Panorama of Newspaper Rock

This is a low resolution photo of Newspaper Rock, near Canyonlands National Park in Utah. The high resolution photo is much too large to include in a blog post. This is one of the more remarkable petroglyph sites in the Southwest. You will have to click on the photo to see the detail.

Signs of Spring

While we were buffeted by snow, rain, wind and other arguably Winter-like weather, we did see a promise of Spring. These lovely crocuses were just beginning to poke their way into the world.

Patterns in the Rocks

I am fascinated by the multitude of forms in the rocks of the Colorado Plateau. There is no mossy covering to conceal the bones of the mountains. They are stark in their form and beauty. I could take a thousand or ten thousand photos and never tire of the colors and the form.

A Desert Juniper

I have always heard these trees referred to as "cedar trees." It was only as I became more aware of plants in general that I learned that they are really juniper trees. They are examples of persistence and survivorship and are found growing in some of the most unlikely places. This one is struggling for existence in the sands of Southern Utah.

Early Risers

If you live where there are seasons, you likely watch for the first crocuses of Spring. These are usually the first flowers you see on a cold, stormy Spring day when you aren't sure that Winter is really on the way out. These flowers also poke out of the ground in the Desert Southwest, but usually end up flowering in January. These particular flowers were on a cold hillside near the Wasatch Mountains of Utah.

A Fractured Rock

This is a reminder that all of Nature is not tranquil and without conflict. This rock must have fallen pretty hard to have broken as it hit the adjoining rock. I think of all the noise and dust that must have accompanied its fall. We sometimes find ourselves caught up in this natural turmoil and have to remember not to take it personally.

Colorado River Gooseneck

These entrenched bends in the river are called Goosenecks. This is the Colorado River from a cliff looking down 2000 feet or so. Along the edge of the cliff in the foreground, you can see the Shaffer Trail.

The Shaffer Trail

Yes, that line down there on the edge of that cliff is a road and yes, I have driven that road in a Suburban loaded with my wife and small children. Yes, I am crazy and fortunate to be alive and yes it really is as bad (or worse) than it looks. It is the infamous Shaffer Trail. This picture was taken from Dead Horse Point.

The Fallen Boulder

Everywhere in the Colorado Plateau there are evidences of fallen rocks. I once had the good/bad fortune to witness a huge rock fall along the shore of Lake Powell. I can imagine, from that experience, what it would be like to see something like this boulder crash to the ground. I also noticed the incredible markings on the underside of the boulder, testifying as to the antiquity of the fall.

Desert Sentinal

I have often noted that I see faces and figures in patterns all around me. I understand that it is a natural phenomena, but interesting nonetheless. The petroglyphs were near this huge rock and I wonder if the ancients who made the rock art and petroglyphs saw the face in the rock like I did.

TV Sheep

These petroglyphs are aptly named the TV sheep. I am not at all sure why these sheep have square bodies, but it is one of the wonders of the Southwest that there are such things to find. These, like most of the petroglyphs and rock art, are unmarked and can be found only by chance or by design, if you know where and when to look.

Rabbit Bush

This is rabbit bush, a common plant on the Colorado Plateau. Its real name is Triangle Leaf Bursage, but I like rabbit bush better and it is easier to remember. The brownish leaves/flowers are the seeds left over the winter from the yellow flowers of Spring.

The La Sal Mountains

Floating like ghost mountains above the red rocks of the Colorado Plateau, the La Sal Mountains are probably one of the least visited of the high mountains in Utah. It was too early in the year to think about driving up into the mountains, but we may have the opportunity some day to do that again. This photo was taken from Dead Horse Point, looking east towards the mountains.

Intestine Man

If you look closely at the center of the three figures, you will see why this particular rock art is called "Intestine Man." The location is not marked on a highway, consistent with the idea that too many people will destroy these priceless treasures of ancient rock art. In contrast to petroglyphs which are made by chipping away at the rock coatings, these are painted on the rock using a variety of natural substances. The entire figure is about 18 inches high and is located about 20 feet up the side of the cliff. I used a 500 mm lens to take this photo.

