

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Besh Ba Gowah: Archaeological Park

Besh Ba Gowah is a spectacular 200 Salada room pueblo occupied between AD 1250 - 1450.  Although the site is from the Salado culture, the name is Apache meaning "metal camp."  By the time the Apaches came through and claimed the area, the Sadado civilization had disappeared and miners were busy pulling rocks from the nearby mountains.

Besh Ba Gowah has been "stabilized" and "reconstructed" over the years.  Originally all the walls would have had a plaster adobe covering the rocks.  However the area of the pueblo is enormous and convenes a very realistic sense of early life and culture in the area.  Besh Ba Gowah is located near Globe, AZ so is in a pinyon/juniper forest at about 4-5,000 foot.

During the excavation, jewelry with seashells was found and other items of trade.  Polychrome pottery unique to the area evolved.  Building techniques (especially of kiva like structures) appear to be borrowed from the ancient Anasazi and neighbors to the north.

View of the extensive walls of the pueblo

Walls are reconstructed but give solid sense of pueblo

Recreation of living area; gourds, pottery, and materials

Low doors into spaces all enclosed