Sunset
Unusually warm weather is causing particulates to hang on down low in the valley. Bad for them but we get to enjoy beautiful sunsets! (Shot from my office window.)
Posts from the ‘Arizona’ Category
Dec 9
Dec 8
American Snout
I was extremely excited to spot an American Snout on my own this morning! I first saw it flitting around a Desert Lavender (which are in bloom at the moment) but these butterflies are so small you don’t really notice the snout without binoculars or a zoom lens so I thought it was something else. Thanks to my friends at CAZBA for introducing me to this species 🙂
Dec 7
Faces, Faces, Everywhere!
Pareidolia is an affliction I don’t mind being afflicted with and since the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is filled with faces, my affliction is working overtime 🙂 Anyone want to admit they remember the cartoon character on the right?!
(FYI…You might think Chris was was pasted in but he was actually standing there)
Dec 6
Cholla Creatures
Do you see what I see? This one really made me smile 🙂
Dec 1
Cyclist Ornament
This cyclist ornament was shot with a Lensbaby using a creative aperture attactment which makes any strong highlights into the shape of the cutout you choose. In this case, it’s stars. I then applied the Fractalius filter to smooth down the edges. I typically apply the filter to a layer copy and then mask in what I want. Otherwise, the effect can be too strong.
Ridin’ aroun’ the christmas tree…(sing along) 🙂
Nov 29
Climbing in the North Preserve
The north area of the McDowell Sonoran Preserve has fantastic climbing opportunities and Chris spent most of yesterday trying out some of them. The climbers refer to these boulder areas as walls. The one pictured here is called Half and Half Wall. I call it Sleeping Dragon (does anyone else see it?!). From a distance, the climbing doesn’t look that steep but check out the inset image. (Another climber took this shot of Chris just before I got mine). If you’re not familiar with climbing, the ropes are there to catch you if you fall and then used to rappel down. The rest of the time, the climber uses only his hands and feet to get up.
The Arizona Mountaineering Club worked with the City of Scottsdale for five years to work out a plan for access to climbing in the Preserve. Read more HERE.
Nov 28
Mylonite
Went on an excellent geology hike yesterday led by MSC Steward Dan Gruber. The McDowell Mountains have a wide variety of rock formations and learning about them was fascinating. I probably won’t remember everything Dan shared but one type of rock that made a strong impression was MYLONITE. I’ve seen this kind of rock often and always wondered about it so now I and the 20+ others along on the educational hike will probably never forget it. Thanks Dan!
Nov 27
Buckwheat
There are some Buckwheats blooming right now. This, I believe, is Wrights Buckwheat. Two other much smaller buckwheats, commonly called Skeleton Weed, turn red as they age. I’ll bet you’ve noticed these small plants along the trails in the Preserve and along roadsides but have you taken a really close look? They have tiny very similar flowers to this Buckwheat but the same Pink Pollen!
