A Tale From Tombstone

Monsoon's Last Hurrah

What has been a lackluster monsoon season with extensive dry spells and little rain from heaven's clouds, the monsoon returned to Southern Arizona today with not a whimper but a bang.

I captured a blazing sun fleeing the monsoon's pending wrath when I snapped this image from my front yard.

A Rebirth of Sorts

Self Portrait - August 4th, 2009. I took these hoping to use some of these on my cards or with signatures.

Tucson's Heavy Pounding

More from today's downpour.

From my OTHER blog:
This is the thunderstorm complex that marched into Tucson today and knocked out power to thousands. It downed trees, drowned cars (especially that knucklehead who tried to drive under the Stone Avenue bridge), and made rush hour traffic intolerable. I snapped this from my car as it came over the Santa Rita mountains east of Green Valley, a town that also got clobbered today. I managed to stay high and dry today but was able to capture about 50 cool shots of this event.

Click on the image and see the saguaros and cholla cacti all around. You know you're in southern Az when!

If only I had a bit wider of an angle...

Monsoon 2009

Fun and Fancy Free

self portrait June 2009

Frolicking Pups

Love them pups.

Ever Seen A Dog Smile?

Even a little Chihuahua mutt knows when life is good. When she's afforded the opportunity to bask in the warmth of a fresh spring day amidst the desert poppies.

Sometimes I wish I were a dog. She had to be thinking at the time, "It just don't get any better than this."

Woof.

I Miss My Sassy

My now departed Sassy was always there for me. She was always there WITH me. She never judged me. When I was sad and lonely, Sassy lay with me at my side, leaving only to eat and visit the litter box.

Her playful jumps always entertained me as she entertained herself soaring nearly 3 feet into the air trying to catch that elusive feather toy.

I miss my Sassy. I think she LOVED me.


(You can see an elongated bead of snot as a result of a respiratory infection that ultimately shortened her life. I'll never forget having to put her down and watch those baby blue eyes as they closed for the final time.)

Mystery

Self portrait, taken last December, tweaked into black and white with a slight glow added.

I may use it as my next profile photo. I liked the somewhat mysterious gaze.

Tower

My Tired Eye

No mascara, no eyeliner, just my tired eye. Shot with a Canon-Ef 50 mm macro lens.

Even the Rocks Cry Out

A recent day trip to the dazzling red-colored rock town of Sedona yielded a few snapshots that are keepers.

Yes, even the rocks will cry out.

Times of Refreshing

From 98 degrees to 81 -- all within a 45 minute period and following a severe summer thunderstorm in the Arizona desert. You've got to be here and stand in the refreshing air to really understand the temporary state of bliss.

We all need a time of refreshing in our lives, just as the desert longs for the coolness of the rains.

Just Another Reason Why I Love Arizona

Monsoon Floods

Arizona summers are usually hot, but they are most certainly not dry. The months of July, August, and September are the southern part of the state's wettest months, with warm moist tropical moisture being funneled from both gulfs of Mexico and California to the southeast and southwest.

As a result, this moisture surge is known as the summer monsoon, where on a typical day, mornings start out with clear cool skies only to give way to ominous storm clouds in the afternoon. Many storms are capable of producing several inches of rain in one hour, and due to the immense geographical altitude variation between the 10,000 foot mountain tops to the arid desert valley floors, dangerous flooding happens nearly everywhere.

Near where I live, this road is almost always closed during the storms. Even "Stupid Motorist Laws" have been enacted penalizing people for attempting to cross the washes and need to be rescued by emergency crews.

While it's a beautiful scene to watch empty creeks turn into raging rivers for a brief period, it's still best to remember when you drive up to one to "Turn around, Don't drown."

Beep Beep!

The first day I used my 70-300 mm telephoto IS Canon lens, I spotted a road runner in my backyard with a lizard snack in its mouth. It paused for a few moments as if giving me an opportunity to spot-meter, focus, and release the shutter.

These two images are from that collection.

Beep beep!

One From the Playground

I snapped this photo while attending a concert by the band Jayden's Playground. My niece, lead vocalist and on keys, can truly draw a crowd into the music and leave them with an incredibly lasting impression of the band's quality and her ethereal voice.

You can check out the band at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=367029330

or search for Jayden's Playground on the MySpace home page!

Before Friday Night Lights