On a Mission!

In an attempt to circumvent rush hour traffic, I jumped in the truck around 5:30 a.m. on a Monday morning. My camera gear and picnic lunch sat securely in the passenger seat next to me. Today’s destination would have me driving nearly 100 miles to the far other side of the Phoenix Valley near the little mining town of Superior, Arizona.

A friend was suppose to join me but at the last minute had to cancel. I thought about canceling my plans as well which surprised me. A few years ago, that thought would never have crossed my mind, but somewhere along the way, I had lost some of my confidence. I’ve been venturing solo for years and had never been as hesitant as I was this morning.

“A ship in a harbor is safe but that’s not what ships are built for.” This quote suggests that although it may be tempting to stay in one’s comfort zone, true success lies in taking risks and venturing outside of that zone.

I’m so glad I didn’t allow fear to hold me back. (Fear of what? I don’t know.🤷🏻‍♀️) The Boyce Thompson Arboretum had been on my to see list for at least ten years, and as many times as Al and I had driven by the arboretum during our RV travels, we never made it a priority to stop and visit. Well by golly, this was the day!

“We’re 106 miles to Chicago. We’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark and we’re wearing sunglasses … Hit it.” — Blues Brothers 🤣😉🤭

The drive

It was still dark when I navigated onto the highway … leaving my sunglasses perched on the top of my head . Traffic was already heavy but moving at a good speed … as in everyone, including me, was speeding😮. That’s how we roll here in Phoenix. Fortunately, my plan to beat the worst of rush hour traffic worked out.

As I started heading east bound, the sun was beginning to rise and was trying to peak out between the clouds. I was grateful for the overcast sky considering I was driving east into the sun. The morning light was amazing and I witnessed sky rays … the kind of rays that Arizona is known for and actually featured on the state flag. What a great start to the day!

I arrived to a closed gate at the arboretum. I was early. I had nearly an hour to kill. No problem. I headed back down the road a mile and turned down the dirt road for the Picketpost Trailhead. My little red truck and I were back in our element exploring roads less traveled.

Scouting

The overcast sky was breaking up allowing the sun to create long shadows. I struggled to find a photo composition, but I didn’t care. I was enjoying the morning away from the city. The air was crisp and clean with a temperature hovering in the 55 degree F range. However, I knew it wouldn’t take long for the day to heat up. That’s life in the desert!

Eventually, I made my way back to an open arboretum. I parked the truck and paid the entrance fee. As I was perusing the map, I realized how big this place is. I needed to come up with a plan because I intended to explore the garden in its entirety … or at least try.

I was on a mission today. I wanted to find a photo composition that I might find worthy of printing and hanging above my couch.

Let the exploring commence.

The Boyce Thompson Arboretum is the oldest and largest botanical garden in the state of Arizona encompassing 372 acres with miles worth of trails.

After walking for nearly four straight hours with the exception of quick photo-op stops here and there, I returned to my truck for that picnic lunch. The moment I sat down, I could feel the mornings activity in my legs. I thought about carrying my lunch over to a picnic table, but my body told me to stay put. The truck was fine.

As I sat quietly in my truck munching on my sandwich, I contemplated my next move. Had I captured the landscape image I was searching for? Had I accomplished my goal? Was there anything I missed? I scoured the map again.

The garden had become very busy which was understandable on this beautiful spring day. The early morning solitude that I’d experienced earlier had spoiled me. The wind had also picked up. Considering the wind was blowing the poppies sideways, any thought of focusing on flower photography was short lived.

I took the short stroll over to a garbage can and that’s when I knew exactly what I needed to do. This old body of mine was running out of fuel. Thus, it was time to head home and think about my next adventure because today’s adventure was over.

I may not have captured the image I pictured in my head, but my day was nonetheless successful. I finally visited this beautiful arboretum. I enjoyed a gorgeous day in nature, and above all else, my confidence had been renewed. Mission accomplished!

Today’s Sunday Still’s photo challenge is Earth Day. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Earth Day than by visiting an arboretum.

Why Purple?

Purple is a beautiful color that can often be associated with creativity, spirituality, and royalty. It’s a secondary color that many appreciate for its eccentric nature.

“Every petal has a story to tell.”

