cassie was one of my very 1st clients from way back when.  she needed a photographer for a class reunion.  i needed experience.  and it’s because of that shoot that i’ve had many opportunities to photograph her wonderful family!

thank you cassie & john for time spent with you & your boys!  always a pleasure!

Yesterday, at the behest of my son’s grandparents, I went to the Desert Botanical Garden at Papago Park in Phoenix. We went for the annual Great Pumpkin Festival. It wasn’t horrible, but I don’t really see the point. It’s all so very white. First, we went and saw the butterflies. You go in this cage sort of thing with assloads of Monarch butterflies. I don’t really see the excitement in that.

Then, we walked past bluegrass band number one at the gate to stand in line for the hay-ride to the pumpkin patch. The line was long and it was warm enough to break a sweat doing nothing in the middle of the day. Standing still and sweating is definitely one of my least favorite activities. In this line we were treated to the old-school country tunes spun by one DJ Dana. This girl had the old-fashioned two turntables, a DJ-mixer, and a box of what have got to be some very old records. She didn’t do any fancy DJ-stuff, no cross-fading, no scratching, no talking on the mic even. It seemed a bit odd, and I realized that no matter how much I hate modern country music, I really don’t like old country either.  Entertainment in this line was also provided by a girl in a creepy cactus costume. The boy was not impressed. He seemed a bit scared, and I didn’t blame him. Immobility is a feature every cactus ought to have.

When we were done waiting in line, it was time to get on a wagon with hay on it pulled by a tractor. There was one wagon pulled by horses, but we missed out and that one, which is just fine as the boy, like his father, finds machines more interesting than biological entities. The tractor took us to the pumpkin patch, which is really just a piece of ground with tons of pumpkins on it. They didn’t actually grow there. The entrance to the pumpkin patch is a piss-poor hay maze. I suppose it could cause traffic problems if it were an actual maze with long dead-ends, but it seems kind of pointless to even set up if it’s not even challenging for little kids. Then came the pumpkins. Tons of them. Each child of 12 and under gets a free one. There were lots of very small ones and quite a few holy-shit-I-don’t-want-to-carry-that-to-my-car large ones. I seriously considered attempting to juggle three of the smallest I could find, but I chickened out. I can actually juggle, but these tiny pumpkins were still quite a bit larger than anything I’d ever attempted before. Failure seemed likely. The boy found a medium-sized healthy-looking pumpkin rather quickly. I deemed it less than perfect, set it down, and began searching for a better one, only to discover that he had actually picked the best one there. I picked it back up. There were tables set up for decorating pumpkins, but we skipped that. This pumpkin was to be carved. To get back to where we had to go to get to the parking lot where we were parked, we had to wait in line again. This time, entertainment was provided by bluegrass band number two, which seemed more traditional than bluegrass band number one.

On the ride back, we were pulled by a very well maintained bright red Farmall tractor. My grandpa would’ve liked it. Nobody probably cares, but it had a shockingly low idle, and whether this was a feature of the driver or the tractor, the ride was much smoother than the modern John Deere we rode out to the pumpkins. Before leaving with me to gut and carve pumpkins, the boy tried his hand at pumpkin bowling and was award sweet (as in candy) prizes for failing to knock over pins.

The whole experience is just so weird. The place was just full of white people with their sun-hats, and their sunscreen, and their strollers, and their damn t-shirts tucked into their shorts. It really made me think of stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. It’s the kind of scene that makes me feel very out-of-place. I don’t hate white people or anything. In fact, I have piles and piles of white friends. They come to my house. They use my bathroom. I mean, I’m white and all, but I’m not that white. This stuff just makes me feel like a confused alien visitor who cannot make sense of the local customs.

I rate the whole experience neutral. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.

By Joe Szabo
There is rare beauty to be found in the desert.  If you’re not sure, a day trip to Desert Botanical Garden will make you a believer.  With the rare distinction of being accredited by the American Association of Museums, one of only 44 botanical gardens to share this high honor; Desert Botanical Garden offers a unique blend of nature and art with stunning results.

