Golden aspen leaves stood out among the green as we wandered along a path in Flagstaff last week. We are looking forward to a return trip in a couple weeks- fingers crossed we see them at their peak!
Flecks of Gold
Not Yet
We had heard that the aspens were beginning to turn up at Flagstaff, so we headed up there yesterday to see what we could see. As you can tell from the photo, there are signs that Fall is on its way, but we will have to make a return trip to see the aspens in all their glory. Have I mentioned that Fall is my favorite season?
Cormorant Tableau
Spotted on one of our walks at Watson Lake.
Flying by
Beach memories from our trip to Newport Beach a couple months ago. . .
Mirrored Flight
This was taken during our stay at Between Beaches on the MacDonald Spit on Kachemak Bay in Alaska. We had beaches in front of and behind our cabin- Kachemak Bay in front, Kasitsna Bay behind. Watching the gulls fly low over the dark waters of Kasitsna Bay in the mornings and evenings gave me a perfect opportunity to practice intentional camera movement techniques to create impressionistic images.
I was happy to hear at my camera club’s online meeting last night that this image won second place in this month’s Open Subject competition. It’s always nice to hear when other people like your art.
Primeval
After the rains, Watson Lake looked like it might have before the dawn of man- except it’s a man-made lake (and that’s a cormorant, not a pteradactyl. . . )!
Lupine in the Rain
When we were driving in Homer, I noticed lupines growing all along the bike path where the old wooden boats were displayed. I remember seeing them when I was photographing the wonderful boats several years ago, but it seemed like there were even more now in 2021- just a sea of violet blue! I kept saying we needed to stop so I could take some photos.
The evening before we left Homer, we parked across from where the bike path started and hustled across the street to take photos. It was raining, but well, it’s Alaska! I made quite a few shots, including some with intentional blur. This image is a composite of two images, identical except that one was blurred (intentional camera movement).
Classic
Vacation photos from Alaska aren’t complete without an eagle photo! They were everywhere- especially where we stayed on a beach on Kachemak Bay. This photo was taken on one of our excursions to Gull Island.
Gull Island
One of the highlights of our Alaska trip was a two hour boat trip to Gull Island in Kachemak Bay. We enjoyed it so much that we actually returned the next day!
Gull Island is the breeding ground for several types of sea birds who return every year to make (and reuse) their nests and lay their eggs. There seemed to be many more kittiwakes (the white gulls) than the other species, and you can see them flying around and dotting the cliff in their nests. There were also many common murres and some puffins. A few eagles were sitting on the tops of the cliffs. Otters played in the waters below.
In the Woods
I don’t know what these wildflowers are called, but I was attracted to their wild shagginess.
Seen on our 2018 Alaska trip.
Heavenly
Last night we went out to grab a quick salad before settling down to rewatch one of our favorite Brit TV series- Scott and Bailey (we just can’t seem to get enough of these fascinating characters!). After dinner, the sky put on an amazing display for us, complete with God-beams highlighting Granite Mountain! I managed to capture several shots with my iPhone through the windshield as we drove towards home.
After we had been home for a bit, we heard the pitter patter of gentle rain, which had been predicted for earlier in the day. We ran outside and watched, and, unfortunately, the rain stopped after about ten minutes. The drought here is getting scary- our lakes are drying up and there are wildfires burning. In fact, it is likely that the some of the clouds and haze behind the mountains in this photo are actually smoke.
Sundown
It was almost sunset in the desert, but the sun was still fiery hot. This was taken after dinner outside the house where we stayed in Oro Valley, Arizona for my birthday.
Peek-a-boo
While everyone around us was watching the hummingbirds at the feeders, I happened to turn around and spot this little guy on the pole behind the group. He looked at me, I looked at him. He was very cute! My bird app tells me he was a white-breasted nuthatch.
Happy Easter!
It is spring again. The earth is like a child that knows poems by heart.
Rainer Maria Rilke
Snow Trees
Although there are signs of Spring, winter has not loosened its grip. Although this photo is from two months ago, I could have taken a similar shot this week. Snow is only on the ground in patches currently, but it has snowed more days than not in the last week.