The color purple combines the powerful energy of red and the calming elements of blue. This mix of colors creates a sense of balance and fulfillment and can ignite our creative side. I for one, can always use a little help tapping into my creativity.🪻🌸🌹

What do various colors of flowers symbolize?

With their colorful blooms, flowers can elicit a feeling of joy and pleasure. Different types and colors of flowers can provide unique meanings. Some flowers are associated with friendship or love, whiles others represent death or forgiveness.

While red roses quite often represent love, purple daisy’s can mean you’re thinking of someone or be associated with admiration.

In nature!

Purple is seen most often in spring. Perhaps it’s a beautiful field of wildflowers, or a unique bird, or even a colorful sky, when I encounter purple in nature, I can’t help but take notice.

Either grouped alone or mixed in with other colors, purple flowers provide a nice depth of contrast along with a bold range of hues.

Purple is a beautiful and inspirational color, and I for one, feel compelled to photograph purple flowers whenever the opportunity arises.

Thank you Terri for today’s Sunday Still’s photo challenge prompt.

Not Lost, Just Turned Around

After selling the RV and moving into a house two and a half years ago, I found myself more housebound than adventure bound.

I’ve always been a restless type of person with a need to explore, a need to travel, a need to see what’s around the corner, a need to venture beyond my comfort zone and challenge myself.

Perhaps that’s why I was feeling lost and out of sorts. I make a terrible homebody.

Life is lived forward but only understood backward.

After spending the better part of a month this past winter living on my couch suffering from cold and flu symptoms, I had plenty of time to reflect on my lackluster mood. Obviously, being sick didn’t help, but it was more than just that. It was time for me to dig deep and analyze my mood!

What was it about the RV lifestyle that made me feel so alive? Could I replicate some of that in my new stationary life? Was I subconsciously mourning my past?

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” — Buddha

Snap out of it!

First on my addenda was dusting off my camera and reconnecting with my local camera club.

March was the perfect time to do just that. Venturing around the Phoenix valley with a talented photo buddy was energizing and helped put me back on track. I realized I needed to embrace the things that make me happy.

I needed to explore and capture the beauty around me. I needed to jump back into photography. I needed to hop in my little red truck and explore. I needed to start living and not merely existing.

I may not be traveling around immersing myself in a variety of landscapes like I once did, and I’m more than okay with that. That was then, this is now. I’m content living in the lovely state of Arizona amongst family and friends and diving into the surrounding landscape that I call home.

Turns out, I was never lost, just turned around.

“A flower does not use words to announce its arrival to the world; it simply blooms.” For this week’s Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, Terri asks us to share images of flowers. The desert is at its finest in Spring when the landscape is dotted with an array of color from wildflowers. There’s nothing like a beautiful field of wildflowers that’ll brighten any melancholy mood.

Lens-Artists Challenge – Water in Motion

Verde River

Water is a precious commodity in the desert southwest. There’s an old saying around here that is rumored to have been said by Mark Twain.

“Whiskey’s for drinking and water is for fighting over.”

Horseshoe Lake Dam

During one of my recent adventures, I took the hour plus drive out to Horseshoe Lake.

Spring, particularly March and April, is when snow melt feeds our rivers and reservoirs. It’s a unique system of water management.

I timed my visit to Horseshoe Dam perfectly as millions of gallons of water were being released to flow downstream in an effort to fill up Bartlett Reservoir.

There are seven managed reservoirs that provide water to greater Phoenix, Arizona.

Horseshoe Lake

Much of the water supply is surface water that originates as snow in the mountains north and east of Phoenix. As the snow melts, it flows into reservoirs via the Verde, Salt, and Colorado Rivers.

The first dam was built in 1906 creating Roosevelt Lake (reservoir). Over time, a system of lakes, rivers, dams, and canals were built to deliver water to the millions of residents throughout the Phoenix Valley.

Not only do these reservoirs serve an important role in providing a water supply, they also offer a source of recreation.

This was definitely an interesting excursion that was worth the ten mile plus dirt/gravel road to get out to the dam.

I’m not only grateful for the water, but also grateful for the recreation and scenery not far from home.

Hmm, where to next?

