We just returned from a very quick trip to Southern California to do a mini-Christmas celebration with my son and family for Christmas. The Christmas decorations at the mall where we ate dinner were amazing!
Puddle Lights
Even rain puddles look pretty during the holidays!
Through
This was taken at West Fork in Oak Creek Canyon a month or two ago. The leaves had just started turning- and it was a drizzly day, unfortunately.
Glorious Fall
Nothing beats Oak Creek Canyon in the Fall!
Honor Our Vets
Lonnie and I went downtown yesterday for the Veterans’ Day Parade. There is something very moving about seeing the open display of patriotism in our divided world- and especially the veterans of World War II and more recent conflicts proudly wearing their uniforms to the cheers of the crowds.
I always love the vintage uniforms- and was taken with the soldier on the right and his resemblance to George Washington – at least in my mind.
Leaf Greetings
As we walked around Courthouse Square a week ago, the branches over our heads formed an arch so the autumn leaves could greet each other.
Downtown Reflections
Autumn captured in late afternoon reflections
Both Sides Now
And here is another view of the Courthouse- from the “backside”. Actually all four sides have the big steps and columns- a beauty from each direction!
Autumn Color
Fall has begun in Prescott!
Patches of Blue
We pulled off the road before we headed into the town of Sedona so I could capture the stormy skies over the majestic red rocks. As I set up my tripod, the sun started peeking out and patches of blue appeared in the sky. A beautiful Arizona fall day.
Monolith
Last week I had an appointment in Flagstaff, so we decided to take the Oak Creek Canyon scenic route. Of course, we had to stop at the Bell Rock and the Courthouse parking areas to visit some of our favorite rock formations! It had been raining, so the red in the rocks was extra saturated. But, for some reason, I converted this image of the Courthouse to black and white, which I thought made a nice contrast with the clouds.
A Different Look
The heavy monsoon rains have brought an amazing array of wildflowers and grasses to Willow Lake this year, creating a different look from previous summers. I don’t know what these pink flowers are (someone will tell me), but they were everywhere.
We went out a couple times last week (me balancing trekking poles and camera and backpack), and each time my photo shoot was curtailed by thunderstorms. I hear that monsoon season is over now, but I’m not counting on it!
Petroglyph- or Urban Decay?
The side of this building reminded me of petroglyphs, which we see a lot here in Arizona.
Find Your Muse
This month’s challenge for my photography club is street photography. I’m missing the meeting, because of our trip to Alaska, but I have made some effort to do some street photos over the last few months. I hung out across the street from this shop, because I liked the words on the window- I just had to wait for someone cool to come along.
Because this image is for my blog and not for the club, I didn’t go for the typical black and white street photography look. This was edited in Topaz Impression- just for fun.
Red, White, and Blue
I hadn’t taken my traditional flag photo for today- so we went down this afternoon to Courthouse Square after the crowds had dispersed. Here’s a shot of the gazebo decorated in red, white, and blue.
melinda anderson photography 