So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright

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Looking down the hallway of the Marin County Civic Center in San Raphael, California.

One of the highlights of my recent trip to the Bay Area to see my kids was visiting the Marin County Civic Center. I was surprised that touring a civic center was on the agenda with my son and daughter-in-law. But I soon learned that it was Frank Lloyd Wright’s largest public project and also his last commission.

Intended to centralize thirteen dispersed Marin county departments, the Civic Center project encompassed an entire campus of civic structures and incorporated ideas from Wright’s Broadacre City scheme of the 1930s. The three-story 580-foot long Administration Building, and a four story 880-foot long Hall of Justice together spanned the valleys between three adjacent hills. The flattened dome of the circular library and its connected gold tower (built to encase a smokestack and a radio transmitter) form the focal point of the plan. The concrete Civic Center’s pink stucco walls, blue roof and scalloped balconies are distinctive. The interiors feature glass walls and are arranged around open atriums in order to promote the transparency that Wright felt governments should promote. Though Wright planned the atriums to be open to the sky, practical considerations saw barrel-vaulted skylights put in following Wright’s death. Construction was carried out by William Wesley Peters and Aaron Green. The Hall of Justice was completed in 1969, the Veterans Memorial Auditorium opened in 1971, and the Exhibit Hall opened in 1976. The site also includes a circular post office, Wright’s only commission for a national U.S. government facility. https://franklloydwright.org/site/marin-county-civic-center/

This was a model of the Marin County Civic Center I discovered outside of the library.

A committee interviewed 26 architectural firms in 1956 to select an architect for the civic center. Peter Neutra was the lead candidate. Frank Lloyd Wright was not interviewed and refused to participate in a competitive selection. Wright had an ardent supporter on the Board of Supervisors but it was a battle to get him appointed as the architect. Wright eventually earned the commission and was directed to proceed with detailed design on April 28, 1958. In March 1959 Wright was appointed to design the post office. On April 9, 1959, Wright died at age 91. The Civic Center continued under the direction of two of Wright’s architects, Wesley Peters and Aaron Green.

Here’s a view of a spire through the ceiling glass. We have a Frank Lloyd Wright spire at a shopping center in Scottsdale. That spire was originally planned for a capitol building that Wright designed without anyone asking for it. His project was never approved or brought to life, but the spire was built.

This is the library in the civic center. We walked the entire length of the building and saw the sheriffs department, attorney general’s office, library, a state senator’s office, cafeteria, court house and government agencies including financial, community services and administrative offices.

Next to the large building is the jail. Isn’t that amazing? The jail is underground and a tunnel connects it to the court house.

Here’s s view of the spire from outside.

The design has been controversial with the blue roof. But I thought it was beautiful!

I wrote about Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s compound in Scottsdale HERE.

Are you a Frank Lloyd Wright fan?

What Wright homes or buildings have you visited?

Bird of the Week — Cactus Wren

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Cactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus)

The Cactus Wren is the state bird of Arizona, where we live. I was curious why. If it was up to me, I’d have selected the beautiful bright red Northern Cardinal.

According to Arizona State Parks, the Canyon Wren became Arizona’s state bird in 1931 because it embodies the unique spirit, toughness, and beauty of the Sonoran Desert.

SIZE:

It is the largest species of wren:

  • Length: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)
  • Weight: 1.1-1.7 oz (32-47 g)

COLOR:

It’s a speckled brown bird with a white stripe across and above red eyes, to the sides of the neck. They have light cinnamon sides and their backs are brown with heavy white streaks. Cactus Wrens have white chests with dark speckles. Males and females look alike, but juveniles are slightly paler and have brown eyes.

PERSONALITY:

Cactus Wrens are not timid and love to perch on cactus or forage for food out in the open. I often have a Cactus Wren perching on a chair outside my window. He stares at me unafraid as I’m on my laptop.

FOOD:

They mostly eat insects, seeds and vegetable matter such as fruit pulp. They don’t need to drink water but get their hydration from cactus fruit and insects.

NESTS:

They weave football shaped nests with one entrance from grasses and twigs inside the safety of cholla cactus or other protective bushes. The male may make several “dummy” nests and the female will choose one to lay her eggs. They mate for life.

CALL:

I have heard the loud gravelly sound of Cactus Wrens months before I saw one.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cactus_Wren/sounds

RANGE:

They are found throughout the Sonoran Desert and other arid regions of Arizona. Also found in Southern California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas.

My Home Away From Home

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This is my favorite hotel to stay in when we visit our kids. It’s the Claremont in Berkeley. I was walking to the most amazing bakery across the street when I stopped to take this picture of the tower and flag.

They don’t make hotels like this anymore! This is the backside of the hotel.

