It is an illusion that photos are made with the camera; they are made with the eye, heart and head.
– Henri Cartier-Bresson
** – Photograph Notes – **
Photograph by Jeff Ross, Lizard at Valley of Fire State Park, NV
1/320 sec @ f 6.5, ISO 100, Canon PS SX50 HS, Lens: 4.3-215mm
“People always call it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have.” — Anne Tyler
“It is better to hide ignorance, but it is hard to do this when we relax over wine.” — Heraclitus
“We have learned the answers, all the answers: It is the question that we do not know.” — Archibald MacLeish
“Dieting is not a piece of cake.” — Unknown
So what did you did you do this weekend? While this isn’t my actual birthday, life circumstances sometimes dictate the postponement of celebrations or, as in this case, the fast-forwarding to a special occasion.
It was with the greatest of ease that I slid from being a sexagenarian to that of a septuagenarian although the former did have a certain ring to it! It was almost painless and was less troublesome than I had thought a number years earlier.
My very best special friends of more than fifty years feted us in grand style. As a surprise, we were escorted to quite a dinner at the award winning Different Pointe of View restaurant nestled high into the hills overlooking downtown and north Phoenix.
This is the blurb from Hilton’s website:
“The award-winning Different Pointe of View offers modern American Cuisine and stunning views of the surrounding landscape.”
Sad to say I only had my iPhone, but I was able to gather a few representative pictures anyway and I hope they impart the beauty and elegance of the surroundings. The food was excellent as well and I will talk a bit about that too.
Here is the first photo I took looking north from the parking lot near the main entrance to the restaurant.
This is another picture in the same basic direction; perhaps a bit more westerly. It had rained the day before and the clouds still maintained some of their drama.
Facing south, we can see the hills that surround the valley including South Mountain.
As a frame of reference, I placed an oval around the downtown area of Phoenix.
From the balcony of the restaurant, looking southeasterly, there were more mountains and houses off to the side of the hill. The sky was a beautiful color blue.
Needless to say the food was superb as well. This is the entrée that I had:
The tenderloin was “spicy,” but not overly so. Those more gringo however, might want to focus on other offerings. Several of our friends had the short ribs which were reported to be outstanding. The bread service was unique in offering several toppings for the bread varieties. Everything was as it should have been; very good!
The view was equally stunning at night with the city lights, the lights of the cars and streetlamps adding to the romantic aura.
The patio was superbly landscape inviting diners to walk into the various outdoor “rooms” and nooks and crannies that abound.
This picture shows the interior of the restaurant (left) with the door to the outside open (right) which melded the indoor and outdoor experience for total enjoyment.
The hibiscus (below) and greenery were presented with dramatic flare!
Naturally one would not expect the ordinary outdoor lamps at a Different Pointe of View.
Nice!
The base of the lamp, with the associated shadows, also served in their role as a catchy design element.
While we had a lovely, well-paced birthday celebration, it was one those events that we would hope to prolong as much as possible, but alas the evening had to draw to a close. We made our way to the elevator where a spiraling staircase allowed some guests to descend at their own pace.
As we awaited the arrival of the car, we enjoyed the serenity of the fountains and started to fashion the memories of the evening just passed.
Thank you to my best friend and college roommate and his lovely wife (L & M), as well as our other very good friends Terry & Lora for making this a most memorable evening. Every time I drive by, I will certainly have a different “pointe of view.”
“Your flaws are perfect for the heart that is meant to love you.” — Unknown
“The superior man…does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything what is right he will follow.” — Confucius
“Pay close attention to people who don’t clap when you win.” — Leonardo Dicaprio, The Wolf Of Wallstreet
“The first time I see a jogger smiling, I’ll consider it.” — Joan Rivers
I have often heard it said that English is one of the most difficult languages to learn because the grammar rules have so many exceptions. As our Words Worth selection below also reveals, English provides a challenge to those learning how to spell correctly!
“Yes, English can be weird. It can be understood through tough, thorough thought though.”
Do you have any short English examples we can include? Leave them in the comments below!
“A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.“ — Victor Hugo
“Comedy is tragedy plus time!” — Alan Alda
“People are not against you; they are merely for themselves.[ed]” — Gene Fowler
“Please don’t ask me what the score is, I’m not even sure what the game is.” — Ashleigh Brilliant
Tin Man Lee is one of the photographers I follow and he has created a slide show about motherhood in the animal kingdom, but I am certain you will see behaviors that will remind you of your mother and her relationship with you! This is truly and visual ode to mothers and motherhood.
One of the last slides in the show by Victor Hugo says it all: “A mother’s arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them.” Happy Mother’s Day!
A celebration of Mother's Day 2016 with wildlife photography from Tin Man Lee on Vimeo.
If you like the work of Tin Man Lee (and who wouldn’t?), you can see more here:
Tin Man Lee – Wildlife Photographer Extraordinaire
Tin Man Lee – Vision and Talent of a Wildlife Photographer
See previous posts about talented and extraordinary photographers HERE
See previous photography posts, click HERE
“Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there someday.” — A.A. Milne
“When I was young, I observed that nine out of 10 things I did were failures. So I did 10 times more work.” — George Bernard Shaw
“Sometimes you need to run away just to see who will come after you.” — Unknown
“For years I could walk the streets unrecognized except by the people who thought I was Dustin Hoffman.” — Al Pacino
“If you stumble, make it part of the dance.” — Unknown
“We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it.” — John Hughes,The Breakfast Club
“Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.” — John Quincy Adams
“The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful.” — e. e. cummings
