The downtown Sunday scene

As I walked from the Square down to Sharlot Hall on Sunday, there were the inevitable photo ops along the way. Floral, for example. Above, the new hanging baskets that now adorn the street lights across from the Square; the city fathers must have read my mind when I suggested that if Palmer, Alaska, could afford hanging baskets of flowers, surely our much larger city could. Plus a different approach to flowers at Genovese's -- bright R.E.D. poppies painted right on top of that great window reflection of busy Gurley Street (below).

Sunday was a day for promenading. One's gleaming street rod, perhaps, or the crowd's bikes, up from the Valley (or maybe LA for all that matter).

Of course, vehicles belonging to exhibitors on the Square must double as good totemobiles. As for people, quite a few were in costume, such as this frontiersman who obviously needs a bewski after a day at the Folk Arts Fair.

More western themed scenes on Gurley: above, The Sheriff, a coin-op machine explaining the west, old and new; below, a cool painting of horses in the Huckeba Art Gallery.

Sandwich signs were all over the place this weekend. Fancy That with its Save Our Store sale ... the live-healthy folk with their show and tell at the St. Michael. Among others.

A reminder of one more event, in this over-crowded weekend that I missed, in the Dinner Bell window. And, below, the melancholy after-the-curtain-goes-down moment for a tourist town. Nor should one complain -- there was no trash on the sidewalk!

Downtown critter still life

Amongst the other kitsch that catches my eye as I walk about down to the Square are the still-life critters. Take this jay, for example. Not that I think the representation is all that great -- but, on the other hand, the scrub jays that occupy my yard move far too fast for me to photograph them, so I have to make do with this less lively bird in a neighbor's yard.

However, when I pulled today's pictures from my archive, what I really had in mind was critters I see downtown, near the Square. Like the firehouse hound dog who points this way and that over at the Old Firehouse Plaza.

Or the rooster sitting on the fence at, yes, Rooster's, the little cafe over on South Montezuma. And while on the subject of foodservice, there's this announcement about the new occupant of what had been Fazzoli's on Sheldon Street (below). Yep, Panda Express. I hope they do better than their predecessor, though I've been surprised at how drivers who pass by this location keep asking if I've heard what's going in at that spot. They just don't see that huge face staring at them. I find myself inclined to ask whether or not this is one of those locations that is doomed from the get-go for whatever reason.

Admittedly, the electioneering elephant isn't currently in season, but I felt he was a member in good standing of the downtown zoo, and there'll always be another election and another GOP candidate.

And now for the newest -- and greatest -- addition to the collection: the ring-tailed tabby cat at the library. He/she is the companion of the library's new horney toad sculpture. Don't you just want to scratch behind those ears?

Prescott Collections: There are times I get nostalgic for previous posts, figuring that I've already photographed and written about the choicest subjects. This time, I decided that it was time to list some of those favorites, right up near the top of the right hand column. You might like to look at these old posts, too. They're just a click away.

Strolling Downtown Prescott

After my lemonade at the library lizard unveiling yesterday, it was time to move on, heading for the post office, the Square and Whiskey Row. It was hard to miss this pale yellow hollyhock, prospering in the crack between the alley and the wall of my favorite court building on Cortez Street. It probably grew from a seed from the little rear garden at the upper right. I always applaud the local hollyhocks which manage to grow all over the downtown area if given half a chance.

On the other hand, the landscapers at the post office had another idea about how to cover ground in a small flower bed -- plant hens & hope for chicks later on. Not nearly as colorful as the semi-double old fashioned red roses blooming in many of the cross walk containers (below).

Another photo op along the way -- a very, very pockmarked utility pole in an alley. And, below, a sewer cover that tickled my fancy, in part because it was made in the USA. Antique, no doubt. I found myself wondering if we now import our heavy iron sewer covers from China, along with our computers, our plastic toys and nearly everything else.

Over on Whiskey Row at the Arts Prescott Coop, a cool flag had been painted on corrugated iron -- an idea that worked quite nicely. Also neat: the way that the Courthouse reflection merges into the field of blue. Nor could I resist the sinuous, sneaky Oaxacan tiger below. At Sun West Gallery.

Sticking my nose in another door revealed a display of modish crosses (above). The cute little moose below is dedicated to my daughter, whose Alaskan veggie garden has been invaded by moose who are not nearly as cute. She did, by the way, come up with an excellent moose take-off of those LOL Cats pictures which are so popular.