The Claremont Resort & Club opened in 1915 as a grand 22-acre Tudor Revival landmark overlooking the San Francisco Bay. Known as the “White Castle on the Hill”, its origins trace back to a late-19th-century private estate that burned down in 1901 before being developed into the iconic hotel. — The San Francisco Standard


Isn’t it gorgeous? I took this photo from inside the health club with a gym, pool, tennis courts and spa. I was on an elliptical machine and you can see the window reflection across the photo.

I zoomed in on the city view from the strategically placed outdoor sofas and chairs where I enjoy peaceful quiet time outside.

The Golden Gate Bridge is part of the view. The main restaurant has a deck where you can sit outside and enjoy these same views. Inside there is a wall of windows facing the bay.

The hotel’s prices vary from reasonable to too expensive. It all depends on what is going on at nearby UC Berkeley. If it’s parents weekend or a football game — forget about it. This past week, there was nothing going on, so the hotel was no more expensive than any other hotel like a Marriott Courtyard.

This is one of many hallways on the main level. It’s easy to get lost trying to find your room because there are hallways taking off in many directions. By the time we are ready to return home (like today) I have it all figurerd out.

An early morning view. I’ll share more highlights of our trip later this week including a visit to Sonoma and the Marin Country Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

Have a wonderful week! What are your plans for the rest of July?

The Color Red

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We have had a true Monsoon week with thunder and lightning storms every few nights and an abundance of rain. Thanks to the rain, we have cactus blooming again in beautiful pinkish red.

Here are a few photos of the buds and blossoms:

Then of course there’s my bird buddy Red:

Red with a mouthful of millet.

Red found a new perch, a little table next to a covered chaise lounge.

Red was flitting and flying around our backyard.

Have a wonderful weekend!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Which photo do you like best?

Bird of the Week — White-winged Dove

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Scientific name: Zenaida asiatica

Size:
They measure 11 to 12.5 inches (28 to 32 cm) in length, possess a wingspan of 19 to 23 inches (48 to 58 cm), and weigh between 4.5 and 6.5 ounces (125 to 187 grams).

White-winged Doves are very common birds in our backyard. The Mourning Doves outnumber them, but White-winged Doves are a close second. Their coloring is either brownish or gray. They have very noticable white tipped wings, bright blue eye-shadow and bright orange or red eyes. When they are in flight, their white wings are more prominent.

Diet:
They are frequent visitors to our bird feeder and eat sunflower seeds and millet. In the wild, they eat seeds from desert willows, ocotillo, agave, as well as cacti fruit. They can fly up to 25 miles in the Sonoran Desert to look for water, plus get moisture from Saguaro cactus fruits.

Range:
White-winged Doves have been seen as far north as Alaska, Maine and Ontario Canada, but are mostly found in the Southwest.

A White-winged Dove in our backyard tree.

Nesting:
A female finds a location to build a nest such in vines, in thick desert brush, a clump of cactus or a tree limb. She builds a nest out of sticks that the male bird will bring to her. They are known to use their nest from a prior year, or they will reuse a nest from another bird. They are not monogamous for life, but more likely to stay together for breeding season.

Sounds:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-winged_Dove/sounds

Getting a bit of help

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This is how I’m packaging my cards. However, my folded cards have not arrived yet. This is my first trial run that turned out with the photo on the front and blank on the back. I hope to have my first folded cards in a day or two. Then if I’m happy with them, I’ll order more including Mrs., Poppa Quail and Roadrunner.

I’ve been working on a website, ordered business cards and each day I find a little something I want to change or improve.

Then it dawned on my that I will be visiting my son this week and he has skills and talent to review and improve my projects. How great is that? I asked him for help and he said he’d love to. Also, while we are in the Bay Area, he and his wife are treating me to a day in the North Bay — to visit Sonoma and a quaint town I’ve never been to before.

Another treat is staying at my favorite hotel and taking the kids to Chez Panisse.

I’ve made the executive decision to continue working on this card project, but it’s not going live until our summer vacations are over. I won’t be here to get delivery of cards or do fulfillment if I happen to get any orders. So, I’ll keep working on getting things just right.

What are your plans for the week?

Friday’s Photos

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A Harris’s Hawk landed in a tree in our backyard. We haven’t had one stop by for months, although I see them soaring overhead. I could hear his call and I spent a bit of time trying to spot him behind branches. The link is to a Youtube video of Harris’s hawks in flight with their sounds. I wouldn’t want to mess with those claws or beak!

This is a compilation of my favorite photos that I took this week.

Papa quail shares the birdseed block with a few of his babies.

A White-winged Dove perches on a flamingo buddy.

Bully bird Curve-billed Thrasher lands on the cactus statue before scaring everyone away from the birdseed block.

An adult House Finch feeds it’s juvenile.

Red watches over the rain meter during a Monsoon week.

Do you have a favorite photo? If so, which one?

What fun plans do you have for the weekend?