Old Tree

Along the rim of the Grand Canyon this old tree stands. Blue sky up above, and snow below makes a nice contrast. Finally getting some cold weather here in Arizona, so here is a picture with some snow in it to celebrate.

Early Morning Ride

A balloonist out on an early morning ride. This is our view from the road as we were driving north on our way to Flagstaff earlier this year.

Waiting for Fish

This pelican learned that if he waited near where the fisherman clean their catches that he could occasionally score some tasty fish. All he had to do was sit there patiently.



These were taken at Huntington Beach, California.

Dolphins in the Surf

While walking along the beach, we noticed some dolphins swimming just beyond where the surfers were waiting. This was talking at Huntington Beach, California.

Sometimes they just won't fly

While at the beach, my sister went running through the seagulls trying to make them fly all at once. However, they were just too lazy, and all they did was simply walked away from her looking disgusted. This was taken at Venice Beach, California.

Sea Birds

These little sea birds would wait till the waves were almost on them, and then suddenly take wing and fly over the cresting waves. This was taken at Venice Beach, California.

Venice Beach

Walking along the beach at sunset, what a wonderful way to spend the afternoon. This was taken at Venice Beach in California.

Diving Pelicans

While walking along the beach, I noticed that occasionally a pelican would start circling the water and then go diving straight in. I managed to snap this shot just before one drew in his wings for the final splash. This was taken at the Huntington Beach in California.

Sunset at the Beach

Yesterday I had dinner at Huntington Beach, California. It was windy, chilly, and absolutely wonderful!

When I grow up . . .

This duck was trying desperately to be a goose, stretching his neck as far as he could. This was taken in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Cactus Blossom

This was taken in the Desert Botanical Gardens, in Phoenix Arizona.

Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia was truly wonderful to visit. I only had a couple hours while I was there, and I would happily spend an entire day there exploring. This first shot is a moving sidewalk through a tunnel in one of the largest exhibits. As you move through the tunnel you are amazed not only by the size of the place, but of the wonderful variety of sea creatures swimming above and around you.

Below is the panoramic viewing window of the same exhibit. I did not have my current camera at the time, so I was unable to get the entire view in one shot, but it should give you an idea of what it felt like to be there.



The whale sharks are the pride and joy of the aquarium, and their size and grace was beautiful to see. Here is a close up of one. They love to swim in huge arcs around the perimeter of their tank and then swoop in front of the viewing glass as their tour takes them past the onlookers.



This was a wonderful place to visit, and I encourage you to stop by if you are ever in the neighborhood. I hope I cam visit it again with a camera better able to capture its beauty.

Kodi meets Achilles

Some good friends of ours just got a new puppy. This was him finding one of their cat's favorite safe spots, under the coffee table! Achilles the cat jst didn't know what to think when Kodi was able to fit under his secret spot!



Here's another of just Achilles.. he looks rather stunned doesn't he? These were taken in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Texas School Book Depository Building

This is the Texas School Book Depository Building, where from the corner window on the sixth floor, Lee Harvey Oswald fired a shot that killed President John F. Kennedy. This picture was taken very near where the car was located when the shot was fired. This was a very sad day for the United States.


This is the grassy knoll, where some believe a second shooter fired upon the President. Both of these were taken in Dallas, Texas.

Seattle Skyline

This is the view from the car level of a Seattle, Washington ferry. We were coming in right at dusk so the skyline was just starting to light up. Below is another shot, a little clearer.

Moonlit Night

Sitting around a campfire, catching up with family. Turn around and the moon is peaking through the trees behind me. One of these days I really will remember my tri-pod, but I was still happy with the results! This was taken in Payson, Arizona.

Day at the Orchard

I visited an Apple Orchard in Wilcox, Arizona earlier this month. The weather was beautiful, the apple's delicious, and it was a lot of fun to spend time with family. Once we finished there, we drove 15 minutes away to a vegetable patch.



Notice the sky? The storm came out of nowhere, brought the temperature down at least 15 degrees and simply drenched us! Totally worth it! The veggies proved to be just as tasty as the apples!

