Photo: ARTrageous at the Scottsdale Center for the Arts

Last night was the annual ARTrageous fundraiser for the Scottsdale Center for the Arts.  The even featured a reception with a silent auction in a tent outside the Scottsdale Center, then a dinner in the lobby, followed by a concert by Pink Martini.

This is a photo of the dinner in the theater lobby.  It was a delightful event.  By coincidence, we were seated at a table where the woman sitting beside me went to the same high school in suburban St. Louis as my husband, both in the 1960's.  They had some of the same teachers and knew some of the same people.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary.

Photo: Theme Day: "Worker" -- Jose Orozco

Today's worldwide City Daily Photo Theme is "Worker."  I chose this street art mural of Jose Orozco behind the Bario Cafe in central Phoenix.

You might be asking yourself how this ties in with the theme of "worker."  Along with Diego Rivera, Orozco was one of the great Mexican muralist painters, and one of their recurrent themes was the life of Mexican workers and peasants.

I remember being quite surprised by the murals of Rivera in the Mexican Parliament building.   They promote the role of workers and contain scenes highly critical of government and the church.  They are far more political and ideological than would ever be allowed in the U.S. Capitol.

This week we are showing photos of a festival in Punahka, Bhutan, on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

To see how other City Daily Photo bloggers have interpreted the theme of "worker," please use this link.

Photo: The use of fill-flash outdoors

This is a scene similar to yesterday's photo, but with a different camera setting and using a fill flash to illuminate the cactus in the foreground.

I don't like to take flash picots, as I prefer natural light.  Most of the time I use a flash is to lessen the shadows in back-lit subjects in the foreground of photos taken during daylight.

If there is one subject that people in Arizona should have plenty of experience photographing, it is cacti in the sunset.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos  posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos from a festival in Punahka, Bhutan.

Photo: Clouds in the north sky catching the rays of the sunset

Often the views in the opposite direction of a sunset are as attractive as the sunset.  The sun never sets in the northern sky, of course, but these clouds captured the glow of the sunset and added texture.

In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, there are photos of a special Christmas Eve in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Sunset over Camelback Mountain

I never tire of sunsets over Camelback Mountain.  This is the view from our kitchen window, looking west towards the east side of Camelback Mountain.

Cloudy days produce better sunsets, as the feathery texture of the clouds captures more light than they typical clear Arizona skies.

In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, there are photos of a special Christmas Eve dinner in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: A Thanksgiving Toast

Happy Thanksgiving.  We have so much to be thankful for, so please join me in raising a toast to family, friends, good food, fine wine, our ability to help those less fortunate, and, in Arizona, our ability to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner in delightful weather outdoors, such as the setting for this photo.

In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, there are photos of a special Christmas Eve in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Eagle on our house

If yesterday's photo of an eagle in a tree in our front yard was too obscured for your tastes, here is a photo of the eagle perched on a corner of our house.  I took this photo from a greater distance and with a point and shoot camera, so it is somewhat grainy, but it shows the unmistakable bold post of an eagle.

In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, there are photos of a special Christmas Eve in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: An Eagle in Our Front Yard

It is hard to see amidst the leaves, but if you look closely you can see an eagle who likes to perch in an Argentine mesquite tree in our front yard.

This is just steps from our front door, and just one mile from the heart of Scottsdale and the busy Scottsdale Fashion Square shopping area.  One would not think that eagles frequent such an urban area, but he is apparently attracted to the plentiful supply of bunnies in the neighborhood.

In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, there are photos of a special Christmas Eve in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Close up of an agave stalk

This concludes the three-part series on the death of an agave.  This is a close up of the fibrous stalk that this agave sent skyward.

In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, there are photos of a special Christmas Eve in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Death of an agave; part 2

This is a closer view of the same agave stalk that I showed yesterday. Often agave stalks have tight geometric patterns.  This one was quite different.  It was an explosion of vibrant yellow worm-like shapes. It resembles something that might give inspiration to Dale Chihuly to mimic in glass.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  In recognition of the upcoming holiday season, we are posting photos of a special Christmas Eve dinner in Vienna that my husband and I enjoyed several years ago at a unique restaurant.

Photo: A stalk signaling the death of an agave; part 1

It is both sad and a source of wonder when one of the agave plants in our yard sends a stalk up to the sky, often ten times greater in height that the height of the plant.  It signals the beginning of the end for the agave, as it will die following the sprouting of its one stalk.

This stalk seems to be mimicking the palm tree under whose shadow the agave has lived for about a decade.