For this week’s Lens-Artists photo challenge #293, Sofia asks us to share images of Water in Motion. Living in the desert, I thought this prompt might find me digging through my photo archives, but fortunately, on my quest to photograph wildflowers, I ventured out to Horseshoe and Bartlett Lakes. What great timing!

Verde River

Happy Sunday!

Easter may be synonymous with candy-filled Easter baskets, pastel colored decorations, epic egg hunts, and chocolate bunnies, but for Christians, it is so much more.

It is a sacred time to celebrate and honor the resurrection of Jesus Christ. New life!

Spring’s new life … After a drab winter, the lushness of the new season is a welcome burst of color and life. It’s a stark contrast to the barren tree branches that reach up to a cold winter sky.

“Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life.” — S.D. Gordon

“The story of Easter is the story of God’s wonderful window of divine surprise.” — Karl Knudsen

May your Easter basket be filled with joy, happiness, and peace this season and always.

🐰I hope you have an egg-cellent Sunday!🐇🐥

Glorious Wildflowers

Spring has definitely sprung here in the desert southwest. This past week, I enjoyed a couple of photography outings in hopes of capturing some of Arizona’s wildflowers.

And my ventures were indeed successful!

Flowers are meant to be photographed.

Flowers make me happy. They make me smile and inspire me. When I’m amongst a group of wildflowers, I’m in my happy place.

“A flower’s appeal is in its contradictions – so delicate in form yet strong in fragrance, so small in size yet big in beauty, so short in life yet long on effect.” — Terri Guillemets

“A flower blooming in the desert proves to the world that adversity, no matter how great, can be overcome.” — Matshona Dhliwayo

Flowers are like friends; they bring color to our world.

Spring is a lovely reminder of how beautiful change can truly be.

The Desert Turns Green

Since moving to the desert southwest, the month of March has become a favorite time of year for me. I grew up in the Midwest and used to dread March. When March rolled around, I was ready for winter to be over, but Mother Nature still had lots more inclement weather to share. There would always be another snowstorm, gray skies, and a whipsaw of temperatures.

Not so in Phoenix, Arizona. March is awesome!

The Color Green

March is when our desert starts to come alive. As her plants come out of hibernation, the color green can be seen in all directions. There’s a feeling of rebirth and renewal. It’s a special time of year to experience the desert.

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein

As a combination of yellow’s optimism and blue’s calmness, green is considered to be a positive color. It can even evoke feelings of balance, serenity, and joy.

“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.” Pedro Calderon de la Barca

It’s considered the most balanced color, most likely due to its association with nature. Green can improve mood and surrounding oneself with green elements aids in relaxation and depression. It can even bring about a feeling of peacefulness.

Green Heron spotted at a local pond

plant seen near the pond with the green heron

Feelings of Vitality and Peace

Spring has sprung here in Arizona and I couldn’t be happier. Is it the green landscape that has me feeling more energized? Could it be the wildflowers that are beginning to dot our landscape? It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is I’m in a good mood, and I intend to soak up every minute of our glorious spring weather and beautiful landscape because I know the extreme desert heat is just around the corner.

Now please excuse me while I grab my camera and head out in search of desert wildflowers ….

What does March look like in your neck of the woods?

For this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge, Terri asks us to showcase the color Green. March is the perfect month for this prompt. Green signifies new life, new growth, and new beginnings. Spring is upon us!

Photo Composition

Spring in the desert southwest is glorious. It’s a time to grab the camera and head out into nature. This past week, I was quick to join other members of our local camera club for a photography outing.

It felt great to be back out and about with camera in hand, and although, I didn’t capture any compelling images, it was just the impetus I needed to get the brain into a creative mode. This recent outing along with John’s photo challenge prompt sent the creative juices flowing, and me scouring my computer for photographs that might fit John’s challenge.

Tools of Composition – Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #289

Today’s challenge focuses on Shape, Form, Texture, and Light. The desert southwest is abundant with photo opportunities and perfect for today’s photo challenge.

Texture

The texture of petrified wood along with the thought of wood turning into stone had me scratching my head in wonder. For anyone traveling through northern Arizona, I highly recommend a stop at Petrified Forest National Park.