The Garden features over 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species across over 50 acres of outdoor exhibits.  Situated among the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden is a unique opportunity to witness over 63 years of environmental stewardship.  The vistas are breathtaking, the plant life is legendary and the intermingled art is nothing short of magnificent.

The Desert Botanical Garden also offers a wide variety of classes for patrons who wish to linger.  Classes run the gamut, from Saguaro harvesting to flower photography and everything in between.  There are specially designed classes for children, teens and adults.  For more information on the Desert Botanical Garden or the classes they offer visit: http://www.dbg.org/index.php

As you can see, we love where we live work and play in Scottsdale, Arizona so for more information about the lifestyle and housing market contact Joe Szabo at 480.688.2020 or head to our website at www.scottsdalerealestateteam.com.

Over the past several days I have been prepping for a commercial shoot I have coming up next week.  At the top of my to do list has been to familiarize myself with the locations at which we’ll be shooting, so two nights ago and then again this morning, I made pilgrimages out to Papago Park to look around and take some pictures.  I stayed at the park long enough on Thursday to catch the sunset, which, as they often are in Arizona, was spectacular.

This morning I arrived at the park just after dawn.  It was (unbelievably) cool and still, the only ripples on the ponds coming from early rising fishermen.

Like finding shapes in cloud formations, I saw this and thought of a pre-historic reptile hunkered down in the scrub, waiting to pounce.  These sandstone formations are part of the Papago Park recreation area.  I hiked out there one morning in relative seclusion.  It felt unlike Earth.  Other worldly, but beautiful in its own way.

Spending vacation time in Phoenix will give you access to a range of activities and interests you never knew existed; the area is full of great shops, restaurants, hotels and all the traditional things you’d expect to see in a tourist destination. You will also find a great deal more and to give you some ideas we’ve compiled the top five tourist day trip ideas for you and your family to enjoy.

#1 – The Desert Botanical Garden – 1201 North Galvin Parkway

The Desert Botanical garden will introduce you to the desert flora and fauna in ways you have never imagined. How many cacti are there do you think? A lot more than you know that’s for sure and they grow into the most other worldly shapes and sizes too.

The garden is located in the Papago Park and is open all year round and is itself a sought after venue for exhibitions and events of all shapes and sizes with music evenings, glass art, and dancing, drinking and dining forming just a small part of the annual event calendar.

#2 – Deer Valley Rock Art Center – 3711 West Deer Valley Road

Long before white settlers and Mexicans occupied the Valley of the Sun, ancient Native Americans farmed and worked the land and lived in the area going back thousands of years.

The Deer Valley Rock Art Center provides access to the petroglyphs at Hedpeth Hills and will provide you with an insight into the lives of the original settlers through more than 1,500 works of rock art.

The venue also hosts a variety of exhibitions and events so check the schedule for when you are planning to visit.

#3 – The Heard Museum – 2301 North Central Avenue

The Heard Museum is renowned as the home of the art and culture of the Indians of the Southwest with a huge collection of Kachina dolls, pottery, basketwork, textiles and jewelry exhibits.

The museum is home to ten permanent exhibitions and includes outdoor displays to delight visitors of all ages with guided tours included in the admission prices and children under 12 are free.

#4 – Heritage Square Foundation – 115 North Sixth Street

Take a trip back to the start of Phoenix’s modern origins with eight lovingly restored houses centered on the showpiece of Rosson House. All of the restored buildings date back from the late 1800’s when Phoenix was growing fast from a frontier town frequented by cowboys and mountain men.

There are also a large number of museums, shops and restaurants to visit and enjoy a great day out living the life of one of the original settlers who founded this great city.

#5 – The Medical Museum – The Phoenix Baptist Hospital 6025 North 20^th Avenue

Dr Robert Kravetz put together the initial Medical Museum together and today it has grown to house hundreds of exhibits of medical mystery which is now housed in the lobby of the Phoenix Baptist Hospital. Medical instruments from the very early days of medicine are on show so visitors can see how a tooth was pulled over a hundred years ago or what the treatment for shingles was in the days when there were no drugs or modern day conveniences.

The exhibition is open seven days a week and there is no charge for trying to convince your kids that medicine is the career option they should be choosing.

