Quaking aspens in the middle of a saguaro forest are just one of the many surprises waiting for you at Jewel Creek, part of the Desert Foothills Trust in Scottsdale, AZ
Jewel Creek
in Nature
Desert Poppies
in Nature
The Mexican Gold poppies are beginning to bloom in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.
Teddy Bear Cactus and poppies
The Lonely Road
Along the windswept road there was a forlorn cemetery with the proverbial train in the far background. Out I jumped with my camera to capture this lonely scene. It was only after I looked more closely at my image did I realize that the names on my foreground gravestone, were those of my two grandmothers, Ida and Pearl.....
Windswept Cemetery
Rio Grande 2
in Nature
In one morning we traveling from the Rio Grande Rift Valley, filled with fast moving sparkling water to Las Cruces where the might river was nothing but a memory.
Rio Grande Overlook
The Rio Grande under US 70 in Las Cruces
Road to Los Alamos
White Rock
in Nature
Sitting a thousand feet below Los Alamos is the community of White Rock. Officially part of the Los Alamos zipcode, it is its own world of 3200 hearty residents. This was where the construction workers who built the Lab of Mass Destruction in the 1940's lived and it still retains its working class ethos as well as its own stunning views of mountains and the Rio Grande.
Snowing at the Rio Grande Lookout
Wind swept in White Rock
Santa Fe Morning
A delightful wake up call - snow and enough moisture in the air to make my curls exceedingly happy
El Rey, Santa Fe, NM
Airport Exercise
With three hours to spend in the Mexico City airport I was getting a bit restless, so I gave myself a photo assignment. With my iphone my goal was to find three different view of airport life.
Trash can view
Red Face Ladder
Closed Shop Gate
Murmuration
The collective motion of thousands of birds in swirling patterns is called a murmuration. Scientists have many theories as to why they happen, but it is still largely a mystery - a mystery that makes for a wonderful sunset show. As we depart from San Miguel the brown headed cowbirds are passing through town on their way north and their murmuration was like a three act play. In the first act we sat and watched a small group of red legged stilts fish for dinner along the muddy shore. Occasionally one would wander into the yellow reflections of dried grass, creating an almost autumn like scene. We began to wonder if we had bad information about this event.
In Act Two, a few scout birds start entering the area from the south, then a few more. For awhile it doesn't look like much, but slowly the numbers begin to build. Just when we think it is the end, thousands more birds arrive in tight flying squadrons and then the dance really starts, high in the sky. Swooping, arcing coils of flight. A small group breaks off and starts swirling around a nearby island. We can hear their wings as they make their rapid turn around the back side of the island.
As the sky darkens, the third act begins, a slow descent over their nesting area. Gradually birds drop from the flock onto the trees until every last bird has its home for the night and it is too dark to see them against the trees.
It was a lovely farewell performance for our time in San Miguel de Allende
Sunday Dancers
in Mexico
Sunday was a day of dance in the
Jardin. From the gazebo at the center of this town's meeting place
came the sounds of the tango and sambo. In front of the Parroquia were
"traditional" dancers enjoying a sunny day at last. A Mexican friend of
mine takes great umbrage at these performances. "In Aztec culture,"
he says "wearing feathers was reserved for only the very highest
members of society. "
Meanwhile, in between the two dance groups, young break dancers set up their own impromptu stage with a large piece of cardboard. With humor, grace, and the flexibility of young joints they gave us all a great show
A Trip....
We went on a little trip yesterday - a fundraiser for Casita Linda, organization
in San Miguel that builds houses for homeless families. The event - a
Folk & Blues Festival - took place in one of the most unique homes
anywhere. Ranchito Cascabel began as a simple project by Tim Sullivan but grew into something much grander. He says his inspiration was the work of Antoni Gaudi of Barcelona. More than one attendee could be heard making comments like, "Looks like it was designed by someone reading Alice in Wonderland on LSD. "
Cactus Shadow
Peddle Power
One stop service - no electricity for grinding wheel necessary.
Dancing in the Cold
March 1st was a cruelly cold day for the dancers. It is one thing to dance in 80 degree heat and quite another when it is 55. Accomodations had to be made for skimpy costumes on a chilly day.
Conquistador Dance
in Mexico
On the first Friday in March the day begins early in San Miguel. Long before dawn we heard singing and then the unique sound of seed pod anklets as dancers began their predawn trek to Jardin. This Fiesta de Los Conquistador celebrates the adoption of Catholicism by Mexico's indigenous people. It is celebrated with incense, drums, an ancient corn husk statue of Jesus, and thirty three dances that take 24 hours to complete. And of course, fireworks....
