Photos and comments from Arizona and around the world
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.
There is just a hint of the depth of the Canyon at the bottom of this photograph. But it does show the contrast between the cliffs and the clouds and gives a sense of depth. If you haven't taken time to look at some of the other photographs I have loaded...
WARNING: If you really do think you have OCD after reading this post, please seek medical help and don't blame me. It may be hard to tell from this post how much of what I say is serious and/or factual. Do we really have to worry about Obsessive Compulsive...
These are obviously mudheads, but so stylized and reduced to their essential features as to be almost a cartoon. Nonetheless, these are authentic Hopi drawings, not copies or reproductions. If you don't know what a mudhead is, click here.
These mangrove roots and the driftwood make up an interesting contrast in color and form. This image intimidates with its complexity. But at the same time, the complexity is the attraction here.
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This monster is looking for vengeance. There is a drama going on in this drawing that is evident from the action of the figure trying to hide or get away. This is a painting in the Desert View Watchtower on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.
I would assume that genealogists are more prone than the general population to use their local public library. During my recent trip to Florida for presentations to four genealogical societies, I found that the Indian River Genealogical Society has a...
In photographs of the Grand Canyon, there is usually no perspective. It is impossible to tell how large the Canyon really is. When there are clouds and mist, the Canyon takes on its real size. You can stand on the Rim and look down at clouds and begin...
Another exceptional view of the Grand Canyon in the middle of a huge storm. The sky cleared briefly and showed the layers of clouds spilling down into the Canyon. These are the rare sights that you can only capture if you want to brave below freezing...
When Hansel and Gretel wanted to find their way out of the forest, they left a trail of breadcrumbs. Although the idea was good, the execution of the idea was bad since the birds ate the crumbs and left them stranded in the forest. I think a lot of genealogical...
A key element of the "Back to Adam" type of copied genealogy is reliance on genealogies in the Bible. From a genealogical standpoint there is not a religious issue here. Genealogy, as a historical discipline, and as such, is not prepared to comment on...
When I first started to seriously compile my genealogy, because of my research background, I automatically began what is commonly called the survey stage. I went to the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah and began looking for what had already...
Despite the entirely inappropriate name of this National Monument, the well itself, really a limestone sinkhole, is fascinating. There are several Indian ruins in the walls of the sinkhole. It is a perennially flowing spring used by the early inhabitants...
I have never claimed to be a FamilySearch insider. If I do learn some information from FamilySearch.org or from people at FamilySearch, I usually only pass it on when the information is verified and obviously public. But I do watch the blogs and if someone...
Isn't genealogy all about feeling good about yourself and connecting with your family? If copying a pedigree back to Adam makes me feel good and I'm not hurting anybody in the process, then why should I care if I have sources? What good is a source anyway?...
These plants, called sea grapes, are every where along the barrier islands on the Florida Coast of the Atlantic Ocean. They help stabilize the sand and protect the coast from hurricane damage. They grow as low bushes or trees about twenty feet high. They...
Many genealogists would think they had died and gone to heaven if they found an entire book about their ancestors. It is true that some of my earliest memories of "family history" came from various books my father had accumulated over the years, but as...
Rain on the snow in the mountains caused an early melt that translated into a flood down the creeks and rivers in central Arizona. We missed the highest water but normally this is a small clear stream. This might happen once or twice a year or even skip...
You have to look closely to see the structure since it blends in with the cliff. I don't think the ancient inhabitants of Arizona lived in these small constructs, they were more likely used for storage or similar uses. They are presently almost completely...
Underused is an overused term in genealogical circles. But it is appropriate to say that newspapers are underused. Let me give an example of the type of detailed information available on local newspapers. I am using the Utah Digital Newspaper Project...
Along the Wet Beaver Creek of the Verde Valley, there are lovely limestone cliffs. These are perfect for colonies of cliff swallows to build their rounded mud constructed swallow nests. I was fortunate to have my long lens to take this photo when the...
I never get tired of the forms and colors of the sandstone. They are particularly dramatic with the backdrop of the dark blue clear skies that as so prevalent in Arizona. Although walking or hiking in the sandy soil is not as easy as it might seem. It...
This is a Metate, an ancient grinding stone left over from the Sinagua people that inhabited Central Arizona as far back as Neolithic times. As I was photographing this, a small boy who was visiting the site with his mother asked what this was. She promptly...
Here we are, finally, at RootsTech in the snow and blowing wind, but here. There are over 6700 attendees and an additional almost 2000 young people registered for a Saturday session. All 50 states and many more from other countries. This is a large group. Dennis...
