Photos and comments from Arizona and around the world
My wife commented on the striking patterns made by cutting the branches off of a palm tree. In Arizona, we usually strip all of the cut branches off of the trunk. On some palm species, this happens naturally, so you see the classic smooth palm tree trunk....
I am not big on holidays, to the chagrin of my wife and children, but I do like the Piano Guys and all their videos, so this is my Valentine to my family and to all of you. If you haven't heard the Piano Guys before, take some time to watch so of their...
I could not resist this classically iconic image of a sandy beach with palm trees. This is especially true because of the exotic nature of the image for someone who lives in the dry desert Southwest. The wind was blowing but not enough to overly ripple...
In the next two weeks, I will be presenting at two conferences, one in Yuma, Arizona and the other in Mesa. First I will be at the Yuma FamilySearch Center Conference in Yuma, Arizona on 12 January 2013. The location of the Conference is at the Yuma...
Spring wildflowers are dependent on the rains in the Fall and early Winter. If Arizona gets a good drenching in October, we will have an abundant display of wildflowers. If not, they wait for another wetter year. Some years the displays are spectacular....
Mangroves are various types of trees up to medium height and shrubs that grow in saline coastal sediment habitats in the tropics andsubtropics – mainly between latitudes 25° N and 25° S. See Wikipedia: Mangrove. I am fascinated by these trees because...
Most of the photos of the Grand Canyon are from vantage points looking across the Canyon. But as you follow the South Rim in its twists and turns you find places that give you a perspective up or down the Canyon and therefore provide a much longer look...
Rather than being ostentatious and showy, desert wildflowers are usually subtle but gemlike in their quality. If you are easily impressed with the more temperate abundance of flowers, you might overlook these remarkable shows. If you look closely at this...
When genealogical resources first began to appear on the Internet, I felt an urge to collect a list of all the websites. My list of bookmarks soon grew longer than the number visible on any screen. I began to categorize the resources into folders and...
The Florida coast is protected from the ravages of the ocean by a series of barrier islands. Unfortunately, for those of us driving along the coast, there are sand dunes covered with plants between the road and the ocean, so mostly while driving, in between...
Here you go again with an image of absolutely nothing. But wait! This is Winter Lawn. It may not mean much to those of you with ice and snow, but here in the low desert, people actually spend a lot of time and money planting a Winter lawn for green and...
Just passing by, you would remark about this yellow rose. But if you look carefully, you will see that it is not quite yellow. It has a tinge of pink and other colors. We have a tendency to characterize individuals by one perceived trait rather than look...
I have mixed feelings about the ocean. I enjoy the waves and all that goes with it, but it seems like we could use some of that water in Arizona instead wasting it away on beaches in Florida.
This isn't the usual view of Montezuma's Castle but it shows more of the cliff and how isolated the ruin is from below. There is one thing about pictures of the ruin. They make the building look much larger and more impressive than it is in person standing...
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...
www.popsci.com Nestle is famous for its candy, but did you know it's also the creator of the fine line of Hot Pockets-brand foods? Or, did you know, P&G could pretty
This winged figure is has a rainbow above his head and a rain cloud below in the form of a universal cloud symbol with lightning at both ends. These same designs and figures can be found on ancient pottery that can be seen in museums around the world....
This painting is in the interior of the Desert View Watchtower at the Grand Canyon. The paintings are the work of Hopi artist, Fred Kabotie. This painting depicts the story of the beginning of the Snake Dance. It is also the story of the first man to...
It seems to be a common thread among some genealogists that connecting to a royal line is big deal. It has always seemed strange to me that in a country, like the U.S., that fought to rid itself of a king, so many people would be interested in connecting...
It has been a while since I tried doing any videos. Since I got this clip of the ducks at the Gilbert Water Ranch, I thought I would try it out.
Lemon trees are exceedingly prolific. One tree can have thousands of large, yellow, plump fruit. Our lemon tree used to break limbs from the huge number of lemons. One tree is enough to supply an entire neighborhood with lemons. Unfortunately, most people's...
We frequently see tourists at the Grand Canyon nonchalantly taking pictures just a few feet from a 1000 foot drop off. They have no appreciation for the size or height of the cliffs. They treat the Canyon as if it were a painted backdrop. That appreciation...
Some of the Arizona place names don't seem to make much sense. Wet Beaver Creek is one of those names. It might help to know that there is also a Dry Beaver Creek, but maybe not. I don't think this has anything to do with either wet or dry beavers, it...
It is not a castle and it has nothing to do with Montezuma, but it is a cliff dwelling dated to between 1100 and 1400 A.D. It is one of the best known cliff dwellings in the United States and has been a National Monument for many years.
This is really a sycamore, but I have always called them puzzle trees from the way you can peel off pieces of bark like a puzzle. They are some of Arizona's largest trees and I can remember camping under them as a Scout.
