Photo Essay: House & Grounds, Early Spring
60
It is now early spring in the high deserts of Arizona. Everything is starting to bloom--though the explosion of desert wild flower bloom won't happen until just a little while later. That is genuinely something to see.
These photos were taken around the grounds of our territorial style house, yard, and garden where the old, imported eastern plantings are beginning to flower, too. No--much of the rest of Arizona, even around this area, does not look like this. We live in one of the oldest structures around, built by a former U.S. senator, William S. 'Boss' Head, who was also very instrumental in settling and starting local businesses in the area (which was how he got the nickname 'Boss'). Incidentally, some locals call this "Boss Hogg" house, but that's OK! :)
This history of the house is rich, and I love old houses. The colors of spring (suprisingly, amethyst, gold and blue in the high country) call for color photographs--so this makes for my first display of color photography.
On color photography
|
Mastering Color Digital Photography (A Lark Photography Book)
Price: $13.58
List Price: $27.95 |
|
Learning to See Creatively: Design, Color & Composition in Photography (Updated Edition)
Price: $15.41
List Price: $25.95 |
|
Exploring Color Photography : From the Darkroom to the Digital Studio
Price: $29.75
|
|
Color Photography: A Working Manual
Price: $7.49
List Price: $25.95 |
|
The Photograph: Composition and Color Design
Price: $28.96
List Price: $49.95 |
|
Seeing the Light: Optics in Nature, Photography, Color, Vision, and Holography
Price: $85.00
|
On Architecture in America, circa 1865:
|
The Art Idea: Sculpture, Painting, And Architecture In America (1865)
Price: $35.96
List Price: $49.95 |
|
The Refinement of America: Persons, Houses, Cities
Price: $9.50
List Price: $18.95 |
|
Lincoln Memorial (All Aboard America)
Price: $10.70
List Price: $24.21 |
![A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America: With a View to the Improvement of Country Residences... With Remarks on Rural Architecture [ 1865 ]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31zwr0oJgVL._SL75_.jpg){kind=small}
|
A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America: With a View to the Improvement of Country Residences... With Remarks on Rural Architecture [ 1865 ]
Price: $39.99
List Price: $39.99 |
Books on Spring:
|
Second Spring: Dr. Mao's Hundreds of Natural Secrets for Women to Revitalize and Regenerate at Any Age
Price: $8.97
List Price: $17.99 |
|
Silent Spring
Price: $6.50
List Price: $14.95 |
|
Spring Recipes: A Problem-Solution Approach (Books for Professionals by Professionals)
Price: $30.99
List Price: $49.99 |
|
Spring Awakening
Price: $8.30
List Price: $13.95 |
PrintShare it! — Rate it: up down flag this hub
Comments
great photos -- neat house, too.
Thanks, Pam. I love old houses--and this one fits the description! It was going to ruin when we approached the original owner & so far we've put on a new roof and put in a fireplace. I also think the place has enough of a story behind it, that if I ever get around to it, I wanna write a historical novel about it. Spring is really something else in AZ. But we also pay for it in the summer.You should post those video clips!
Teresa-- Thank you. These were taken on the BF's camera, which I don't really like, but I've got photoshop to do some editing so! Still haven't bought a good camera yet.
Wunneful house, wunneful cat, wunneful photos, Lita! A true sight for sore eyes, merci beaucoup!
Thanks, Elena! Yes, though a little rough around the edges, lol (I like it like that), I think they're all quite pretty, too!
Bet it cannot match Spain for old and beautiful, though. :) This I know.
Nice pics. Beautiful old house and yard. When was it built?
Well, I thought it was built in 1865. But our sign says 1870's... Maybe it was the Sutler store he built in 1865. Head was one of the first settlers in the area, though it's so small here, sometimes tracking down the history is elusive. Thanks, Ralph!
Great photos! Great house! If you can ever gather the history, please share!
Thanks, Jama! I am working on the history. Thank you for taking a look.
What a great hub - lovely photos! Spring looks gorgeous in your neck of the woods, but I bet it's warm in the summer?
You have a beautiful cat, as well! How do you get her to keep her collar on? Since moving to my parents' house, my darling Mighty White Hunter, Yossie, has gone through about 10 of the damn things.