People wait in line for a table at Matt's Big Breakfast (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

[Source: Terry Tang, Associated Press, reprinted in the San Jose Mercury News] – In Phoenix, there’s nothing a trip to the golf course can’t fix.  It’s a warm winter escape for those who can afford a second home, and it basks in the spa-facial glow of being a place where people will pay a lot for five-star fun.  But for those with shallow pockets, the Valley of the Sun has budget-friendly options mixing an urban identity with access to nature.  It’s not every big city where you can scale a mountain, sample authentic Mexican food, and take in a free art show — all in one day. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

Rendering of Downtown Civic Space, Phoenix

[Source: Casey Newton, Arizona Republic] — City officials will spend nearly $300 million on land acquisition and park development in the next five years under a proposal recommended recently by the Parks and Recreation Board. The funds, which come from voters’ extension of the Parks and Preserve Initiative earlier this year, will be split almost evenly between acquiring preserve land and developing and improving parks.

Parks due to see funding from the initiative’s passage include:

• Downtown Civic Space
• Steele Indian School Park
• Papago Park
• Phoenix Zoo
• Reach 11 Recreation Area
• Rose Mofford Sports Complex
• Unnamed park at 51st and Sweetwater avenues

The parks board recommends eliminating a $2 million appropriation for acquisition of Pioneer Living History Village in far north Phoenix. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]

I could not be more ecstatic to tell the world that I am engaged to be married to the most amazing girl in all of the world. Promise is the best friend I’ve ever had and it’s so clear that God made us for each other. What an exciting time for us and I’ll be honest; I’m underserving of the love that she gives me.

The journey of our lives has the story of God written all over it and we give Him all the credit for guiding the steps we’ve taken. Our parents get mad props too for the way they’ve prayed for us and trusted God for us.

We’ve been on the journey to this moment for the past, almost, 2 years. It’s been a journey of thousands of miles, weeks a part, lots of travel, cell phones, text mesages, emails, coordinating calendars, more cell phones, missing each other, moving thousands of miles, finding Promise a job, living in the same city, learning and falling so crazy in love with each other every minute of it!

Saturday, October 11th, 2008 was an extremely special day in my life. It was a day that I’ve been thinking about and planning on for a while now. It was truly a holy moment as I got to look the one that I love in the eyes and ask her if she would spend the rest of her life with me?! So here’s how the story goes:

Promise and I have this weird affinity for photo shoots. Yes, it’s a bit self-glorifying, but, it’s something we just have a blast doing together. With that in mind, I asked Promise if she’d be up for doing a photo shoot and she was totally game. It was my safest lure. So we planned it for Saturday evening Ocotber 11th, 2008.

I had an idea of using this desert park in the Phoenix area that sits in the urban interface called Papago Park. I’d been to this park a time or two as it is very close to Sky Harbor Airport. I’d actually found it when my brothers flight was delayed and I had some time to kill as i waited. The first time I explored Papago Park it was a beautiful day with big puffy clouds in the sky and i watched the sun set over the beautiful cityscape of Phoenix. It was a very memorable experience for me as I was reminded of the creative God that is so tangibly seen in moments like those; He really knows how to paint on this canvas called earth. What I didn’t realize was that this spot would have profound meaning for my life just a couple years later.

As Promise and I have been moving closer towards the idea of marriage this spot came to mind, but, only because I thought it was really pretty. I wasn’t necessarily certain, but, as my idea began to form I thought this place had some potential. It all made sense after I made a little scout trip with my dear friend Chip Neal. We went out to the spot just to check it out and it was feeling good as we explored. At the end of our exploration we took some time to just pray over the spot. As I was praying I got a picture that i really believe was prophetic.

The picture that came to mind wasn’t new thought, but, profoundly important to me and our future marriage. As I was praying and just looking around me I was standing in the middle of this barren desert and looking out towards the city. I was reminded that the sustaining life of the desert is dependent on whatever God gives it and that our marriage (or life for that matter) will be the best as we learn, together, how to depend on God for everything we need. One of the coolest pieces of this vision was the understanding that as we learn to live standing in the desert God invites us to join Him in a reality beyond our own possibility. The city has that vibe. It’s exciting, forward moving, innovative, dreamy, romantic and seems to have endless possibility. The city is what God wants for our lives and marriages. I believe we experience that best as we step back in to the desert and learn to hear His voice and know Him deeply so that we can join Him well in the work of the Kingdom. At that point I knew this was the spot and that this would be a place where God would meet us and bring us into this next step! I had the chance to share this with Promise just after i asked her if she would marry me. It was a VERY SPECIAL, emotional and holy moment as I got to share with her what the Lord showed me in that place.

