Colors of Spring

JWise Photo of the Day

Flowers about to bloom as we approach spring time in Phoenix, Arizona

If it’s the end of February, it’s almost springtime here in Phoenix, Arizona. And if it’s spring, we will soon see the days slip into triple-digit temperatures as the 5-month desert summer takes over. We had rain a couple of days ago, nothing measurable though, so we are going into our 5th month without rain. Today at the Desert Botanical Garden irrigation ensures this corner of the desert see’s enough water that the blooms come on strong and the cactus remains plump – it was a fine day for a walk in the garden.

Aunt Eleanor Going Strong at 94

JWise Photo of the Day

My great aunt Eleanor Burke at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona

My great aunt Eleanor who recently turned 94 joined me today at the Heard Museum in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona

The Heard is dedicated to showcasing the art and history of the Native American peoples of the southwest. My aunt most enjoyed the woven baskets of the Tohono O’odham and the Katsina dolls of the Hopi.

Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona

After a short two-hour visit, this fragile old lady had enough.

Polish Festival Day 2

JWise Photo of the Day

Krakusy is a Polish folk dancing ensemble from Los Angeles, California that performed here in Phoenix, Arizona at the Polish Festival

Another day at the Polish festival. Yesterday’s entertainment was listening to a live violin duet and the Zbigniew Galzka Trio while today we watched Krakusy, a Polish Folk Dance Ensemble from Los Angeles, California.

Potato latkes at the Polish Fest in Phoenix, Arizona

Word of mouth spread about the festival because it was nearly wall-to-wall people enjoying good music, clear skies, and great food today.

Kids too are dancing here at the Polish Fest in Phoenix, Arizona

Caroline tried the beer and pierogis while I had the cabbage rolls and a soda. I hope we don’t miss next year’s festivities.

Found My Site – Don’t Just Leave

JWise Moments

During the past few weeks, my site has seen visitors from Singapore, Bangkok, New Delhi, Bombay, Hyderabad, Cape Town, and Hanoi, Vietnam. Lesser-known places where visitors have come from include Esfahan, Iran, and Arusha in Tanzania, along with Boliden, Sweden, Kapasigan in the Philippines, and Rabat, Morocco. Other visitors came in from Perth, Adelaide, and Sunshine, Australia, along with someone from Haifa, Isreal, and Santiago, Chile.

I love looking at the logs and seeing people stumbling upon my Photo of the Day blog, where they might get a look at some of the details of a couple of people living in Phoenix, Arizona. I only wish there were many other people out on the globe doing the same type of Photo of the Day blog for the communities they come from. What is daily life like in Sunshine, Australia, or Esfahan, Iran? Where do people go for dinner in Arusha, Tanzania? Have any good movies been shown recently in Hanoi? How was the drive to work for people in Johor Bahru, Malaysia – another one of my visitors came from there.

Do me a favor; if you have stopped by my site, maybe you were looking for something else, but here you are; tell me something about yourself and the place you are from. Take a second to look at some of my photos, or click on travels on the right and take a look at where my wife and I travel to before telling me of somewhere near where you live that would be a great place to visit or give me a recipe of one of your favorite dishes popular in your town.

If you’d like to start a website like this one, maybe we can help you out.

Polish Festival

JWise Photo of the Day

Matsuri Japanese Festival in Phoenix, Arizona

After leaving the Matsuri Japanese festival at Heritage Square in downtown Phoenix, Arizona, Caroline and I made our way over to one of our favorite restaurants.

Lunch as Mrs. Whites Golden Rule Cafe in Phoenix, Arizona

Mrs. White’s Golden Rule Cafe over on Jefferson has the best soul food ever. Our souls now satisfied, we took a side street on a slow meander home. Good thing we did, as further down 7th street we stumbled upon a small Polish festival going on Saturday and Sunday.

Five young ladies wearing traditional dress at a Polish Festival held this weekend in Phoenix, Arizona

The Polish festival was great, with live music, a dance platform, authentic Polish foods, and people having a genuinely good time. Caroline and I will return on Sunday bringing a bigger appetite so we can try the potato pancakes, sauerkraut, donuts, cotton candy, and cabbage rolls. A polka competition is also being held. March 18 and 19 the Aloha Hawaiian festival takes place downtown.

Stacy’s Soul Food Restaurant

JWise Photo of the Day

Fried chicken and mixed veggies at the awesome soul food restaurant Stacy's in downtown Phoenix, Arizona

So what if I have a heavy emphasis on food on my website! Photos from my sleeping would be even more boring. This plate of fried chicken and mixed veggies is some of the best soul food available in Phoenix, Arizona. The little place on the corner of Jefferson and 12th Street in downtown Phoenix is Stacy’s. I’ve featured Stacy’s before, this time I thought I’d show you a plate of his fine cooking.