La Brea Tar Pits

This was taken at the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles, California.

Through the Rocks

This was taken at the Tonto Natural Bridge in Northern Arizona.

Look Closely

Make sure you always look closely. You never know what may be looking back at you!

This was taken in Phoenix, Arizona.

Faerie at the Fair

I spent some time exploring the Renaissance Festival recently, and came across the most interesting creature. She wouldn't speak, but she would treat any who came near to a moonstone coated in fairy dust and an innocent smile. She was very sweet to watch, I really enjoying spending some time watching her in action. This was taken in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Valley of Fires

While driving through New Mexico we stumbled across this vast portion of the desert that was covered in black rocks. When we stopped to take a closer look it became obvious that this was formerly a lava flow! The area is called the Valley of Fires. We didn't find it till late afternoon, but I would have gladly spent more time exploring this unique landscape.

Sunset

This was taken in Payson, Arizona.

Littlest Snowman

Sitting on the short wall that goes along the rim of the Grand Canyon there sat a tiny little snowman. He made me laugh and was too cute to pass up, so here he is for you to enjoy. Hope he brightens up your day.

Grand Canyon

This was taken at the Grand Canyon in Northern Arizona.

Snoqualmie Falls

This is a view of the falls from the bottom of the hiking path. It is a steep hike, but worth it for the view at the end! The water from this river also provides power two different hydroelectric power plants. One is located underground at the base of the falls, and the other is a little downriver after the falls.

This was taken at the Snoqualmie Falls in Washington.

Palace of Versailles

The Palace of Versailles has many beautiful fountains and gardens. It lies in a suburb of Paris, France. This is just one example of the statues decorating the gardens.

Tiger

This was taken at Out of Africa in Camp Verde, Arizona.

Icicle Roof

This was taken in Flagstaff, Arizona. Yes Arizona does get snow! But only in the high country. Flagstaff lies right around 7,000 ft elevation.This is only a 2 and a half hour drive from the valley where most people in Arizona live. Quite a change for such a short drive.

Frozen River

This was taken in Northern Arizona on the road to Flagstaff.

Snow at the Grand Canyon

This was taken at the Grand Canyon. It had been snowing throughout the week, but the day was clear when we arrived. It was a beautiful day to visit.

Giraffe Kiss

While on a safari one of the giraffes came in for a closer look! So here is a giraffe kiss to share, Happy Valentines Day!

This was taken at Out of Africa in Camp Verde, Arizona.

Tiger Splash

Up near Camp Verde, Arizona lies a unique park called Out of Africa. They are known for their collection of large cats, and they offer shows that allow guests a glimpse into the animal's nature. The shot above was taken during a show where the cats are encouraged to jump and play with trainers in a large pool of water. They tempt them into the pool with toys. The toys can be anything from inflatable animals to shoes tied to a pole. (Believe it or not the shoe is quite a popular toy for the cats.) Often the cats don't want to give the toys up once they have caught them, so they are bribed with bits of meat in trade for the returning the toys.

Oklahoma City Memorial

This used to be location of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. It is now a memorial to the 168 lives that were lost in an act of terrorism. I had the chance to visit this site in 1997, two years after the bombing but before they had built this memorial. It was just a fenced off square where the building once stood, yet I was struck at how silent that block was. There was no mistaking the impact it had on the community.

I have since returned to the site and have seen the memorial that they built. It is still a hard place to walk, but I am glad they were able to maintain the feeling of silent reverence that was present upon my first visit.

This was taken in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Château de Chenonceau

In France lies the Loire Valley, home of many castles and historic towns. While I was there, I was able to visit a few, but my favorite by far was the Château de Chenonceau which lies over the river Cher. It was also known as "Château de Femmes" or the "Castle of the Six Ladies" for the succession of French women who owned it. Originally the castle did not extend over the river, nor did it have the elaborate gardens. These were added over time, each owner adding her own unique improvements which created the beautiful castle seen today.

One of the things that impressed me the most while visiting was that during the French Revolution it was not attacked by the people living in the nearby village of Chenonceaux. In fact, the Castle and its inhabitants were so loved by the peoplein the village, that they defended it during the war.

Belly Dancers

This was taken at the Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Hailstorm

Yesterday, we got some hail mixed in with our rainstorm. It didn't last very long, but it's very rare in the Valley so I wanted to get a quick shot of it. This was taken in Gilbert, Arizona.

Mesmerizing Eyes

I had the chance this weekend to get a close look at some of the birds of prey. This was one of the birds we met, and I was absolutely entranced by his eyes. This was taken at the Renaissance Festival in Apache Junction, Arizona.

Moon Ring

Last night, I looked up into the sky and noticed that there was a perfect ring around the moon. I have never had good luck with sky shots, but I had to give this one a try. I was really pleased with how it came out. I wish I had my tri-pod with me, but even still it came out remarkably clear. This was taken in Queen Creek, Arizona.

Hippos

The look of bliss on the baby hippo's face really made this shot for me. They were just relaxing on what ended up being a very warm day at the San Diego Zoo in California. If you look under the chin of the mama hippo is the reflection of a child that was just enchanted by the hippos. It was really cute, but a tad distracting from the overall shot. Still I didn't want to edit him out.

Meteor Crater

Wind - A four letter word for Meteor Crater. I saw that on a T-shirt while visiting, and I couldn't agree more! It was so windy while we were there I thought we would be blown over the edge. The crater itself is immense. If you look carefully you can see the white area at the bottom of the crater, this is an old mining shaft where they attempted to mine the crater a long time ago. They have put up a cut out of a life-sized astronaut and an American flag to give visitors an idea of just how huge the crater is. I could only see it using the strongest zoom on my camera. Here is the picture to help illustrate.


Dimensions: "As a result of the impact, the crater floor was 700 feet deep; it is now approximately 550. The crater is over 4,000 feet across and 2.4 miles in circumference"
See: http://www.meteorcrater.com/

This was taken at Meteor Crater in Northern Arizona.

Washington Memorial

This was taken from the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. I loved the sky that day. It gave a great backdrop to the memorial.

Mogollon Rim

In Northern Arizona lies the Mogollon Rim (pronounced Mug-ee-on). Below it stretches acres of ponderosa pines that just go on as far as you can see. Its a beautiful view, one I have seen so many times and yet I never tire of it.

Sweet Reunion

I was walking around and I noticed this man waiting patiently by the fence. While I was watching, his face lit up. I followed the direction of his gaze and saw whom he had been waiting for. It was a very tender moment, I am glad I was able to capture it. This was taken at Sacré-Coeur Basilica in Montmarte, Paris, France.

Cardinal

A small point of color hidden high up in a tree. This was taken in South Carolina.