Into the Clouds at the Grand Canyon

Sometimes life verges on the abstract. Symbols become more important than reality and reality takes a backseat to feelings and emotions. The forms of the Canyon are more than reality. The mere outlines of the cliffs and bluffs have become a symbol for the wilderness. It is ironic that a place so inhospitable to humanity, has become one of the most recognized and visited locations in the world. Sometimes we need to step away from the iconic and move to a new perspective. Some would think their visit to the Canyon wasted if they were confronted with the frequent Winter snow storms, but others, like myself, see this as an opportunity to view the Canyon from a different perspective.

Back to Basics

OK, we're done with cute little animals and the Eastern states for a while and we're back to the land that I love. There is something to be said about green trees and forests dripping with rain, I just happen to be a desert rat and love rocks and cliffs that don't have moss growing on them. The Grand Canyon is just that "grand." I am almost sorry I don't live there full time, but I do enjoy the city also. But I think the East is a little too much city and not enough country. As usual, you can click on the photo for a larger view.

The Flower and the Ant

Click on the photo to see the detail of the ant. Most of the time photographers try to achieve a hyper-realism in their photos. When you go to most of the photography websites, you will often see ads for retouching software that erases lines in faces and any blemishes. We get so used to seeing altered photos, we would not recognize the people depicted if they were standing right next to us. The same thing happens with landscape and other photos. I see the photos by other photographers and I can immediately tell that they are a better Photoshop user than photographer. Any photographic depiction is suspect. All photos lie either by the choice of what to include and what to exclude or by post-production manipulation. In the above photo, I purposely included the ant. This photo is about the ant on the flower. I could have easily erased the ant from the picture and you would have never known that it was there in the first place. What else is missing from the news photos and all the other photos you see each day?

Just so you can see what I mean, here is exactly the same photo, without the ant.

Complexity

The universe is infinitely complex. Even something as common as a sagebrush plant holds the complexity of the universe. Some of the most famous abstract artists of the past have tried to create art out of the chaotic interplay of colors and light. Take Jackson Pollack for an example. But with all the genius and all the effort, not one of them could match the complexity of a little bush on the side of hill in the deserts of Utah. Why did I take this particular picture? When I look at a bush, or a tree, or a flower, I instantly see the design in the underlying arrangement of the elements of the scene. When I look through the viewfinder, I can move inches one way or another and tell if there is a picture or not. It is not a random, walking through the desert, snapping pictures sort of activity. Some views turn into a picture, most do not. Sometimes there are no pictures. If I look at a snapshot made by someone else, I can instinctively tell if it is a picture or a snapshot. With hundreds, perhaps thousands of images every day, every hour,  every minute, it is wonder I do not make more pictures.

Death in the Arizona Desert

Newspaper reports commonly chronicle the death of those who venture out into the Arizona deserts unprepared. This tragedy is common among illegal aliens trying to cross the border. Through July 31, 2011, 132 deaths from exposure and dehydration had been recorded in the deserts south of Tucson, almost all certainly illegal aliens. But this danger is not limited illegal aliens, anyone venturing unprepared into the desert in the summer can quickly succumb to the heat.

From Wikipedia:

Symptoms may include headaches similar to what is experienced during a hangover, a sudden episode of visual snow, decreased blood pressure (hypotension), and dizziness or fainting when standing up due to orthostatic hypotension. Untreated dehydration generally results in delirium, unconsciousness, swelling of the tongue and, in extreme cases, death.

In the desert, symptoms can start appearing within a very short time, even a matter of an hour or less depending on the hydration of the individual.

It seems like we regularly hear of a winter visitors to the low deserts who drive out into the desert, only to have some sort-of mechanical or tire failure and die from dehydration before they can be found and rescued. Headlines such as "European tourists die of heat stroke in the desert" are not uncommon although this particular article refers to an incident in California.

The answer to the question is rather simple. Stay out of the desert in the summer (or anytime actually) unless you have adequate water, more than a gallon a day per person, and always leave your estimated time of return with a responsible person. Do not leave your car unless you have a specific destination and can physically make it that far. Never hike during the heat of the day, hike in the evening, at night or during the early morning. If you hike at night, only do so if you have a very clear idea where and what direction you are going and know how to navigate and walk at night. If you do leave your car, leave a note telling the direction you left and the time you left. Remember, a gallon of water weighs eight pounds.

Waiting

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting... Rudyard Kipling. Waiting is a real part of life and too many think of waiting as negative to life's positives. But waiting serves a purpose also. We can have a productive or destructive waiting time. If we think and dream, reflect and consider, waiting can be a blessing. If we fret and worry, squirm and suffer, waiting can be a torture. When I was young, I used to count the days until things would happen. At some point in my life I decided I would never count the days again. Of course we must plan, but living is waiting but we don't need to wait to live.

Blue Heron and Reflections

There are times when you see yourself in a reflection and wonder who is that person? I don't remember being that old. Once you realize that each days passes like a shadow and leaves its tiny impressions on your face, you can look again and see into your past and likely into your future. Herons spend a lot of time standing around which is why they make good subjects for photographs.