Backing up though, we pulled in to Papago Park at around 5:30pm. We were already running against the daylight for our photo shoot. We got there and I’m telling you I had a plan for how this would go. We’d take some pictures, we’d meander to the spot that I liked, she’d have her camera on her tripod and on a self-timed picture I’d ask her to marry me. Well, it was a GREAT plan, but, 40 MPH winds changed that situation. Apparently, proposals rarely go the way you plan them and I can now be a voice that it’s true.

I had a specific spot picked out on top of this desert mountain that looked over the city and as the sun set, bla, bla, bla… Well, the wind was not my friend on this night and Promise was quickly becoming less interested in this spot for the shoot as the wind blew and she became even colder. With a bit of coaxing we kept moving and she said, ‘maybe i can just take some of you for now’. At this point I’m thinking, uhh, this is not what i was thinking but…okay. I had to then figure out a way to convince her to let me take some pictures of her and eventually I got the camera from her and snapped a couple. These are some of the photos she took of me and a couple that I took of her right before the big moment. I was, roughly, filling my own diaper in nervousness knowing that I was literally moments away from asking her.

After taking a few photos of her, I, nervously, asked Promise if she wanted some water…because, of course, you ALWAYS want water when the wind is blowing 40mph, it’s 60 degrees and you don’t want to be where you’re at. She said, ‘that sounds good’ and I reached in to get her water, handed it to her and reached back into my backpack. As I reached back into my backpack, I fumbled around knowing I needed to grabbing the ring and thinking OH WOW, HERE WE GO. Out came the ring and down went my knee and we shared in that special moment together. The good news is she said YES (3 times…wooo)! These are photos moments after I asked her:

We shared that fantastic moment on bended knee, of course (huge thanks to Matt Winters my dear friend who is the Director at Tiffany & Co. in Tuscon, AZ who helped us pick this ring), and I told her that I had another surprise for her. We proceeded around the hill from where we were at and headed towards a Ramada, with prime views looking out over the city, that my amazing friends set up for us. As we turned the corner the guys lit the thing up with rope lights and we made our way there. I had the guys set this beautiful spot up with a linen covered table, roses, plates, silverware – the works! I brought in dinner from our favorite Thai Food place in Scottsdale called Malees.

In addition, the guys had trucked a 200 pound, 5000w generator out to this site so we could have power out there. Did I mention that I have the best friends ever. Meet Chip Neal, Seth Wells and Steve Adame. These guys worked their butts off to make this thing fly. They trucked the generator and everything else over a mile UP HILL to get this thing set up for us.

We needed the power because they set up a projector, sound system and a LARGE screen (mind you with 40+ MPH winds). Seriously studly. It looked like the boy scouts had showed up and taken care of business with the contraption they had to make so that the screen didn’t become a sail.

You have to understand that my goal was to make this night unique and ALL about Promise. A few things Promise loves: photoshoots, the outdoors, thai food, chocolate, big fluffy things (hence the LoveSac Bean Bag), roses, me (of course) and MOVIES!! SHE LOVES MOVIES. So we trucked out a FULL ON screen, projector and system so that we could watch a movie that she’s been asking me to watch with her since we started dating. The movie – THE NOTEBOOK (superb might i add. touched nicely under clear skies and a phoenix cityscape).

We got to share all of that together and then we rode these ridiculously fun little scooters out of the park and back to my truck.

At that point Promise was pretty certain the night was over, but, the more surprises the better. I had worked with Seth and Crystal Wells and, her current roommates) Chad and Nicole Ainsworth to plan a little surprise engagement thing with just a few very close friends. We pulled up to their house and she had NO IDEA. They greeted us at the door invited us in and 15-20 dear friends jumped out with Congratulations. It really was the icing on the cake. Speaking of cakes, they had her favorite chocolate cake from costco there for her to eat more of and nicole cooked betty crocker brownies. It really was a special night that have memories we’ll take with us on our journey through life.