I have had to take a brief break from my Scottsdale Daily Photo posts for the past several weeks due to the press of work and travel.  I plan to be able to return to more frequent posts in the weeks ahead, including two more installments on the death of this agave.

Photo: An Airplane Lost in the Sunset

If you look closely, there is an airplane about to descend into the sunset saturated cloud layer.

The trouble with Stuart viewing the sunset from a remote Jeep trail, as he did when he took this photo, is that he must then return late in the day, but he is an expert off road driver.

This week we have photos of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Jeep in the Sunset

When Stuart took his recent Jeep trail trip up Four Peaks, he naturally had an irresistible urge to photograph his Jeep and the beginning of the sunset.  Tomorrow I will show a photo of how the sunset evolved.

This week we have photos of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Four Peaks Jeep Trail

This is the jeep trail that leads up to the top of Four Peaks.

Most Arizonans love the beauty of the desert.  Visitors seem to have mixed feelings.  Some regard it as exotic.  Others feel that mountains should be covered with green trees rather than rocks and desert vegetation.  Some fall in love with the beauty of the desert.

I should again acknowledge my appreciation to my step son, Stuart, for sharing his photos from his many hikes and Jeep excursions in the area.

Photo: Four Peaks

Four Peaks are a prominent landmark to the east, visible from much of Scottsdale and Phoenix.  The peaks are located in the Mazatzal Mountains.  They reach 7,544 feet  (2,330
 meters) in elevation.

There are jeep and hiking trails in the area, and part of the area is preserved as a wilderness.

A couple of times each winer there is a dusting of snow on the top of the peaks.

This week we have photos of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: The social scene at the Scottsdale Polo Championships

The Scottsdale Polo Championships, held this past weekend, are as much a social event as they are a polo match. When the event was first held 4 years ago, it attracted only a few thousand spectators.  The newspaper projected that this year 15,000 or so people will attend.

We have attended the Palermo Open Polo Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, several times while visiting my step son.  In what is the Super Bowl of polo, they fill a large stadium with matches in a tournament that lasts about a month.  It will be a long time, if ever, before polo develops in the USA to the level of Argentina, but it is fun activity at whatever level it is played and watched.

I do not dress up like the women in this photo when attending polo matches, but they look like they are having fun.  The guy in the back of the photo looks like he is having fun, too.

This week we have photos of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Halftime at the Scottsdale Photo

During halftime at the Scottsdale Polo Championships, fans are invited to walk the field to stop on divots to smooth out the field.  It is a social activity, and people are dressed in style, which sometimes includes shoes that do not seem well designed to smooth out horse divots on a polo field.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some photos of the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia.

Photo: Horses and Horsepower

The Scottsdale Polo Championships this weekend have the theme "Horses and Horsepower."  The event includes a display of cars from the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction, which is held every January.  It is the country's premier classic car auction.

this photo is from the time we attended the Polo Championships two years ago.  It featured displays from the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, which teaches and gives people a chance to drive cars around a race rack.

Unfortunately, we have too much work to attend he polo matches this weekend.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Scottsdale Polo Championships

Polo players and their horses must act as one in  changing directions and chasing the ball.  One side of the polo field at the Scottsdale Polo Championships is set up for tailgating, which allows specters to bring their vehicles right next to the field and set up lawn chairs to watch the matches up close.  It is exhilarating for polo players and their horses to thunder past

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Scottsdale Polo Chamionships

This weekend is the Scottsdale Polo Championships.  We won't be able to go, but I am posting a photo from when we attended the event in the past.

Now in its 4th year, this event is growing, with additional festivities planned besides the polo matches.  The program for this year advertises that they will have what they are calling "The World's Longest Fashion Show" as well as a "Canine Couture" fashion show.

There will also be a car show sponsored by the Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Johnny Unitas' Jersey

When looking through Stuart's photos from the NFL Fan Experience at the Super Bowl to see what might be posted to this website, my husband tells me that it is fitting that the only photo that Stuart took of the displays in the NFL Hall of Fame exhibit was of the jersey of Johnny Unitas.

Many people regard Johnny Unitas as the greatest football player of all time.  He was also a pioneer in drawing attention to the challenges faced by former football players who, like him, faced serious physical problems due to the effects of having played football for many years.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Pro Football Hall of Fame exhibit at the Super Bowl

At the NFL Fan Experience that accompanies the Super Bowl, there is an exhibition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  I will show a sample of this in my post tomorrow.