Contrast in light and dark

Getting different parts of the Grand Canyon to come out in a photo is quite a challenge. You can see from this picture that there is a huge contrast in the light-to-dark portions of the photo. All you can do is try to do the best you can to capture the images.

After the Storm

During the morning of this day, the Grand Canyon was completely socked in with clouds and zero visibility. I felt sorry for the people who had come to see the Canyon from far away. But by the end of the day, the clouds lifted and there were wonderful views.

Golden Light

 There is no adequate way to describe the way the Grand Canyon changes with the different light that comes through clouds and during the day as the sun moves across the sky. I could stand there for hours, but have to be content with short trips and take it as it comes.

Last Afternoon Sun

The best time to take photos of landscapes is in the early morning or late afternoon, The light brings out the colors and gives a warm glow to the mountains and other natural objects. I love the Grand Canyon because it looks good all the time but better in the evening.

Browsing Elk

The elk herds in the Grand Canyon National Park are highly visible and numerous. They have no fear of man since there is no hunting in the National Park, so they wander right into Grand Canyon Village and make themselves at home. This one was along one of the Rim drives.

Late Afternoon Sun

I pity the poor tourists who pay money to get to the Grand Canyon only to stay for a few hours and then move on in their tour. We always plan to get there early in the morning, often before sunrise and stay the entire day until the sun goes down. Then we can see all the moods of the Canyon on that day.

A Random Cloud

The Grand Canyon is so large that different parts of the Canyon can have totally different weather. I found this little cloud floating along after a storm. I guess it was lost.

A Reflected View

The evening sun is a perfect way to bring out the subtile colors of a tranquil pond. I found this view one evening on a short walk.

Their Daily Meal

These shore birds were so busy finding their daily food in the mud at the bottom of the pond that they took no notice of me standing there on the shore taking photographs. I suppose that had I gotten too close they would have flown away, but they were content to let me stand there.

A View of the Choir

It is not easy to take photos sitting in a vast audience and listening to the superb music of the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. You may have to excuse some of the technical limitations of this photo, but I hope some small part of the Spirit of the presentation we witnessed comes through.

An Iconic View

This view of the Papago Buttes is about as iconic as you can get in illustrating the desert around Phoenix. This view is a familiar to me as my own backyard and we have two saguaro cactus growing in our yard also.

Desert Driftwood

Of course we don't have oceans and so we don't technically have driftwood, but the Arizona Desert can create some of the same types of forms out of the woody interior of the cactus rather than from trees. I am not sure I see a face in this wood, but I do see a space monster.

Creeping Devil - The First Cactus

This is a photo of the creeping devil cactus, the long one in front of the other cactus. This particular cactus was the very first one planted at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix. It grows along the ground and the older parts of the cactus die off as the plant grows. In this way, it moved very slowly along the ground, probably one of the few mobile plants in the world.

Early Globe Mallow

I spent years pulling Globe Mallow out of my garden as a weed. But growing wild it is a lovely flowering bush. I love the color. At the time this photo was taken, the wild flowers are just beginning to bloom and I will have to get back out to the desert to make sure I get some more photos.

Juvenile Grackle

I refer to these birds as "Gang Birds" because they congregate in aggressive groups of adults in our neighborhood. They are solid black colored when adults and so it is hard to tell that this is the same bird I see on my front lawn.

Detail from the Gilbert Temple

The Gilbert Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is strikingly different than the older Temple in Mesa, Arizona. This close up photo shows some to more prominent architectural details of the structure. The design is based on the Aloe plant's leaves.

Aloe to You

Since I am usually walking around taking photographs, my images seem to follow a pattern if they are viewed sequentially. In my posts, I try to vary the themes by selecting photos from different trips, but sometimes I select similar photos to follow some theme or another. This was a particularly striking example of an aloe plant in full bloom. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona has one of the largest, if not the largest, collections of aloe varieties in the world.

An Orange Accent

The contrast in the color of the plant and the flower is amazing. This is an aloe and the flowers bloom at various times throughout the year, but this plant has a particularly vibrant flower stalk.

A Cactus Sundial

This cactus sundial accurately tells time. It is located in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona and has recently been replanted with a new selection of cactus. I like sundials because they remind me that time is a natural phenomena and has a stately, regular procession every day.