I have to say it was an amazing day. We are so excited about beginning to plan a life together and to be fiances (haha). I could not be more grateful for the woman that Promise is and continues to become. She surprises me every day, loves me so well, challenges me to become the man I should be becoming, prays for me, makes me laugh, inspires me and ultimately makes me better! I’m so thankful that the girl I’m gonna marry is my best friend. The face on this girl was worth every minute of planning, thinking, coordinating and delivering. DID I MENTION SHE’S A HANDS DOWN KNOCK OUT TOO! I know I’m marrying up boys. Stay tuned as we get the chance to plan our wedding and pray for us as we bring our lives together in these days. A date coming soon…

TO GET PROMISE’S ANGLE CHECK IT – http://promisetangeman.wordpress.com/2008/10/14/im-engaged-to-my-best-friend-101108/

I took the day off yesterday to recharge. I knew that I was becoming mentally fried when things were in my head I had successfully blocked out for several months, and the frustrating thoughts were growing like weeds. Since I was going to leave early yesterday because I needed to pick my sister up from the airport, I told Boss that I’m just going to take the whole day off. I’m glad I did: while I’m still weary, my spirits are better today.

Reading the paper this morning, this ugly situation has reared it’s ugly head again. The police are in a no-win situation with this very public event, and the family seems to have washed their hands of any responsibility at all for this matter.  Who in their right mind lets a severely disturbed addict travel alone? They apparently didn’t give a damn while this poor woman was alive, so why in the hell do they suddenly care now that she’s tragically dead?

The Repulsive lists with a overlay of awe that poor Carol’s family is powerful with the unions and New York politics (they’re easily impressed in that newsroom). As we used to say in junior high, “BFD”, or Big Fucking Deal. All the money and all the power in the world did not and could not help her addicition problems and mental health issues. All of that shit doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t even bother to help your own family.

Why wasn’t someone traveling with her? They could have paid to have someone accompany her.

But think about this: they sent her from the East Coast to Tucson (fucking Tucson, for God’s sake!) for rehab. Why didn’t they send her to something closer? They can fucking afford Betty Ford or a million other high dollar facilities, but they sent her to a rinky dink place out here? You have to wonder why; I do.

Out of sight, out of mind?

~~

It was a luxurious morning to take an hour’s hike through Papago yesterday morning. No hurry, no worry, and I could pick the path I wanted to take. I have to say that the City of Phoenix has done a nice job of cleaning up the place–a couple of years ago, the vagrants and other interesting elements had moved in, and it wasn’t a comfortable place for a lone fat woman to do her walk. They’ve cleaned up the trails, pushed the scary element out, and it’s a pleasure once more to send my brain somewhere else and just cruise.

~~

My sister came in from California; I picked her and my nephew up. I had the nicest time with them in forever since the brothers weren’t there. She’s suitable pissed at the male element in the family; I have ceased to care. It doesn’t really matter. They can have the stupid, childish, selfish, misogynistic bullshit.

It’s almost Friday, praise God.

Dad was happily surprised that she and his grandson were there, and happy to have both of his girls with him at dinner last night.

Yesterday me and my family went on a hike in Papago Park. I got up early on Sunday and thought I wanted to do something, anything. I went up to the bedroom and suggested a few ideas of things we could do. Surprisingly, he said hiking sounded good to him and we really had a great time.

My husband encouraged me to face a fear of mine. I have a serious fear of heights. So I took a baby step and climbed up into a cave. It wasn’t too terribly high but the view was amazing and there was a time I would have never even attempted anything like that. So, maybe one of my resolutions for 2008 might be to take my ridiculous fear of heights and turn it into a healthy fear of heights. We will definitely be taking that one day at a time.

My boys were climbing like monkeys all over the rocks. It scared me even more than if I did it myself. I am very proud of them though. They really are great climbers! BTW, my adrenaline junkie husband climbed all over the place too. He liked the hike so much, he thinks we need to do this kind of thing more often!