Recycled decor

The present incarnation of Waffles & More is in a former Mexican restaurant, which is fine by me. Not only are the breakfasts yummy (and the specials are cheap), but the place is light and airy. Even taking into account the big murals of our two iconic mountains (Granite, above, and Thumb Butte, below).

I like the live plants and the painted plants as well.

Especially those huge sunflowers.

Other folk style, food related wall paintings add to the flavor of the restaurant. All topped off by the growing collection of kid's coloring sheets at the check-out counter.

The coffee cups? All in the back room, where my friends and I had our weekly breakfast this morning.

Western kitsch galore!

Let me see: when I first met this cafe on Gurley across from the Courthouse, it was cool and called Greens and Things. Trendy light food of course, in its day. The place has seen several versions; most recently, the make-over positively drips Western. Really heavy on the decor, though the food is not bad either.

Saddles, chaps, lariats, hats --cowboy stuff.

A bit of old cooking ware -- after all, cowboys and miners had to cook their own grub. There's even a box of borax below.

A chandelier made of antlers -- popular in these parts. Below, a slick gambling man flanked by a deer.

More wildlife: above, a buffalo, and, below, a pronghorn. I don't believe that the buffalo ever roamed Arizona -- they were primarily Plains creatures. However, we still have several herds of pronghorns (an antelope sort of animal) in the Prescott area.

No Western setting would be complete without the ubiquitous steer skull, of course.

Innards

As you probably know by now, the decor of medical offices fascinates me. Since this is the time of year following my annual check up, I've been sent to a couple of specialists just on the off chance. Today's pictures remind me of why I became a journalist.

Back when I entered college, the standard career options for one of a female persuasion were 1) teaching, 2) nursing and 3) maybe social work (if you'd ever heard of it). To all of which I said, "no way!" As you guessed, the pictures remind me of the nursing choice; no stomach for all that icky stuff!

Of course, they also remind me that I was never going to be a real blood and guts newspaper reporter, either. I wound up working the trade press where the pinnacle of my career was one of the few in-depth interview allowed by Ray Croc, the man who invented McDonald's. (Also Col. Sanders, the real article.)

More professional decor

Prescott has more than its share of galleries and museums. Then there are the periodic weekend arts and crafts shows at the Square. However, I find that the small collections in offices and businesses around town are yet another albeit quieter venue for quality arts and crafts.

Today I visited one of my doctors who has been in his present quarters for a short time, hence there are only a few pieces. However, here is a horse that I would love to have. I'm sure that the Granddotter who is into horsies big time would also covet the painting.

Above is an attractive, smallish vase sitting on a waiting room table, hemmed in by medical brochures.

But truly outstanding is this tall vase -- about 3-1/2" to 4" tall. It stands by itself, as is proper. Furthermore, it is R.E.D. I want it.

Linkage for the day: While on the subject of arts/crafts, Tombo, who knows how to find graffiti, visited Flagstaff, where he found a splendid collection. Foolsewoode was also in Northern Arizona recently, but she focused her camera on the old Route 66 Wigwam Motel. There's a fabulous hi-res picture of a Martian crater at this UAriz site; click on the blog link to locate poster-size color PDFs from Mars.

More Professional Decor

I confess to a fascination with office decor, in particular the art found in local offices. Nor am I talking about the insipid, generic factory painting that winds up in hotel rooms. Quite the contrary. My family doctor features excellent, evocative water colors of western subjects painted by his mother; at an audiologists' office, I discovered an interesting photographic enlargement of one of the last Santa Fe trains passing through the Dells. Then there are the fine kachinas and old quilts that make my wait for xrays at Medwise more endurable, not to mention the excellent Indian art collection at the downtown Bank of America.

All of which brings me up to date. My annual checkup came due recently, to be followed by the annual visit to the medical lab for the usual panel of tests. The lobby of Bradshaw Mountain Lab is not a very exciting place to sit as you wait to let blood. However, I did take a closer look at the current exhibit this morning.

Photography, in this case. Furthermore, student photography. High school student work. Prescott High School.

