It was soooo cold (with no snow), but that did not stop people from walking around Courthouse Square looking at the decorations. The trees and gazebo were all lit up creating a magical atmosphere for walking on this December night.
At the Square
Halloween Nightmare
BOO! These are just some of the characters populating our town right now!
Talk Like a Pirate
I’m almost a week late sharing this, but a) it wasn’t quite finished on September 19 and b) I wanted to share it with my photo group before posting it. I took this photo at the parrot show at the Yavapai County Fair a couple weeks ago and knew as I took it that I wanted to create a painterly illustration of this wonderful pirate as he moved up onto the stage and stood in front of the rigging with his macaw (one of many birds he showed us). The image was a challenge for me to create, because there was a big awning thing and a motor home behind him, and getting rid of those distractions was a huge challenge for me.
Those of you who knew me before retirement as the teacher who held pirate treasure hunts every year will appreciate what a labor of love this image was to create! Aaaarrrrgh, matey!
Kaleidoscope
This piece was so much fun to create- it came together quickly out of two photos layered in Photoshop and a fair bit of brushwork. My photo club’s theme this month is Prescott/Prescott Valley, and after re-editing a photo shot a few years ago, I discovered that the lake where it was shot was just outside Prescott, so it didn’t adhere to the rules. On the last day to submit a photo, I woke up with the idea and inclination to throw caution to the wind and create an abstract- so here is Whiskey Row Kaleidoscope, a whimsical view of our iconic street of bars, restaurants, shops, and art. My friend Debbie came up with the title- thank you, Debbie!
And. . . to my surprise, it won third place at the photo club!!!
Empty Boots
This is a detail from the Yavapai County Fallen Officer Memorial located in Courthouse Square in Prescott and dedicated to those officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Below is the larger scene- a beautiful tribute.
It’s All in the Details (part 2)
More Downtown Details today! Above is the light fixture hanging in a doorway of the old Masonic building, and below is the clock on the same building. By the way, these photos were taken in the morning- and the clock reads two o’clock- hence its title- Correct Time Twice a Day.
to be continued…
It’s All in the Details (part 1)
This month’s theme for my AAUW photo group was Downtown Details. I wandered around downtown on a Friday morning, armed with my iPhone and looking for details to capture. Above is a lamppost sign on a Cortez Street intersection. As the wires and lamppost intersect (as do past and present), I call this one Intersections.
Below is Through a Glass Brightly (groan…), a view of a window, the lights inside, and a reflection of the building across the street.
to be continued…
Morning Fog
Fog is so unusual here in Prescott that I had to document it!
Orange and White
This is from a couple weeks ago when there was still snow at Willow Lake. It snowed again last night, but it was only an inch or so on my side of town- and I didn’t see significant snow at Willow when we drove by this morning. I love the contrast of the white snow against the warm tones of the rocks.
Thumb Butte with Snow
As I write this, I haven’t been able to get out yet to take photos- fingers crossed that the snow plow guy will come later today. The photo below was taken a few weeks ago with just a dusting of snow on Prescott’s iconic Thumb Butte.
Autumn Stillness
A peaceful scene at Watson Lake . . .
Notice the water lines on the tree!
Chasing Sunset
Since moving to Prescott, we have developed a tradition of going out after dinner to watch the sunset- either from our driveway or getting in the car and driving to a good vantage point. We have become cloud-watchers and predictors of when there will be an especially good sunset display. Last night I thought there was a 50/50 chance of a great one, but I wasn’t convinced that there was enough sky visible- it was overcast in our area of town. But Lonnie had been out and about and pointed out blue sky to the south, so we headed out to find a good view of the Thumb Butte. As we drove in that direction, it was obvious that we had a magnificent sky with great clouds. The photo below was taken before sunset, when a golden glow was just beginning on the Thumb.
Thank You, Veterans!
I ‘m not able to attend this year’s Veterans Day parade in Prescott, so I’m posting this photo from last year. I’m pretty sure there will some very similar sights to see. . .
Bill’s Got the Blues
I never knew his name was Bill!
It was pointed out to me that the elk on top of our Elks’ Theatre is named Bill. This has something to do with a poster found in the old building that says Hello, Bill on it (an Elks tradition?). While the theatre was in disrepair a few (10?) years ago, Bill was languishing in Prescott Valley waiting to return to his former glory. When found, he sadly had a dozen or more bullet holes, but now he has been repaired and returned his rightful spot on top of his theatre overlooking downtown.
How Still We See Thee Lie
The Christmas lights are off for the season in Prescott, Arizona’s Christmas City. But they were still on last week, when we drove up the hill to the Pioneer Home to see this view. I think it’s most fitting that the residents of the Pioneer Home, who must have lived in Arizona for at least 50 years in order to be eligible to live there, have the best view in town!
The lights on this blog will be out tomorrow.
melinda anderson photography 