Close encounter.......

Just one word of advise..... mindfulness. Always be aware of your surroundings and where your feet are going next !

I startled this fellow while hiking on Mint Wash Trail around the backside of Granite Mountain. Needless to say, I was very thankful for the warning that he gave me before I got too close. Mind you, the 4 or 5 feet that I was away from him, I'm glad to say, wasn't too close for him. I immediately stopped, backed up, and went around him giving him a wide berth. Oddly, he didn't really move that much, so I actually had time to switch out lenses, and go back in for a few more shots. I know, maybe not the smartest thing to do, considering I was atleast a mile from civilization, but he was a beautiful creature !

At any rate, always keep your eyes open and your wits about you. I let my guard down, and almost paid dearly for it. It won't happen again.

Wandering continued.....

..... and from Two Guns. An amazing place. I've got to look up the history of this place and see what happened. Maybe just the Interstate highway happened, and like most places on Route 66, just faded from lack of use and interest. Everyone became obsessed with getting "there" quicker, rather than simply enjoying the journey and the "in-betweens".

Wandering on Route 66

It's always interesting to me how differently people see and relate to the same object. Take this image of the window, for example. I rather like the sharpness of the broken glass contrasting with start white border of stucco and the soft shades inside the room. My friend, Rich Charpentier of the Airstream Chronicles Continued...http://blog.richcharpentier.com/, however, saw the same image on a different day, in a different light, and came with a different interpretation. And I really like his, as well. But that's exactly what I mean, and I think it shows that photography truly is an art, just as painting, in that it doesn't always simply document reality, whatever that is ! It's about what happens inside and how that individual chooses to share that experience.

.... just my two cents worth !

The summer/monsoon/wildfire season

Now that the monsoons have started, the wildfires can't be too far away. Happened to catch these guys at the Payson airport doing some maintenance and cleaning prior to the season. Hopefully, they won't have to be too busy this year. The Forest Service has been doing alot of clearing the forests of undergrowth, and controlled burns over the winter and spring, so we'll see what Mother Nature (and the moronic two-leggeds) have in store for us.

thinkTANK Photo

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Desert View after sunrise

Got up early this morning and left at 3:30 am to get to the east entrance of the Grand Canyon. This weekend, "they" waived the $25 entrance fee, so I thought I would just take off and see what I could see.

It was raining all the way up, and very windy, but as you can see, some very dramatic skies could be found. It really was a nice drive, and getting there early, there was hardly anyone else walking around. I ventured out onto one of the promentories, and then explored some of the other lookout points. By the time I got back to Desert View, the parking lot was filling up, but I just had to go inside the watchtower and go up to the top. Just an incredible place.

Stopped at Wupatki on the way home and down through Oak Creek Canyon. Can't wait to process some more images. Stay tuned.

Just one of "those" walks

Every now and then, I find it necessary to just get away from this sometimes crazy world for a couple hours, and do nothing but walk and soak up all that mother earth has to offer. Yesterday afternoon was one of those times, so I found myself walking through the rocks around willow lake in Prescott. As I walked down this little path at the base of this rock cliff, I came around a corner to find my own "private" lagoon. It literally was like walking through a door into another place. I must have spent a couple hours there, just exploring, enjoying the scampering lizards, and hundreds (probably thousands) of little blue dragonflys darting about.

By the time I got back to my car, I felt rejuvenated. I'm very thankful that I have a place so close that I can go to anytime I want and just get away. Every one should have a place like that to recharge their soul.