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!