We took a drive a few days ago and ended up driving all the way to Bagdad (no H- it’s Bagdad, Arizona- not Baghdad, Iraq!). We were surprised by the dip in elevation, allowing us to see saguaros, ocatillo, and prickly pear cactus in bloom.
Spring has come at last, and we have flowers in our garden- roses, hollyhocks, and irises from last year and some new annuals planted by Lonnie.
I watched a program on getting out of your photography comfort zone last night. Beach, bird, painterly, textures- none of these are out of my comfort zone, alas. Maybe next week I’ll try something new . . .
As I post this thistle image, the line from All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth is going through my head- “Thithter Thuthie Thittin’ on a Thithle…”.
We are hoping to travel to California in the next month. Our son and wife will both have their second shots, my photography group will be finishing up the semester, and the beaches beckon! It’s been a long year without family, friends, and travel . . .
This image is from one of our trips three years ago.
I have SO many egret photos I haven’t posted, so am experimenting outside the box. I had so much fun editing this one- the final image reminds me of the colors used by Gustav Klimt.
There’s nothing like an old country road to inspire picture-taking!
One of the effects of the year of staying home is that I have learned the names of most of my backyard birds. If you know me, you may find this hard to believe. Before retirement, it was mostly lack of time and interest. When I started taking photos, I realized I knew nothing- but I didn’t care. And then came Covid. I was home, I watched the birds, I had Sibley’s guide and two other books (which I’ve had all along) and a couple birds apps- I guessed I could take the time to look them up. And now I have found that I actually know some names. . .
So, I can say with some confidence that the new kids in the backyard are yellow rumped warblers, which I really enjoy watching. But they have the other birds a bit flummoxed. Here, a white-crowned sparrow is either saying hi or back-off to one of the warblers (the rest just flew off). I’m not sure who is flying in- the action was changing second-by-second. Lots of excitement in our backyard!
I have finished the series created for my Unity Church class on Stations of the Cross. I’ve been working on these for the last couple months, and, as I’ve said before, have been working way outside my comfort zone. Most of the images started out as photos from my archive which I combined or re-edited to create a personal interpretation of what we discussed in class. The teacher used metaphysical interpretations of the gospels, combining them to give us eight stations to interpret, based on the life of Jesus. I hadn’t looked at the Bible in years, so it was interesting to re-read and re-examine. I am the only photographer.
The stations in order: Creation, Nativity, Baptism, Healing, Miracles, Teaching, Triumphal Entry, Crucifixion/Resurrection. Most images are not easily interpreted- and a couple have meaning only to me.
It’s a new day! And, even after the events of two weeks ago, I am hopeful we can come together as a people despite our great differences. I loved the quote from St. Augustine in President Biden’s address that “a nation is a multitude of rational beings united by the common objects of their love.” Let’s focus on our commonalities and not our differences, people!
So no photography today- just these shots from our tv. Note: as a genealogist/family historian, I am fascinated by that Bible!
But we all shine on
Like the moon and the stars and the sun,
And we all shine on
Come on and on and on on on.
John Lennon
I’m holding a vision of a shiny new year ahead!
We had heard mentions of the Valley of Lights display in our neighboring Prescott Valley and somehow had the (wrong) idea that it was a neighborhood of decorated houses. We went last week and discovered a long line of cars snaking along a road through magical archways of lights with over a hundred I’m sure displays of lights sponsored by various area businesses. It was a wonderful treat and so well done. There was everything from an animated fishing Santa to wild west scenes to fairytales to Noah’s Ark to patriotic tributes. Very impressive!
We took a walk in Watson Woods about a week ago, looking for signs of fall. We did find some autumn color in isolated groups of yellowing leaves on some of the trees, yellowing grasses, and brown leaves scattered on the ground. What we also found were signs of drought. This stream that usually flows from Watson Lake through the adjacent woods was drying up, which you can see as the water curves to the left in the photo.
melinda anderson photography 