Me, perplexed by petrified wood – Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Us camped near the Arizona-Utah border

Light

Throughout my life, I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel. I have traveled extensively, and during all these travels, I have never encountered more amazing skies than that found in the desert southwest.

Sunrise along the shores of Lake Powell at the Arizona/Utah border.

The light seen in this part of the country is more than just a photographers dream … it’s an experience and a joy to witness.

Shape

You’ll find some of the most remarkable scenery in this part of the United States along with all kinds of shapes and textures. The landscape is diverse, extraordinary, and stunning.

As many times as I have been exposed to Mother Nature’s unique creations, I continue to be awed by her artistry.

Form

Of course, I can’t forget about wildlife and plants; two of my favorite photographic subjects.

In my opinion, this flower image seems to hit all the elements of the composition challenge; shape, form, texture, and light.

This flower reminds me that it’s the beginning of March and spring is in the air. It’s my favorite time of year, and I can’t wait for the desert to come alive. She has already started.

It’s a time for bird’s to mate and flower’s to bloom. New life and new beginnings!

Finding inspiration… After a rough four months physically, I am finally feeling better, better than I have in quite some time and am inspired to continue capturing the beauty found around me in my home state of Arizona.

I am currently on wildflower watch which is nearing with each new day, and therefore, I am keeping the camera batteries charged. 🌵 Who else is doing a happy dance? 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

Till next time,

A Birder in the Making

Hobbies are wonderful considering they can provide entertainment, knowledge, social engagement, physical activity, or merely serve as a diversion. We may intentionally set out to engage in a given hobby or perhaps we’re accidentally introduced to a hobby. Such is the case with me and bird photography.

An accidental birder?

I never set out to be a birder, and quite frankly, I don’t consider myself a birder. I’m merely a gal with a camera who became fascinated with photographing shorebirds during her Texas Gulf Coast travels.

A birdwatcher, also known as a birder, observes or identifies birds in their natural habitat.

The more time I spent exploring the Gulf Coast, the more shorebirds I encountered. The more birds I encountered, the more photographs I took. The more photographs I took, the more I wanted to learn about these birds.

I stop for pink.

The first time I glimpsed the stunning pink hue of the Roseate Spoonbill had me yelling at Al to stop the truck. We were driving along Fulton Beach Road along the Gulf Coast in Texas when a shimmer of pink in shallow pond water caught my attention.

I had never seen such a beautiful, yet weird, bird in my entire life or such a beautiful shade of pink. That was just the beginning of my journey into photographing birds …. the beginning of my interest in birds as a photographic subject.

The makings of a Craniac

And then there were the cranes I stumbled upon; particularly the endangered whooping crane. I think we can all agree that they are magnificent birds. I became obsessed with cranes, so much so, that we made a special trip to the International Crane Foundation located in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

I was officially a Craniac and couldn’t get enough of these rare beauties!

I never imagined I’d develop such a passion for photographing birds, but I find that they make such an interesting subject to photograph that it’s almost impossible for me to pass up the opportunity to make at least a few images …. or more like a few hundred images when I encounter these entertaining beings.

Is it possible that I am indeed a “birder”? Nah, I’m still just a gal with a camera who merely enjoys photographing beautiful subjects.

Stay tuned for more bird images in future posts. My friend, Terri, has declared February as “Feed the Birds” month for her Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, and boy, do I have some bird images.

Something To Do

After a tumultuous 2023 fourth quarter, I couldn’t wait to change out the calendar in hopes of a fresh start and better things to come. Obviously, this was merely a mental game I was playing with myself. For some illogical reason, I hoped the flipping of a calendar would somehow make a difference and all would be right in my world.

Me perplexed at the unique landscape!

What happened fourth quarter?

Oh gosh, where do I begin? Let’s start at the beginning of October when I underwent a scheduled surgery. Knowing I’d have to take it easy for two to three months to recover, I figured that would be a great time to schedule cataract surgery. I had everything perfectly scheduled and planned. Little did I know that the universe would have other plans.

I was less than three weeks post-op from my major surgery, and had not driven a vehicle during that time, when I found myself unexpectedly behind the steering wheel rushing Al, my husband, to the nearest emergency room. After a bunch of tests, he was admitted to the hospital and later underwent gallbladder surgery His surgery was a success and he was home three days later, but unfortunately, that’s not the simple ending to his story. That surgery shed light on some other issues. Sigh!

