Beautiful Accent

A rose by any other name...

The Rose Post

Mesa Community College houses a beautiful rose garden on its grounds that is a real attraction. I pass by this rose garden everyday, and every time I vow to bring my camera so I can take photographs of this spectacular display of color. Well, I have repeatedly failed to do so, until today. Here are my best photos that I took during today's excursion. I have to confess that I am very proud of these photographs. I was hoping for detail, but worried that I might not achieve such vivid and vibrant results as I ended up enjoying today. I hope you will enjoy these as much as I do. I might never have promised you a rose garden, but here it is, anyway. Sometimes the best beauty lies in the small details we overlook everyday.  

I know red roses are very popular, and people serenade the yellow rose of Texas, but my favorite color of roses are the ones that come in bright, fiery shades of orange, as well as their soft, peach-blossoming cousins.

In the midst of so much vibrant color, white helps to calm and clean the palette.

Yellow is always beautiful and goes great with red roses (the mixture of which, of course, makes orange!)

I confess there were plaques in the garden identifying the varieties of roses, but I didn't bother reading them. I didn't think I'd recall all of the names or feared that I would name the roses incorrectly. I suppose it doesn't matter, though. After all, a rose by any other name...! The rose above reminds me of a variety called Chicago Peace, which I remember growing in my mother's garden when I was a kid. Naturally, as a native Chicagoan, I love that rose; it holds a lot of meaning for me.

Here's another photo of a red rose. Where would a rose post be without photographs of classic red?

Yes, another orange rose and I love it (or at least a shade of blushed apricot).

This orange rose, above, is one of my favorites. I can't tell you how many photos I took of this one rose in order to get it just right. Just beautiful!

And of course, where would a rose garden be without shades of pink, found immediately above and in several photos throughout this post?

Intimations of Autumn

All day today, from morning onward, I was experiencing weather suggestions of autumn. The day itself was relatively cool and in the morning the Valley was greeted with the most beautiful puffy clouds. Yes, two items that are recurring themes on my blog (among the many): rock formations on the ground and cloud formations in the sky. It all makes for beautiful vertical symmetry. Today, despite the palm trees rising into air and the cacti populating landscaped areas and lawns, I could not get autumn out of my head. There was a coolness to the day, a lessening in the intensity of heat, and the air possessed a slight moisture, that I just couldn't resist recalling cool, damp, autumn mornings in Chicago after a night of rain, with clouds parting to reveal a rich, intensely blue sky. Memories. At any rate, today was a photo-rich day, and I have other photos that I will post later. In the meantime, I just couldn't resist sharing these.

Morning Views

Sunrise in South Mountain, Phoenix, AZ

My life lacks a lot of variety lately, and so I have chosen to slow down and appreciate the beauty I see before me everyday. First, this image of sunrise from this morning. I have given so much exposure to the sunset that I have neglected to give equal time to its morning counterpart. This morning's sunrise was a fiery glow that illuminated a blue sky still partially dark from the night before. I had been meaning to capture such morning beauty, and so here is one instance of early morning glory.

Mesa, AZ

This is the same lake that I captured in one of my posts from last week. I just decided to take photos from more detailed angles. I have been really impressed with the way the morning sun reflects upon the water and, maybe because I now live in the desert and see a lot of parched, naked earth, I find myself attracted to any patch of cool organic green.

Mesa, AZ

I still love the stately calm of palm trees standing in the distance. Their verticality helps to offset the vast horizontal spread of the lake.

Mesa, AZ

It might be obvious to some already, but I love trees. Dead trees, living trees, trees budding with small growths of green foliage, trees in bloom, trees ablaze in autumnal shades of scarlet and gold. And I love close-ups of trees, so the viewer cannot help but feel enveloped in their leafy spread.

Random Shots of Beauty in Mesa, AZ

Okay, I've been a total slacker since my return from Boulder, at least in terms of posting on this blog, and so I humbly submit these photos for your viewing pleasure, reader friend. These are photos I took this morning during a walk along my favorite stretch of Dobson Road, where there are a series of man-made lakes (or large ponds, if you'd prefer). It was a beautiful clear, blue morning. Along with the usual sound of traffic passing, birds were chirping their morning songs. I walk this route quite often and it only just occurred to me yesterday that I should photograph it. I hope you enjoy the tranquility these photographs suggest.

 The yuccas sport a great profusion of blooms!

Art and Utility in Mesa, AZ

Bus stop gazebo, Mesa, AZ

There are several spots throughout the Valley where Valley Metro, the area's mass transit service, offers some beautiful, artsy bus stop features. This gazebo on Southern Avenue, at the north end of Mesa Community College, is one of them. It has a nice look, with metallic leaf accents strewn along the exterior. Art that serves a purpose. Why not make things we need to use in our everyday lives, such as sun-cover at a bus stop, into something artful and extraordinary?

Rose garden, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

Behind the bus stop lies Mesa Community College's rose garden, where colorful botanical beauty showcases the campus.

Public benches, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

These public benches, next to the gazebo bus stop, lie within a domed metal exterior and continue the artful botanical theme. They weave the bus stop and the rose garden together quite nicely.

Rose garden, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

Just some of the roses blooming and thriving in the rose garden.

Rose garden, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

Many trees in the rose garden are mature, offering a cool, shady respite from the sunny desert heat.

Clock tower, Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ

The clock tower on Mesa Community College's Dobson campus is a campus landmark.