Volcanic Plugs

The mountains in central Arizona abound with needles and other similar rock formations that come from solidified lava in volcanic tubes that have subsequently become eroded leaving only the standing rock. They are common enough to be familiar but uncommon enough to be remarkable.

Contrast between light and dark

When I was studying art at the University of Utah, we were taught to distinguish between areas of light and dark and see things as patterns rather than as objects. I think some of this carried over into my photography. I tend to see things in terms of patterns of light and dark, rather than as objects. I also love the texture of tree trunks.

A Western Icon

I have been around windmills all my life. I am always amused when I read about solar and wind power being modern innovations. The windmill did its job of pumping water, day and night, for years upon end without needing more than occasional maintenance. There is a lesson to be learned from this for modern society.

Snake Skin

Of course, snakes lose their skin periodically. This is a normal process of growing; for snakes. I can see some advantages to this process and some definite disadvantages. I'm glad we don't have to go through this.

Sacred Datura

Sacred Datura is the politically correct name for this plant. It is commonly called Jimson weed (which we call jipsom weed) and Loco weed. It is highly toxic and a few people and a few cows die now and again from ingesting too much of the plant. It is one of the most prominently showy flowers in the desert that is not a cactus.

The Spider's Den

 Out in the desert, spiders pretty much rule the ground. Someone was commenting recently about killing off a bunch of undesirable house spiders, but there really isn't anyone with poison out there where they live naturally. Fortunately. I don't mind spiders so much, especially compared to scorpions.

In the Shade of a Coolibah Tree

I was walking around the Boyce Thompson Arboretum outside of Superior, Arizona, when I spotted this coolibah tree. I am sure it is the first time I have seen one that I knew about and identified. I have heard about coolibah trees from the song Waltzing Matilda almost all my life. Now, I have finally seen one in person.

Grounded

I guess I can't resist the unusual. We often think of butterflies as brightly colored. But in the desert, they can blend right into their surroundings just like many other animals and some plants. This little butterfly was sitting in the middle of the path and if I hadn't seen it land, I would not have seen it at all.

A Yucca Spray

These beautiful backlit yucca blooms were mixed in with a thick area of other vegetation. Usually, they are sitting out on a hillside, prominently displayed. This is one of those photos where you need to click on the photo to see the detail. The thumbnail doesn't show the color and form.

One red poppy

I could see this red poppy in among the weeds of this field and couldn't get much closer. I thought the color was such a contrast to the green background, I realized why we have red stop lights in most places around the world.

Bowing to the rain

Well, I am fudging a little with the title. It doesn't really rain here in Arizona very often. The water drops on this poppy were from a sprinkler. But I liked the title anyway.

A Matter of Balance

 It is evident that I am fascinated with arches and balanced rocks. They both seem to appear in the most unlikely places. This pair of rocks is only visible from a very small area because they both blend into the background rocks. Someday I would like to do a whole series on balanced rocks.

Reminiscent of Renoir

Sometimes I can see images in nature that could have been the basis for the impressionist movement of painting. This photo of a small pond filled with algae is very suggestive of a Renoir painting.

Karoo Boer-Bean

These beautiful red flowers develop into an edible pod called the Karoo Boer-Bean. They are native to Africa and were eaten by the early Boer settlers, hence the name.

A Natural Y

This window in a garden wall reminded me immediately of the logo of a certain large university in Provo, Utah. Although I have only attended that school as a distance learning student, my children all went there and most graduated from that school at least once.

On Dry Land

Usually, I see these mallard ducks swimming around in the water. It is a little unusual to see one sitting on dry land, but I thought it a good opportunity to get close and take a picture. There is nothing common about the color of their feathers, although they are a common sight on Arizona ponds and lakes.

Alert and Looking

Herons often appear to be statues. They hold still for so long you think they must have gone to sleep, but they are merely waiting for a meal to swim into view and can move quickly when they see something interesting. This one was strolling gracefully across the pond looking for a meal.

An Interesting Display

We were walking along the bank of large pond, when this black necked tern decided we had invaded his territory and began to put on a dramatic display of feathers and ruffles. Because of his coloration, he blends in well with the ground so you have to look closely to see him.

Snug as a bug in a rug

We waited for a while for this tortoise to decided to come out of his shell, but he evidently had more patience than we did, because we left before he decided to come out of his shell and go on his way.

An interesting display

This little bird was determined to drive us out of his territory with a puff up of feathers and loud squawking. There is nothing wrong with this bird that a leaving the area wouldn't cure.

All the Comforts of Home

 This little dove is sitting pretty in her secure home in the saguaro. She owes her contentment to her unsurpassed home security system. Life is sweet in the arms of a very large cactus plant.

The Vastness of the View

It is impossible to appreciate the vastnes of the Grand Canyon. Pictures do not do justice to the views. But sometimes you can get a hint of the size looking at this type of photo.

Cliff in the Fog

Being able to see is a blessing. Sometimes not being able to see is a blessing. In this case, I could see this cliff and the rocks with faces and trees growing in the crack in the rock. With a total view of the Canyon, these things would not be noticed.

Ancient Walls

Indian ruins hold a fascination for me. I like to see how and why the people lived where they did. The walls only give a suggestion of what was there originally. Some ruins are vast and impressive. Others are more quiet and intimate. I like both.

Winter in the Grand Canyon

My favorite time to visit the Grand Canyon is in the Winter. The main reason is the weather and the colors, but it is also a benefit that there are far fewer people. You can have the whole Canyon to yourself. But be ready for cold, wind, fog and snow.

The Most Ancient

There are several examples of these simple looking stick figures. These artifacts are considered some of the oldest to be found in the desert Southwest. They date back thousands of years. Sometimes simple things are really the most complex.

