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.

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Crazy Beautiful

The light, the clouds, the sky! We had a crazy beautiful sunset last night!

It was the golden light that we noticed first. Lonnie was calling me to come out just as I was running around the house looking for my camera (I know, I know I should always keep it one place, but I had been on the phone with Matt and taking pumpkin photos at the same time- I can’t multi-task). When I found it, I ran (hobbled fast) outside and saw the CLOUDS! There was one of our magnificent red sunsets going on behind the house, but it was the golden clouds out front that took my breath away!

Nothing beats Arizona’s Big Sky (sorry, Montana!)!

 

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Something’s Coming

Could be?
Who knows?
There’s something due any day
I will know, right away
Soon as it shows
It may come cannonballing down through the sky
Gleam in its eye 
Bright as rose
Who knows?
It’s only just out of reach
Down the block, on the beach
Under a tree
I got a feeling there’s a miracle due
Gonna come true, comin’ to me

– from West Side Story

I used to know all the songs from West Side Story by heart as a young teenager, so I guess it’s no surprise that this is the song that popped in my head when I spotted this gigantic cloud looming over the hills as we made our way into Augie’s restaurant last weekend.

Something’s comin’, something good
If I can wait
Something’s comin’
I don’t know what it is
But it is gonna be great!

 

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Super Blue Moon

I don’t think I will be going anywhere at zero dark thirty to photograph the eclipse, so here is what I saw tonight.

Sunset Moon:

There were clouds on the horizon- plus it was still very light- so I couldn’t see the moon until it climbed just a bit into the sky.  As it got a little darker, I took the shots below:

And as I post this, the moon is high in the sky- and beautiful as always!

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Cloud Week 1

I must admit I haven’t used my camera since I came back from my last trip to Alaska. I first had a major (for me) attack of allergies, which kept me down and out for a couple weeks- and then last week I had an unexpected oral surgery (an infection in an old root canal). I am really looking forward to getting out again with my camera soon-ish!

In the meantime, I have declared it Cloud Week on my blog! I had never traveled much in the Southwest until we moved here- so I am still constantly amazed by the dramatic cloudscapes. Today’s shot from Moab is fairly tame-but I love the simplicity and colors in this early morning sky.

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July Sky

My friend, Carol, is visiting! After an afternoon at Barnstar Brewery and a delicious barbecue dinner, we all sat outside talking, laughing, and watching birds until after dark. As we got up to go inside, we were surprised to look up and see clouds which had not been visible earlier. Carol and I got our cameras to photograph the moon peeking out through the cloud cover and were surprised to see the colors that appeared in our images. Smoke from the fire? I don’t know.

In this shot, you can see a star in the lower part of the photo.

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Sunset Moon

I didn’t know the moon would be full last night, but when I sat down to wait for the rice to finish cooking for dinner, I could see the moon through the front window. I wish I had been there to see it pop up over the horizon, but I am delighted to have captured the moon at sunset.

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Eklutna Lake- Two Ways

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Our son-in-law took us for a drive over to Eklutna Lake, which was not yet completely frozen. The icy shoreline proved irresistible to kids and dog who immediately were running and sliding and having a great time.

I realized I haven’t posted as many black and whites as usual- and I do love black and white. So I converted today’s image into a monochrome, although I think I like it better in color.

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Cheerful

In January, a sign went up in the empty lot across the street from us, indicating a new home was going to be built. Soon, dirt and rocks were dumped along the sidewalk, a sure indication that grading was going to be taking place on the property. Eight and a half months later, no more work has been done.

We may not have new neighbors, but new life is appearing in those piles of dirt, thanks to the monsoon rains. Wildflowers have sprouted, their cheerful heads reaching toward the sky- in contrast to the images of sunflower decay I’ve been posting!

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Through the Clouds

Our boat trip along the Kenai fjords in Alaska was one of the most memorable travel experiences of my life. Despite the rain and fog and the constant rolling motion (4 foot swells in places, they said- is that unusual? I don’t know.) and sometimes rough waters, it was amazing! We spent most of our time on deck, except for when the rain became too much, and were constantly awestruck by the dramatic coastline and the opportunities to see whales, puffins, eagles, porpoises, seals, and sea lions. And oh yes- glaciers! My photos of the scenery include mostly gray shapes with water spots- not too many keepers, considering how many I shot.

Here is one of my better land/sea-scape shots- taken while the boat was in motion and there was little rain. I wish I could say exactly where on the map this was. The mountains seemed to rise right out of the sea- with snow and glaciers and clouds to round out the scene.

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