Ear Defenders Should Be Included with Admission

When I was a child, my widowed mother raised me on a couple of paltry pensions and her job as the village librarian. Money was scarce, but Mom wanted to open the world to me, so she scraped up the money to subscribe to a couple of series of Time-Life books. I loved getting those books! They were beautifully illustrated and so informative. The volume on Pompeii fascinated me, and when I learned that Pompeii: The Exhibition was going to be at the Arizona Science Center while Suzanne and Daisy were here, I was hoping they would say yes when I asked them if they wanted to go. They did, so off we went.

We hadn't been to the Arizona Science Center before so we were eager to explore. Unfortunately, the place was heaving with children who all seemed to feel the need to scream at the tops of their lungs. The noise was deafening. Ear-splitting. Headache-inducing. Fortunately, the Pompeii exhibit was worth the pain.

At the beginning of the exhibit. It's mind-boggling to think of how old these pieces are.

Bronze keys, 1st century C.E.-- Found in one of Pompeii's largest and most luxurious homes, these keys opened complex locks adapted by Roman engineers from Egyptian pin locks. Although only able to open and lock from one side, these innovative locks secured the home and kept residents safe.

Money box and coins

Daisy's photo

Daisy's photo

Daisy's photo

Can you believe a loaf of bread survived?!?

Suzanne watching one of the videos.

Glirarium, terracotta, 1st century C.E.-- Dormice, considered a great delicacy by Roman gourmets who consumed them as savory snacks, were caged, raised, and fattened up in a glirarium. Its interior spiral shelves, two food tanks, and multiple air holes, encouraged captive dormice to eat, sleep, and eat some more.

Did you know that one of my favorite movies is Spartacus? (The Kirk Douglas version.)

The explanation for how the archaeologists were able to make these casts of victims was fascinating-- and this one even has his teeth!

Cast of a guard dog. I remember seeing a photo of this in one of those Time-Life books when I was about ten, so it was a bit of a thrill to see the actual cast. Looking at all those casts of victims was very sobering.

Once we were through the exhibit and could no longer stand the noise, there was still time before the Dial-a-Ride bus was due to pick us up, so we went for a wander. The Arizona Science Center is in the middle of downtown Phoenix.

The Rosson House was a short walk away in Heritage Square.

Daisy and Suzanne in front of the Rosson House. It wasn't open, so they couldn't go in.

From the Rosson House Memorial Rose Garden.

From the Rosson House Memorial Rose Garden.

We really did enjoy our outing-- so many fascinating and/or beautiful things to see-- even if the first thing we did when we got home was open a bottle of aspirin!

April at the Desert Botanical Garden

Although Denis and I had gone to the Desert Botanical Garden at the beginning of April while Daisy and Suzanne were here, we had to go again because spring is Prime Time there.

Come along as we wander through the place that was recently voted one of the most beautiful gardens in the U.S.

I love coming to the garden when the palo verdes are in bloom.

Although... if you hate the color yellow, you might want to give the place a miss in the spring!

The fishhook barrel cacti were all showing off.

This probably isn't a good time of year to visit for allergy sufferers either.

Most people passed by this female desert spiny lizard without seeing her.

Pam's Pink Honeysuckle

Pretties in the Heritage Garden

The Heritage Garden has become one of my favorite places to explore.

Iceberg Rose

Dagger Cholla

These mama squirrels liked my raw sunflower kernels at the Patio Cafe.

One of the paths you can wander.

Some cacti blooms aren't as photogenic as others.

This Red Foxtail Cactus belongs to the Woolly Cactus family.

See what I mean about it not being quite as photogenic?

Now we're back to the photogenic ones!

The pincushion cactus

A spring moon says she, tongue in cheek.

Where the sunshine truly is golden.

The Texas Olive

On the Desert Wildflower Trail

Iconic Arizona. Palo verdes, cholla, saguaros, and a brilliant blue sky.

Thanks for coming along with us on this trip to the Desert Botanical Garden. We're contemplating another visit because it's baby Gambel's quail season now. There's always a reason to go back!

At the Desert Botanical Garden with Daisy and Suzanne

One of the places we visited while our nieces were here from England was-- of course-- the Desert Botanical Garden. I can't remember if Suzanne had visited before, but I knew Daisy had. We visited the Butterfly Pavilion, and there were plenty of wildflowers in bloom, but all the various types of cactus had yet to really pop. Denis and I are going back tomorrow, so I hope to have several photos of those to share in the future.

Meanwhile, let's see what Daisy, Suzanne, Denis and I got to see!

 

Outside Gertrude's Restaurant at the Desert Botanical Garden. Although they are pretty when they bloom, it always makes me sad-- once agaves bloom, they die.

Agave flowers.

Desert wildflowers.

Desert bluebells.

Daisy and Suzanne at the entrance to the Desert Wildflower Loop.

One lone verbena in a daisy patch.

We're now in the Butterfly Pavilion. Cabbage White butterflies.

Zebra Heliconian.

Malachite butterfly courting disaster. (Human feet everywhere!)

White Peacock. Why they call this "white" I do not know.

Two White Peacocks taking a seat.

One of the many paths in the garden.

It was cactus wren day in the garden. This one was grumpy.

Owl clover always makes me think of the psychedelic good ole days. It's one of my favorite wildflowers.

Daisy and Suzanne at the Webster Auditorium. The huge cactus behind them is the cardon. Planted in 1938, it's the oldest plant in the garden.

Shining brightly in the shade.

Shining brightly in the sun.

The Desert Night-blooming Cereus. Also known as the Queen of the Night. It looks a bit bedraggled because it does bloom at night, and by noon, the bloom has almost died.

Three squirrels in one shot. Top: gopher squirrel. Middle: rock squirrel. Bottom: ground squirrel.

Entrance to the Desert Botanical Garden, complete with Chihuly glass sculptures.

Fairy duster.

L to R: Daisy, Denis, and Suzanne, three of the best explorers to have on any kind of expedition.

I hope you enjoyed wandering through the garden with us. Soon, I'll be sharing our visit to the Musical Instrument Museum.