Due to circumstances, my cataract surgeries were rescheduled, and eventually, I had both eyes completed; one in November and the other in December. To make a long story short, I encountered a few additional visits to my eye specialist due to a posterior vitreous detachment before and after surgery as well as posterior capsular opacification. Thus, additional laser eye surgery is in my future as well as I continue to deal with annoying floaters and flashes of light.

And just to add a little more drama into my life, let’s add in a couple of colds, flu, holidays, and a computer crash.😔

Life can look equally baffling as this landscape.

Not feeling sorry for myself!

With all the required downtime following surgery or illness, it’s easy to start feeling sorry for oneself. At one point, I realized I was nearing that pity party point and needed to do something. Initially, I turned to my first love; photography, and pulled out the external hard drives, but that was short-lived.

Amid all the medical drama, my expensive laptop which was dedicated exclusively to photography decided to crap out. What timing! My old everyday laptop isn’t powerful enough to run Adobe Lightroom which left me unable to download and edit photographs until a fix was found.

What’s a gal to do? Now I really was feeling sorry for myself and ended up going down the YouTube rabbit hole in search of self-help videos. We all know YouTube is where you find expert advice on any given subject (she says sarcastically).

A rabbit hole, indeed! From Andrew Huberman to makeup tutorials to anti-aging videos to various diets, travel, exercise, and then onto baking channels. Baking channels and SUGAR … sugar being the root of all evil. The bad stuff! I needed the comfort of a little evil white stuff in my life. 🤣 A diversion for sure.

During my recovery in October, I binge-watched The Great British Baking Show on Netflix and then moved on to binge-watching baking channels including ones on YouTube. Recipes were printed. Notes were taken. So, when I needed to find something to do with my funky vision after cataract surgery and avoid screen time, I stepped into the kitchen and started baking, baking like I had never baked before.

I had some flops but mostly successes. Even the flops tasted good though. As the piles of cookies accumulated, neighbors and friends were gifted a plate of holiday cheer.

Now that it’s January and a new photography laptop was purchased, I’ve stepped away from the evil sugar … wink, wink, and am more focused on fixing healthier options and returning to my love of photography. It’s time to pull out those hard drives and venture down memory lane. I still enjoy baking but am trying to limit that hobby considering its impact on my waistline.

Once I bought the new laptop, I had so much fun going down memory lane via photos.

A favorite!

Except for the cookie image, all photos in this post were taken near Page, Arizona, back in 2018. We’ve been asked many a time, what are some of our favorite travel destinations? Al and I agree that the five weeks we spent along the Arizona-Utah border will always rank in our top five favorites. We have the fondest of memories of exploring such a unique and mystifying landscape.

Sifting through thousands of images from our travels, served as something entertaining to do during my downtime. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t add the therapeutic effect baking offered. Baking allowed me to be creative yet kept me away from the computer screen giving my healing eyes a much-needed break.

Let’s hope there aren’t any new stones thrown our way!

‘If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.’ – Jim Rohn

Chin Up!

Well, the hits keep on coming. A week ago, I was sitting at a packed Urgent Care waiting for my name to be called. Ninety minutes later, I walked out with a prescription and recommendation for additional over-the-counter medications to use. It had been years since I last had a sinus infection, and I seriously did not need the reminder of how unpleasant they are.

Alas, today I am feeling better. Although, not yet 100%. The sinus infection seems to be gone. I’m fully recovered from the October major surgery. I’m adjusting to my funky vision with high hopes of improvement with time and YAG laser eye surgery. Al has a plan for his ongoing health issues. So yeah, the flipping of a couple of more calendar pages, and we’ll be on our way back to some form of normalcy around here. 🤞

Normal may not look like it did six years ago, but we’ll adjust to a new normal.

Whether I’m out and about with my camera or remain home in the kitchen, photography and baking will always keep me busy and offer me something to do.

Till next time,

Terri over at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives has asked us to showcase images of something to do for today’s Sunday Still’s photo challenge. Check out her post and others to view more images depicting the challenge.