So many artistic finds

Nellie and I decided to walk down a street we usually avoid. Okay, Nellie wasn't too keen as it is very loud with too much traffic, but we went anyway. Admittedly, it's been a few years and my, how things have changed. New condos being built where small businesses and single family homes once stood. But hiding among the big builds and some sad old buildings are a couple of interesting places. One is a house with absolutely stunning art in the yard and driveway. 

The first thing that enchanted us was this magnificent bull.

 The front door is amazing:

Other than the statues, the artwork is actually made of glass gems. There is a fountain that runs into a little creek of sorts and goes to the driveway of the house. Even the bottom of the creek is made of glass gems.

If you follow the stream, there is an enormous statue of leaping fish, again with a wonderful glass gem base. 

Along the other side of the driveway there are astounding art pieces. Alas, not only would breaking into the locked gate be considered a big no-no, I have a code where I don't trespass, even to get amazing photos. Just take my word for it, this house is an artist's dream.

Being charmed again by garden designs

Nellie and I decided to go down a street we haven't been to in a couple of years. We certainly were not expecting anything new or fanciful. We couldn't have been more wrong. Apparently the word is out that neighbors are trying to one up each other with whimsical decorations. Case in point is this pebble retaining wall with what ceramic faces (in agony?) thrown in. Needless to say, an interesting idea. As always, to get a larger view, click on the picture.

The wall around the roses is more exuberant with more lighthearted decor.

A bit farther down the street is one of my favorite creatures - a bear. Have no idea what the Mardi Gras beads are for and why they are properly around her neck, but love the notion of feeding the bears.

Another bloom bomb

Planting succulents in an arid climate makes so much sense and they provide some surprises with their infrequent, but spectacular blossoms. Case in point:

Closeup of the blossoms:

Then there are the native and near native garden approaches to sustainability. The first example is a gorgeous array of Lantana, which survives almost everything (except me).

Then there is the strictly succulent approach to a garden:

And last, but definitely not least, the native plants approach. 

Dog park friends and one derpy dog

One plus for going to the dog park is getting to meet and make new dog friends. This week it was two enormous Golden Retrievers who couldn't get enough in the way of rubs and scratches, and who happily played with the other dogs in the park as if they had been best buds for years. 

Then there were the regulars, Husky Mom with her enormous Shepherd/Husky mix son.

And last, but not least, and not at all part of the dog park because he lives in a different state altogether, Bailey being a big derp.

You just gotta love dogs!

They're ba-ack (I sincerely hope)

Every morning is the same routine. Wake up, open curtains, stumble outside to greet the squirrels who immediately mug me for walnuts, and otherwise tend to the Critter Café. This is important business as my critters depend on me to attend to their every need: food and fresh water. This morning, as I looked out the kitchen window while making my coffee, expecting to see the crows and ravens swoop in to feed on the peanuts, I got a wholly unexpected and wonderful surprise. An enormous raccoon was happily chowing down on the peanuts. A raccoon. Now, no doubt you're saying, what's so great about seeing a raccoon? Allow me to explain. 

When we moved into our house with its now-too-huge yard, we loved that we were surrounded by squirrels, raccoons, opossums, skunks (well, skunks were welcome but the stench wasn't), and beautiful birds. Yes, we saw the occasional coyote too, but that wasn't too much of a problem. We even had a raccoon couple bring their kids into the backyard to stare at us while we enjoyed the outdoors seated on the lounge chairs, which the second we vacated, the raccoons would hop up on and make themselves at home. Opossum mums would show off their babies. It was a lovely time. Then something happened and the raccoons and opossums disappeared. Even the skunk population took a nosedive. Our yard was just as hospitable, our dogs as friendly, but the road bordering us became more congested with reckless drivers. That was over 15 years ago. So to see a furry bandit friend is exciting in the extreme. 

The pictures were taken through the kitchen window, so they aren't the best, but you get the idea. Enjoy Raccoony. (Yup, corny as it is, it's his name). He's near the wheel.

Recycle, reuse, repurpose - sort of?

Confession time. When I cut back my Agave, I don't do a terrific job. It gets whacked back just enough to not attack passersby and that's good enough. OK - not great but better than nothing. Someone else in the neighborhood not only cuts back their Agave properly, but then decided to add a decorative element that is quite ingenious. From a distance, what caught my eye was the sparkle. Curiosity led me to look closer and was astounded to see that bottle caps from various drinks were pushed into the cut area. It's fun, intriguing, and a creative idea. It may even get me to cut the Agave properly and find sparkly things to decorate them. Mmmmm.

 

Architectural battle - who wins?

One of the reasons I loved traveling to different countries so much was the architectural diversity. Standing in the Taj Mahal or a Buddhist temple, visiting the Acropolis versus Notre Dame, was exhilarating for both the history and the beauty. The U.S.A. has some highlights, but we have to make do with buildings in our area that are at best 150 years old. And most houses in our neighborhood are in the 50 to 100 year old category. So it's interesting to see two very different styles standing next to each other. 

The first is a cottage style that looks cozy and so inviting for a visit on the front porch.

Then, in my mind, oddly, stands a massive building that almost looks like a convention center. Mind you, wonderful arches (and we all know how I love arches), but it's the only one of its kind on a block of cozier homes. Mmmm. 

Finally, apropos of absolutely nothing about architecture, these roses are amazing for the diversity of color on a single bush.