A Small Fortune

The idea of a small fortune seems contradictory; by definition a fortune should be large. But here is proof of the possibility. A flower that is worth a fortune in a small package. How would you ever know that a 2 inch cactus could produce such an effusion of color.

A Tangle of Spines

It makes you wonder why cactus grow in impenetrable clumps? What is the reason for such huge masses of spines? My guess is that they derive some advantage in extra protection from the accumulation of spines, giving them an edge in survival. But perhaps it is just a fluke and like large cities, a reaction to a whole multitude of forces, both seen and unseen. 

A View to the Universe

There is no mistaking the identity of this iconic type of dome. It is set up to house a telescope. This one happens to be a short distance from my home in Mesa, not an ideal location for viewing the stars, but adequate. This is at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve, next to the branch Maricopa County Library.

Waiting on a perch

Birds don't normally sit around and wait for you to take their picture. You have to be both patient and quick to get anything at all. I think this little fellow was just standing there posing for me and waiting to have his picture taken.

Like a duck on the water

I can't seem to get over the fact that ducks float. Not only do they float, but they float upright and almost completely out of the water. I don't float.

Not a Sparrow Shall Fall

Not all small brown birds are sparrows, but sparrows get the rap anyway. I enjoy watching birds and sparrows fall into that category. I think some people who watch birds are really looking for something unusual, but I look for anything that flies and eats them also.

Seagull on a post

Some photos are iconic. This is one of them. There is nothing so typical of the ocean than a seagull sitting on a post sticking out of the water. But I like the photo anyway.

Self Portrait at the Beach

Since this is the afternoon sun, this must be the Atlantic Ocean. Can you recognize me?

A Stranded Jellyfish

It is sad to see such beautiful creatures stranded after a high tide. I love to watch jellyfish swim through the ocean but I am always very aware of the pain that can be caused by touching one of the filaments they use to catch their food. They are sort-of like cactus of the oceans, pretty but don't touch. 

Gilbert Temple under construction

This is new Gilbert Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints being built just south of where I live in Mesa. It is an imposing and beautiful structure and will be even more so when the grounds are completely landscaped. We have enjoyed watching the Temple be built over the past few months and look forward to the Open House and Dedication either later this year or next year.

Read the Sign. Please!!!

I have absolutely no theories about this unique sign. I don't want to imagine the circumstances that went into the need for its posting. I think this is one of the imponderables of modern society and should be left for quiet contemplation. Leave well enough alone, is what I always say. Just don't go there. Oh, the sign is hard to read so you will have to click on the photo to enlarge it. If you recognize this sign you will realize my wife took this photograph.

A Grand Canyon Vista

From time to time, I hear stories with the theme of traveling the world over looking for happiness and then returning to realize you had it at home all along. The same thing could be said for beauty. I have seen pictures of some amazingly beautiful places and I have often wondered what it would be like to travel the world, but when I think about it, people come from all over the world to see my "backyard" so to speak, so I have content to see my own part of the beautiful world and not have to travel so far.

Ghost Chipmunk

This was a really spooky experience. How many times do you meet a ghost chipmunk? Fortunately, he had no feet so he couldn't move too fast and we outran him easily.

Morning Fog

The scale of the Grand Canyon is so large, you can't really get a proper perspective without something like these clouds to give you and idea how far down into the earth it really goes. This view changed while I stood on the Rim taking pictures. Every few minutes the light changed and the colors changed.

Between the clouds

Sometimes the Canyon walls play hide-and-seek with the clouds. When the cloud windows open, you can see details that are usually lost in the vistas of the huge Canyon. This is one reason to go to the Grand Canyon when the weather is poor and it is cold and snowing.

A Canyon View

I love the vast distances in the views from the Rim of the Grand Canyon in contrast to most of the views in the Eastern part of the United States. You have to get on a really high building or go out along the ocean coast to see vast distances. There are a few mountains in the East with spectacular views, but nothing like the Canyon rim.

A cozy fire

The weather outside was cold and foggy and this fire was extremely inviting. But as with Frost's little horse, we had to hurry on and had miles to go before we slept.