Photos of Dale Chihuly's Art at Denver Botanic Garden

Dale Chihuly's Art

The Denver Botanic garden is hosting a show of glass-blower-artist Dale Chihuly's work through 30 November of this year.  I spent over 5 hours looking at the artwork from various angles and still didn't see all that I wanted to see.  This man's vision and skill is incomprehensible to me... I ooohed and ahhhed over every exhibit I saw.  One was being set up, a part of one was inside a reserved building, and I couldn't find one that was plainly marked on the map - but everything I did see was exquisite!  I'll post photos tomorrow. As I am very allergic to bee and wasp stings, I moved somewhat gingerly around and about the Garden yesterday - there were honeybees and bumblebees galore, as well as a huge number of butterflies.  The weather forecast was for extremely hot temperatures and the possibility of afternoon thunderstorms. I think it reached about 93 degrees, but the sun was playing in and out with the clouds, and there was a nice breeze blowing most of the time. It was a little warm in the full sun, but the shade sometimes felt chilly... I have to say it was fantastic weather in which to wander the Botanic Garden and view the glass sculptures.
   We also found that all the glass sculptures have specific lighting - and now we feel it necessary to return on one of the evenings in October, when the Garden will be open specifically for viewing the glass artworks at night, under the lights.  I only hope that my photography will portray the lighting and sculptures well.  I might end up having to just retain it in my mind, which would be fine with me, but I love sharing views of Dale Chihuly's work.
   Particulates from all of the wildfires are making our skies hazy - and there are a few air quality warnings out for those of us who have COPD and asthma.  Not much else happening at the moment, so I'll close until tomorrow's posting of photos from the Dale Chihuly exhibit at the Denver Botanic Garden....

Sarah's Birthday

Yesterday was the birthday of my niece, Sarah Snow.  Her partner, Michael, was away in Las Vegas for a soccer tournament, and nephew Mike's wife, Erin, stayed home with a nasty sore throat.  So Kathy and Jim, Mike and I headed off for Denver at 12:30 yesterday - we met Sarah at her work place, the Denver Botanic Gardens, and had a "quick" 2 and a half hour tour.  The York Street Garden, where Sarah works, is a 100-acre paradise with plants and trees from all over the world - there are several greenhouses to visit for both tropical and desert-type plants, as well as all the outside areas, including water features and quite a few sculptures.  It was gorgeous.  I took a lot of photos, and when I down-loaded them, realized I only knew the names of about half of the specimens...  but that's normal, isn't it?  After the Garden, we went to the IMAX theater and watched The Flight of the Butterflies, a 3-D documentary recording the efforts of a husband and wife team to discover, and follow, the winter migration of the Monarch butterfly.  It was a superb film.  
     After the film, we headed back into downtown Denver and had a dinner party at Steuben's The Cave - a comfort food restaurant and bar.  I had never before seen the meal called "Chicken & Waffles" on a menu, and I ordered it.  The result was half of a fried chicken served on top of a two-inch-thick slightly sweet, golden brown waffle; with a pat of butter, and servings of red-eye gravy, warmed maple syrup, and a vinegary au-jus dip.  It was delicious.  Mike and Sarah also ordered the Chicken and Waffles; Jim had Chicken Marsala, and Kathy had Trout Amandine.  I was the only one who had to ask for a doggy-bag.  We all handed Sarah our gifts, hugged, kissed, and returned home.  I had a splitting headache, took migraine medicine and went straight to bed, as soon as I checked on Cloudy and Shady.  (And Shady crawled into bed with me this morning, set up his sleep station on my shoulder, and promptly started to snore.)
     It's a grey day today.  It rained overnight, and has sprinkled off and on this morning.  Lovey and Nedi have covered me with their scent, and at this time, I should smell only like them.  They are out in the back yard, and come inside only when the rain becomes a little too heavy for them to stand.  -  I've used 6 towels to dry them off so far...
    Finally, I need to wish a very Happy Birthday to Michele in Wisconsin.  I hope she has a fantabulous day!