Museums commonly have touring exhibits, and I have been to many art museums.  I have never been to a sports hall of fame, and I doubt that I ever will, as I am not much of a sports fan.  My husband tells me whatever he thinks I need to know about sports to be culturally literate.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: NFL Fan Experience at Super Bowl

Here is another photo of the NFL Fan Experience from the last time the Super Bowl was in Phoenix.  Next year the NFL Fan Experience will be in downtown Phoenix, so I assume that they will use the large Phoenix Convention Center, rather than having ti set up several large tents.

The downtown location will also make it possible for some people to reach the event by light rail, as the drive to the stadium in Glendale is quite a distance for most people.  Bringing people downtown is always good for the restaurants and other businesses downtown.

This week we are showing photos of Budapest, Hungary on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Dateland, Arizona

As this t-shirt shows, about halfway between Yuma and Gila Bend is Dateland, Arizona.  It is about the only place on that lonely stretch of desert highway to get gasoline or a snack.

As its name implies, there are date palms there, and /the one store along the interstate highway sells date-themed items, including this t-shirt that seems to celebrate the remoteness of Dateland.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some photos of Budapest, Hungary.

Photo: Large Cacti for Sale at Desert Botanical Garden

This is a portion of the sale area for large cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden's semi-annual plant sale last weekend.

These large cacti require framing and bracing to move and transplant.  The prices start at about $600 and range up to about $1,500 for the large cacti.

This week we are showing some of the marine life in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Darioush Wines

Last evening we enjoyed a wine maker's dinner with Darioush Khaledi at Central Bistro.  We have visited the Darioush Winery on Silverado Trail in Napa twice, so we naturally joined some friends in making reservations for the wine maker's dinner when we received word that Darioush Khaledi was coming to Phoenix.

Mr. Khaledi is originally from Iran, and his winery is magnificent and incorporates many Persian themes in its architecture.  His wines are outstanding, as was the dinner.

Mr. Khaledi took the seat next to my husband for dinner, and he was a gracious host.  To illustrate the dinner, above is a cell phone photo of a portion of the wine room at Central Bistro, with several bottles of Darioush wines on the right.

 This week we are showing some of the marine life in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Saguaros for sale at the Desert Botanical Garden

The Desert Botanical Garden plant sale is an excellent opportunity to buy a saguaro cactus.  This is the area of the plant sale that features small saguaros.  The small saguaro pictured here ranged in price from about $180 to about triple that amount, depending on the size.

These are rather small saguaros, of course.  All someone would have to do is dig a small hole, plant the cactus, water it occasionally, and wait until the saguaro is about 80 years old, and the saguaro will grow to about 12 tall and sprout its first arm.

The slow growth and expensive price are why it is so sad when a storm like the two recent  heavy wind and rain storms we have recently had causes saguaros to topple over, as I have shown in some photos recently.

Today is the last day of the DBG's semi-annual plant sale, but I am sure that all of the saguaros are sold by now.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted  on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing some of the marine life in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.

Photo: Desert Botanical Garden Plant Sale

This weekend is the Desert Botanical Garden's semi-annual plant sale.  Thousands of plants are displayed in the DBG parking lot.

Yesterday the sale was reserved for members of the Garden, and today and tomorrow it is open for everyone.  It is a great opportunity to buy cacti, succulents, and other plants native to the desert.   It is also an excellent way to support a superb community asset.

This week we have photos of the people of the people of Bhutan posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: NFL Fan Experience at the Super Bowl

The last time the Super Bowl was in Arizona, the exhibits included this giant replica of the Super Bowl Championship Trophy.  This giant replica looks like it is designed to be something that football fans would kneel down before and worship.  Perhaps some of them would.

 I once went to a lecture at the Phoenix Art Museum on the history of Tiffany Silver.  It included a discussion of the Tiffany's design of the Super Bowl Trophy.

Here is a tangent.  My favorite part of the lecture was a story the Tiffany curator told about about a famous pair of silver vases that TIffany made.  They knew where one of the two vases was, but the second was lost and unknown despite the efforts to track it down.  It was later discovered in a location where thousands of people had seen it.  William Randolph Hearst's mother had the silver vase made into a lamp and it was in the front room of the Hearst Castle.

This week we have photos of the people of the people of Bhutan posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Yesterday's Double Rainbow in Central Phoenix.

This is an iPhone photo of yesterday's double rainbow in central Phoenix, taken from my office window.

The remnants of yet another Pacific hurricane drifted into the Valley of the Sun.  We received only a little rain, but this double rainbow was a treat.

This week we have photos of the people of the people of Bhutan posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.