Hi, LG! Yes, it gets too hot here in summer, but luckily, the house is built for it--stone is cool. I don't know how Tuffie keeps her collar on--I really don't. She's such a tom-girl and is likely to climb trees or prowl the roof. But this is the only collar she's had. Thanks for looking!
Yossie just gets rid of them. We've no idea how! It's an expensive habit he has (-:
I love Hot Arizona Summers, they are a good excuse to sleep all day and prowl at night. Especially on the full moon. Lot's of critters out there in the dark. Your house is killer, I have wanted a great old house like that for some time, I just don't have the time to do it right.
TMG
LG--They chew them off--that's what cats do with collars they don't like. A maybe bury them? :) dunno!
TMG-Well, construction or architecture types get up at like, 3 in the morning in the summers, actually. That kinda sucks! But you are right--the nights are cool and clear most of the time--except for Monsoon season. Thank you, TMG.
Thanks for sharing those photos.
Beautiful old house, Lita, full of character. Really nice that you could rescue it and return it to its former glory.
Lovely cat, too - sounds like an idyllic life you have there.
Hey, Sufi-- Would like to see your environment sometime, actually. (Stone cottage, too?) It CAN be idyllic, sometimes. Sometimes not. It would be more so if I did more real writing, etc., if you know what I mean. :) But, yes--I am forever rescuing old houses. Thanks for stopping by!
you definitely need to come to the UK to get an "old houses" fix, Lita!
My other half's uncle lives in a stone building in Jerusalem built in about 1200 AD.
Yes, and you Europeans take care of your old houses and buildings, too! It's true. I don't think I've lived in any place built often, before 1900. I just have an affinity for wood or tile floors, etc., and such.... The oldest buildings in the US, actually are in the the Southwest--Spanish explorers--old missions and cathedrals. Most don't know that..
No stone cottage - the house is about 30 years old, although we have a decent amount of land and nice views.
It is also very pink. We will be fixing that over the next few weeks.
Going to try and do a photo hub over the next couple of days, but my PC hard drive died - have to find the back-up pictures. :(
That would be cool, Sufi!
"The oldest buildings in the US, actually are in the the Southwest--Spanish explorers--old missions and cathedrals. Most don't know that.."
I didn't. Aren't there older ones in the east?
No. I thought so, too, before I moved here. But Matt's (the BF) family has been in the Southwest for generations, and he is an architect--so no, the oldest church is San Miguel Mission, built in the early 1600's in Santa Fe.
http://churches-sf2.nm-unlimited.net/
That...actually would make a cool hub.
it would - get writing!
Most old European building are in the Southwest.
Wow Lita, how gorgeous! It looks like you live somewhere in Europe! I never pictured anything but stucco in Arizona. (Sorry) You are a talented photog!
Sufidreamer, I would LOVE to see your pink house if you have a picture! Since you're in Greece, I picture you in a toga and drinking wine in a vineyard. (Maybe my view of Greece is a little warped, haha) Not in a pink house. Awesome!
No toga, I an afraid, although we do have a small vineyard!
Will try and make a hub tonight, although a little busy today!
Andromeda-- It is mainly stucco, actually. Although we have people who like ALL persuasions of architecture here (not always a pleasing thing) like raggy, raggy trailers sitting out int he desert... I like modern, actually, as well--clean lines. Always, the artist, you know...
Sufi--The house is pink, huh? Well! It could work! You have olive trees, too, yes? OK, I'll wait for the hub.
And TMG--yes, you would know... Your relatives helped build those buildings, didn't they?
:-)
TMG
Wow that's a great looking house, Lita. I like the old world feel that emanates from it. Thanks for sharing :D
Thanks, Cris. We are painting the floors today, so I'm not liking how it smells, :)! Yeah, it is definitely old world-ish...
Looks like a lovely place to be. I'm envious!
CWB-- It is a cool old house. If you can take the 'old' along with the cool + the one bathroom (killer). Funny, tho--my partner is always talking about your area, :).
One's enough if there aren't many people sharing. Old in man ways is better than new.
This area has its good points. If I had some money and could choose the location I wouldn't mind staying here.
pgrundy says:
10 months ago
Wow, what a gorgeous house! Thank you for sharing these. The photos are beautifully done. You have a gift for this. I've thought so many times of doing some video clip tours of our property and posting them here at HP but I never do it. Maybe now that Spring is almost here I will. I confess I enjoy playing the voyeur with other Hubber's lives so far as they are willing to share!