There has been a mystery brewing in Chandler, Arizona at the Chandler Fashion Center — just a stone's throw from Lowe's Garden Center. The mystery was set in the space that used to be occupied by Nordstroms. A company named Scheels (from Minnesota) has been remodeling the former upscale department store into a giant sports, camping, hiking, golfing, biking, hunting, and fishing store. And smack in the middle is a Ferris wheel. The construction workers even had to raise the roof to fit it all in.

Of course, my curiosity got the best of me and I had to go check it out. It seems I was not the only one — the parking lot was packed but I lucked out and found a space on one side of the building where there are no entrances to Scheels. (I still haven't figured that out yet since there used to be entrances there for Nordstroms).

When I walked around to the main entrance to Scheels, I was surprised to see a bronze sculpture of a mountain biker. I had to pause a moment to understand the connection but biking is a sport, n'est-pas?

And as I continued walking, I found more sculptures — this one is a skateboarder performing a fancy trick.

Next up was former President Ronald Reagan. For him and several other historical figures, they had placed a plaque with a summary of his life, both personal and political.

You may not recognize the next statue because his life took place before photography was common so you may have only seen one or two photos of this great man. He is Federick Douglass, born a slave, he escaped bondage and became a social reformer, writer, orator, statesman, and abolitionist. The plaque displays an interesting quote, "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men."

The next sculpture was quite touching — a soldier paying homage to a fellow soldier who died in combat. The names of the various branches of the military are displayed on the wall behind him.

Here is the venerable Abraham Lincoln, our 16th President, who was assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth. The plaque also displays a quote from Lincoln, "Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties."

The next sculpture takes us back to the birth of the nation — George Washington. Of course, we all learned about him in school. But I don't remember this quote, "Government is not reason; it is not eloquent; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master."

Now back to the unknowns who have a place outside Scheels — a hunter, carrying a deer's antlers after a successful hunting trip.

I really like the next sculpture — a fisherman fighting to land the fish that he hooked while the fish fights for its life. We all know the outcome of this contest. The sculptor really captured the battle — the bent fishing pole, the fisherman leaning back to pull in the fish, and the fish fighting to get rid of the hook. Well done!

This sculpture reminds me of the Heisman Trophy which is awarded to the best college football player at the end of each season. We often see some of the Heisman wanna-be's posing just like this — which I guess is a not-so-secret wish to win the real trophy.

What great form was captured by this bronze golfer — Annika Sorenstam perhaps?

How appropriate — women's soccer — since the FIFA World Cup was held recently. In case you forgot, Spain's team won.

Last but not least is the sculpture of a young man playing baseball. Again, how appropriate since the MLB playoffs have just begun.