And, as you can see through the transparent wrappings, almost entirely black & white photography, at that. I'm always surprised when the arcane chemistry of silver images resurfaces in this age of the digital everything. Particularly on the part of high school students, who tend to be champions of the latest and disparagers of the old and klunky. Admittedly, there is a grand b&w photo lab over at Prescott College, but then it is part of the art department.

It pleases me that at least a small group of youngsters are serving an apprenticeship in yesterday's arts. Their work will still be around when the lights go out. On the other hand, I served my time in the lab; I'm more than happy with the freedom afforded by the digital revolution.

Coffee table clocks

How to describe the idea of using an expensive clockworks as a coffee table? A remarkable extravagance? A leftover from an earlier time? It's difficult to say, but I was quite naively astonished when I first saw this piece in the lobby of our art deco Hassayampa Inn. I would never have imagined such an item, but then I am not big on home decor either.

And then, what do you know -- I met a second clockworks coffee table at my ex-sister-in-law's (we're divorced) when I visited this past summer. It had belonged to her LH.

I could but admire the piece. But I didn't dare rest a coffee cup on the dang thing -- that would surely have been sacrilegious.

Chairs to die for

I don't normally go out of my way to photograph chairs. But send anybody with a camera over to Casa Bonita on East Gurley for dinner and I'll bet that the first thing he or she does is grab a bunch of images. How could one resist such colorful objects?

Birds ... mouth-watering fruit ... warm suns ... smiling sunflowers, all to feast the eyes.

As an extra, two side chairs that were not repeated in the dining area. All I can say is "Wow!"

Now for Some Links: The copyright problems of Scrabulous have driven OmegaDad back to his blog, with a new post -- the first since November aught seven. A grump. Perhaps a little curmudgeonly competition might cause the bro down in sunny, warm OZ to revivify his blog (hint, hint, hint). On a totally different subject, Future Pundit reports on one of those studies, this particular bit of research absurdity revealing that a taste of a truffle (the chocolate kind) may be linked to a desire for other high end products. My take? Yumm. Next, Stitchwort of The Stringbag tells the tale of a Lady Ventriloquist who turns out to have been her grandmother. In closing, one of my favorite sources for satellite pictures of the earth: NASA's Earth Observatory OTD page; you can set yourself up for a daily email reminder, BTW.

Business Decor: Banks

Do you recall the Wells Fargo adverts back a few years ago when bank mergers were all the rage? Big headline: Do You Know the Name of Your Bank This Week? I was reminded of the high cost of bank mergers in Arizona when I reviewed today's pictures. Once upon a time -- for as many years as I could remember, the Valley National Bank was Arizona. I'm sure that officers of the Valley could have cared less about goings on in NYC or LA; their business was Arizona, pure and simple, and they would go to bat for Arizona vs. anywhere else. We don't have that kind of financial clout in these new, improved megabank days, which is too damn bad.

Of course, that lesson for the day doesn't have much bearing on today's post, except to give me a chance for a small vent on the unfairness of the universe. What I had in mind originally was to contrast the decorative style of Bank of America vs. the Chase, at least on Gurley Street. The Navajo rug above sets the scene. It greets customers as they enter the Bank of America.

Other Arizona Indian art work on another wall -- paintings and a katchina.

Still more katchinas look down from above the wainscoting...

... and more. Some quite ferocious.

Curious -- I didn't see a single clown figure. Perhaps clowns are too frivolous for a respectable bank.

The lobby also features a handful of paintings.

And the corner fireplace completes this warm interior with a strong sense of place. You know you're in Arizona.

The contrast across the street is stark! My bank, which was the Valley when I arrived in Prescott, has totally erased any identification with the locale. It is angles, panels and all business. Nary a single piece of art work, although that display of old photos of the bank at the rear entrance hasn't disappeared.

Admittedly, you don't do business with decor -- but with people and I've had nothing but the best of treatment at both banks. On the other hand, it's special to have katchinas and beautiful weaving to look at when you're stuck in a long line.

Then there is the troubadour who sometimes shows up at the Chase of a Saturday...

Later Note: I was reminded that those handsome Indian arts and artifacts were most likely acquired long before the BofA itself acquired the Bank of Arizona. However, a pat on the back for keeping the artwork on display for customers to admire and enjoy.