Projectile Points

Commonly called arrowheads, this type of point could have been used on a variety of projectiles. When I was young, I was always looking to find an arrowhead. But today, it is against the law to even think about finding one.

Ancient Kiva in the Snow

The Kiva was a round, ceremonial room, usually below the level of the ground. Its structure was derived from ancestral Pueblo pithouses. Many kivas are still in use today by the descendants of these ancient inhabitants. All we usually see is the evidence of the walls and the distinctive round or slightly oval construction.

Growing in the Snow

When the temperature drops in the desert, it is likely that some of the plants in our neighborhood will suffer frost damage. Sometimes this damage is extensive. It is always reassuring to know that some plants and animals adapt to their surroundings and survive extreme cold and heat. Survival is sort-of my goal right now.

Spiral and Flute Player

The image on the right, with the big feet, is playing a flute. The center is a spiral either a symbol of the sun or of man's journey through life. The bird and the centipede or lizard tracks are common symbols. The man in the left corner looks like a Mud Head.

Museum Quality Hopi Pottery

This Hopi pottery is exquisite. It is like a gem stone, beyond price and unique. I am happy to be able just to know that someone could make something so perfect.

Grand Canyon in the Clouds

Most of the photos you see of the Grand Canyon are predictable. I can't predict what will appear to me to be a photograph, but when I see it, I immediately know if there is a photo or not. This is hard to see in the small thumbnail, you will have to click on the image to see the picture.

Hopi Bird-Eating-Fish

Some of the iconography of the ancestors of the modern-day Hopi Indians is fairly transparent. In some cases, such as the one above, the paintings are pretty realistic, but the symbolism is really obscure. This is a painting from the wall of the Desert View Watchtower at the Grand Canyon National Park. This same motif is not that uncommon.

A Flowered Crown

This little pincushion cactus can go unnoticed but its display of flowers is wonderful to those who bend down to see them. Some people talk about taking time to smell the roses. I can't smell much of anything, but I can take time to look at the pincushion cactus.

The Natural PacMan

I couldn't resist these natural PacMan guys swimming in a little pool of water. Yes, children, I am old enough to remember PacMan.

Mesquite

Mesquite is a desert tree that is classified as a legume, just like lentils and beans. These abundant flowers turn into long edible pods and beans. Unfortunately, all this natural food goes to waste in most urban plantings of the trees where the pods and beans are considered a nuisance rather than a food source. That is the case with a lot of food plants in the Southwest.

Pruned

This tree has been pruned many times and yet it still refuses to conform to the preconceived pattern of the pruners. Do we really believe that our concept of how this tree should grow is more desirable than the way it would have grown if left alone?

Out for a walk

This ground squirrel is really looking around to see if there is anything he might eat. But it is interesting how they can stand up so straight on their short hind-legs and survey their surroundings.

Beauty among the thorns

It is the contrast between the profusion of spines and the flowers that make the cactus plants attractive. Normally, you would want to pick or smell one of the lovely flowers, but the nature of the plant makes both these activities highly questionable. I have very little sense of smell and so I can't tell you if the cactus flowers have any perfume, but I doubt it.

Inside

There are around 550 different species of the genus Aloe. The varieties of each species can be endless. Even though they have stickers, these aren't cactus. The jagged hooks are really quite innocuous compared to other plants, especially most of the cacti.

Curving Aloe

These aloe plants are not cactus but are considered to be a succulent. They grow very well in the dry desert and will survive with very little water. But if you want them to spread and grow in huge clumps, all you have to do is give them a little bit of water. We have always had aloe growing somewhere around our house for many, many years.

Bud and Flower

The flowers on the prickly pear (opuntia) always form on the edge of the pads. The buds start as small fuzzy spots and grow into the fruit-shaped buds that blossom and then ripen into the dark red fruit. The fruit and the pads are both edible, but I like the fruit, which makes delicious syrup and jelly.

Desert Varnish

With the rain coming down in sheets, it was interesting to see the patterns of the rain water on the cliffs. It dramatically illustrated why the desert varnish (mostly minerals such as manganese dissolved in the water) is formed from rain water.

Agave Stalks

These agave stalks were seen all over the desert valleys all blooming at about the same time. Once these plants bloom, the main plant dies. So there are likely a lot of landscape gardeners out there looking for replacement plants. In the natural setting, the agaves propagate by sending out shoots that grow into new plants after the main plant dies.

Canyon Clouds

We all seem to think that pleasant, sunny days are preferable over the stormy ones. It is that way in life also; we think that the placid times are preferable to the turbulent ones. But when it comes right down to it, storms are what makes life interesting and worth living. It is the same with photographs.

What's Inside

Column cactus have a very specific structure that makes them very stable. It is extremely rare that an established cactus, such as this one, would fall over or be blown over by a storm. The reason is the structure of the cactus with the central core of very strong sticks or fibers running the length of the stems.

Very Yellow

If you walk around looking carefully, you will begin to see a lot of things in detail. Life is made up of the details but remembered in the generalities. You might miss a flower, such as this one, if you are in too much of a hurry. It was hiding among the bushes.

Random Blossoms

I think it is interesting how the blooms are sort-of randomly scattered around the cactus plant. There doesn't seem to be any particular reason for where the flower stalks grow. Maybe someone has done a study on the placement?

A Furry Friend

I often wonder why these small animals seem to have such thick coats of fur when they live in the hot desert. Maybe the fur helps to keep them cool as well as warm? They do not come out during the hot part of the day, but if you look around in the early morning or just as the sun is going down, you can see quite a variety of animals in the desert. This is a round-tailed ground squirrel, in case you were wondering.

Barely Blooming

These lovely cactus flowers are just barely blooming. They will open completely in another day and then be gone. So much beauty, so little time.