Oh yes, I happened to look up at the skull in front of Matt's and discovered his bright red LED eyes. You discover something new everyday, if you just keep your eyes open. (End sermon.)

This Friday, I was quite aware of visitors from far places; for example, accents from Spain, England and Scandinavia. But what would Whiskey Row be without some bikers to add color. Plus a touch of macho, aided and abetted by products such as jalapeño peanut brittle in one of the snack shops. Are you ready to try it?

There were other sights to be seen downtown. A curious example is the face in the tree above; more prosaic, the invitation to add one or two more to your collection of high tech goodies.

This car is a new sight, I believe. It is a good example of how people manage to survive in desirable Arizona mountain towns where good jobs are very few and far between -- create the right business or service.

And -- signs of the peak oil times? Of our future? Not one, but two folks with bicycles plus little yellow wagons, neither containing an infant. Can bicycle rickshaws be very far behind?

Cool Sites: Dagny managed to get a great shot of a Cooper's hawk that was stalking her bird feeders; Smile 'n Sigh laments the passing of old fashioned brick sidewalks.

Prescott by zoom

To readers from far away, here are views of downtown Prescott; to local readers, your chance to get a hillside view of our town so you can pick out all the details. Obviously the place to start: the Courthouse, with the city parking garage in the foreground and Union Street going up the hill on the other side.

Gurley Street, from the McCormick Street condo building (left foreground) all the way to the Hassayampa Hotel. including even a few Victorians at the very top. Plus the old Masonic building on Cortez peeking over the other buildings.

Compressed buildings over on Godwin Street, starting at the corner of Montezuma and looking east, including the post office, City Hall and the Chamber of Commerce.

Yavapai College buildings are at the very top of this view; the red brick structures are the Fine Arts Assn. building and the former movie house converted into offices for the Social Security Administration.

Here you can look all the way from Albertson's and the old Depot to the many white buildings of the VA hospital complex and up to the top of our local volcano, Glassford Hill.

A hillside full of houses.

The hillside scar that always accompanies a new building...

Though only a Big Box (Lowe's) would make a scar like this one! In the foreground, the balconies of the old Head Hotel show, as well as a major antenna tower.

McMansions near the Senator Highway, which leads into the forest south of town. As you can see, our downtown is very compact -- and full of trees, which, at this season, are barren and gray. The gray green foliage you see in many of the pictures is primarily scrub oak and juniper. Pictures, using the extreme zoom lens setting, were taken from a nearby hillside on the west side of town. When I got back to the house, a hungry robin was on a juniper, gobbling down the berries. The only picture I was able to get showed the tip of its tail and its beak. Ah, well. Win some, lose some.

Linkages: Some splendid pictures of remnants from days past by friend Bobbi (all local, by the way); Firefly Forest who takes wonderful nature pictures has just posted desert-in-bloom pix from down Picacho Peak way. And if you're looking for something strange, I give you the World Dream Bank. Speaking of dreams: if you happen to have a spare $5 mil, you might want to buy the acreage at the top of Mt. Tritle; it's on the market, according to Prescott Style. Tritle is the middle peak of the three highest mountains due south of town.

Downtown for a change

Errands and a lunch date took me downtown for a short while today. A very pleasant change from my regular nursing home visits. And, of course, there were Sights to be photographed.
For example, 4th floor window washing -- in style -- at the oversized Gurley & McCormick condo building.

I notice that the final two condos are still to be sold. Wonder what they're priced at in the current down real estate market.

A stop at the Book Nook to pick up a book and say hello to the bookstore dog, Nicki in his collar.

Another stop at the Outfitter to buy some heavy-duty long johns for cold days at home.

The day was warm enough that there was one customer outside at Coffee Roasters.

At the bank, I discovered that they have one piece of native decor -- a metate -- in the midst of those steel and plastic cubicles. Actually, not in the midst -- it was on the floor in the foyer; the cubicles are inside.

And lunch. Good company -- The Singing Bird and her charming little girl. Noted that the Gurley Street Grill has declared "no illegals here" with an EVerify poster in the window.

So what did I buy? Bookwise, the middle volume of Neal Stephenson's System of the World. Long-john-wise, reasonably heavy-duty ski-type under garments, strictly for homebound use. Lunch-wise, more of that pot roast to die for at The Grill. A good day.