Photos and comments from Arizona and around the world
Just as the sun was going down, we spotted this small flock of geese sitting quietly on the lake. They were absolutely still, just as if they had been frozen in time. I think they were just enjoying the peacefulness of the sunset.
Love Statue, Main Plaza, Scottsdale, Arizona USA in Arizona This Panorama shows the Love Statue in Scottsdale, Arizona. Scottsdale has been a mecca for winter visitors and shoppers from all over the world. Scottsdale is located to the immediate north...
There is nothing that cheers the heart in a long walk in the desert to come across a bouquet of Indian Paintbrush. This walk was special with two separate bouquets. One was a profusion of color; the other an understated arrangement on a cliff face. Both...
Most wildflowers have unusual names. I haven't figured out what the relationship is between this beautiful purple flower and owls, but there is the name, none the less. You will have to walk around for quite a while to see this kind of wildflower display...
Sometimes you just have to dance in the wind. If I had taken this photo when the grass was young and still green, it would not have been remarkable. But when the grass is old and dried up with age, it dances in the wind and creates strange patterns and...
Most of the ranchers and farmers in the West used local wood sources to build their gates and stock pens. As time passed, farming and ranching either became mechanized or slowly deteriorated. It is very unusual to see new fences and new gates. Most of...
The contrast between the beauty of the small details of our desert and the overall impression, reminds me a trip I took when I was very young from Salt Lake City to Phoenix on a bus. I sat next to a lady who spent a lot of time complaining about the barren...
This is the classic example of cross-bedding, that is sandstone composed of seashore ripples and sand dunes. The direction of the beds dipping indicates paleocurrents. See Wikipedia:Cross-bedding. These formations are prevalent in the Zion Canyon area...
Ellis Island is a mostly artificially created island between the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan. It was the port of entry for millions of immigrants to the United States from 1892 to 1924. Sadly, many immigrants, after spending weeks and months traveling...
The skys are not clear all day at the Grand Canyon. There is an ongoing controversy over the huge power plants in the vicinity that cause a marked decrease in the visibility at the Canyon. There is a conflict between power production and clean air. During...
I don't think we would like this in our backyard but for some reason, it did kind-of remind me of the freeways. I am not sure if this is all one plant or a large number of plants, but like grass it probably doesn't matter, the effect is the same. Some...
These flowers seem to be floating on a carpet of spines. From this angle it is hard to see how they are connected to the plants beneath. There are some really unusual scenes you can see if you look at the details. This deep purple color brings joy to...
OK, so these are really weird euphorbia. The first photo is the open pod. The second photo is what they look like before they open. I am not sure if this can be characterized as a flower or not. By the way, these are not native to Arizona. They come from...
This is the London Bridge but the River is the Colorado River and the town is not London, England, but Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The developer, who started the town, purchased the Bridge. Took it apart piece by piece and re-assembled it in Arizona. You...
Sometimes we are fooled by what we see. We base our perceptions on our limited experience and what we see we interpret incorrectly. Photos add another dimension of misperception through the process of representing only a small portion of the overall scene...
Some cactus are very sociable. The grow in clumps and all flower at the same time. Granted, this is not quite a field, but this about all you get with cactus. Where cactus are blooming you don't need to post signs that say, "Please do not pick the fl...
Arizona is not usually associated with wetlands in the popular press, but this beautiful scene is only minutes from my home. We have started taking walks here regularly. Its not that we don't like our neighborhood, but this is much prettier.
In a recent picture, I showed some geese swimming in a line. I didn't want to leave out the ducks also. They swim in a line for the same reason they fly in formation; it is more efficient. You might have to click on this photo to see the detail.
This goose sat there in the water for a long time without moving. It wasn't hunting food or doing anything else in particular, but it appeared frozen in thought. Sometimes when I work for a long time, I get to this state.
I think of all the monster movies I have seen and I still think that the real dinosaurs were probably worse than any of them have depicted so far. This one almost caught up with me until I took its picture. It was camera shy and ran away.
These ducks were eating something in the Bermuda grass that seemed mighty tasty. They were eating to fast and furious, you would think is was the best meal they had ever found. We watched them for about ten minutes and they didn't stop, even when we walked...
Mallard ducks are common but uncommonly beautiful. This one decided to pose for me in the setting sun. Even though we see these ducks frequently, I never get tired of their bight iridescent green neck feathers.
I think this contrast is a metaphor for life itself. It illustrates the two extremes of our existence: joy and sorrow. Not that the cactus isn't beautiful in its own way, but the contrast here is more than apparent. Perhaps we wouldn't be so wrapped up...
You don't usually associate moss and cool water with the desert, but in real life, the desert is full of surprises. We found this little tiny spring with just enough water to keep this spot of moss growing and green. There isn't enough water to wade in....
These are what Fall leaves look like most of the time around here. They still have a remarkable texture, but we don't get much color. Most of the traditional activities and images associated with the seasons in North America are simply totally missing...