Wildflowers

Summer is over, fall is here.. even in Arizona we are starting to get a hint of cooler weather around the corner. But before we get to carried away anticipating winter, I wanted to share some wildflowers. This was taken just north of Payson, Arizona.

Desert Storms

Monsoon storms over the Arizona desert. Taken in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Majestic

Just goes to show.. with the right background, anything can be majestic! This little guy is king of his hill and um well his rock. It may not be much, but they are his! This was taken in Arizona near Camp Verde.

Guess I shouldn't post pictures when I am tired after a game, but I thought you all might enjoy this one. If not.. there is always tomorrow!

Bad Hair Day

Some days it just doesn't pay to get out of bed. This was one of those days for this startled roadrunner at the Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ducks

The Brickyard in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma has a canal running through the middle of it. This draws a lot of ducks. These three were just hanging out waiting for some lady ducks to wander by.

Mom's Rose

A macro shot of a blooming rose. This was taken in Mesa, Arizona

Garden Weaver

This was taken up north in Payson, Arizona. We were all pretty stunned when we found this huge, stunning spider hanging out in the back yard. After looking it up, it appears to be a Banded Garden Weaver, part of the Orb weaver spider family. Fairly common, yet none of us had seen one before. Here is a shot of the back of her.

Moonrise

I managed to forget my tri-pod once again, but snapped this with the aid of a nearby fence and my brother's mono-pod. This was taken in Payson, Arizona.

The Cabin

Hope everyone had a happy Labor Day weekend! Here is a picture of one of my favorite places, my Grandparent's cabin. This was taken in Northern Arizona.

Dust Storm Front

This was taken in Gilbert, Arizona as a dust storm was rolling into the valley. It was followed by a hard 10 minutes of rain.. and then nothing. Gotta love Arizona storms!

Just Chillin'

I really liked this statue, very original and very Oklahoman. This was taken at the University of Oklahoma located in Norman, Oklahoma.

Flock of what?

This is a picture of a swingset in my parents back yard. Can you make out what type of birds are perched on it? I will give you a hint.. these little green birds are more commonly seen in bird cages in people's homes. My dad discovered them foraging amongst the leaves in his backyard and called me out in time for us both to snap some pictures of them. They were not easy to see at first, you really had to know what you were looking for. Great catch dad!

Here is another shot to show you just how well these little ones were camouflaged.

Have you guessed what they are yet? Lovebirds!! A flock of at least 8 or 9 of them have made my parent's neighborhood their home. Both of these pictures were taken in Mesa, Arizona.

Green Valley

This was taken the same day, but about 30 minutes down the road. I was trying to get to a little hiking path, but the sky was getting dark too fast so I just stopped and snapped some from the road. I loved the greens in the shot and the hills in the background. This was taken in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Storm Clouds

Monsoon season is a great time of year. It brings in some awesome storms. This was snapped in Apache Junction as a storm was blowing in.

I will be posting several photos from this day, I am just really happy with how they turned out. I hope you enjoy!

Evening Dust Storm

This was taken during a walk this evening in Gilbert, Arizona. The dust made it impossible to take with a flash, but it did add an eerie background when taken near streetlamps.

Watermill

This was taken in Moore, Oklahoma.

Cloud Reflections

This was taken at Lake Heffner in Oklahoma City. The lake was so clear we could see the reflection of the clouds in it.

Bee

The bees were all over the wildflowers in the fields above the Tonto Natural Bridge.

Through the Grate

This was taken at the Tonto Natural Bridge in Northern Arizona. You are looking down from the top through a grate covered hole at the waterfall below.

Flower

Not sure on the type of flower for this one, but its definitely a pretty one. This was taken in the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona.

Memorial Day

These three soldiers are always on watch at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. May we never forget those who have fought for our country. Thank you.

Wall of Names

This was taken at the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Rainy Days

This was taken in Southern New Mexico on a nice rainy day.

Pipevine Swallowtail

This was taken at the Desert Botanical Gardens in Phoenix, Arizona.