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Posts from the ‘Arizona’ Category

Candy Barrel Cactus

Be on the lookout for rings of Candy Barrel Cactus blooms! I noticed buds on mine last week and I saw the first bloom yesterday. I have three colors…red, salmon and yellow and when they’re in full bloom, they are spectacular. If you want to find lots of these cactus blooming in one place, check out Sabino Canyon in Tucson this week and next. DroidX photo with effect that darkened everything but the flower. Cool!

Western Blue Flag

We’re heading back up to Flagstaff soon to catch the late summer wildflowers. Can’t wait! In the meantime, here’s another flower from my last trip. Wild Iris were such a treat to find because we thought they were finished blooming. Other names for this Iris are Rocky Mountain Iris and Western Iris.

Vignette

Vignette is the name of a photography application for my Droid X. I had read in forums that shooting with some apps could result in better image quality and it’s really true. Not only does Vignette give you options for creative processing in the camera but it also allows you to adjust many camera functions not available with the default camera. Things like white balance, focusing options and scene modes. On the flip side, there are some apps that reduce quality and some won’t work with full resolution images which I found out after the fact. I’ve tried several apps so far….some free…some not…and Vignette is the best so far.

DroidX photo of Prickly Pear Cactus loaded with fruit taken during my walk this morning.

Crossfit

I started Crossfit yesterday (photo by Droid). Goal? To lose the 20 pounds I’ve put on since I moved to Arizona! I haven’t weighed myself in ages so I really worried it was 30. I’m soooo relieved 🙂 The bonus to this regimen will be increased bone density which I’m concerned with these days. Anyway…Crossfit is a way of exercising every muscle in your body by doing something different every day and because you mix all kinds of exercise, you never get bored. The workout goes against what most of us believe is necessary for weight loss or body building so it’s hard to believe it will work but when you read that it’s the workout of firefighters, you realize there must be something to it.

All routines are on the website (we work a day behind). The exercises are the same for men and women and you can jump in any time. Beginners just scale back the prescribed exercises for the day. I don’t plan to do the heavy bodybuilding that some like to do but weights and/or weight bearing exercises are important for bone density so I will be doing some. Here’s what I did this morning: 20 minute bike ride to warm up. 25-15-5 alternating sit ups and jumping rope. In other words…25 sit ups, 25 jumping rope, 15 sit ups, 15 jump, etc. That was it. Yesterday was squats and pushups. (I had to modify them!). If there are some things you just can’t do, you continue to modify the exercise so the intended muscles get worked.

I’ll be honest….I’m having a hard time walking today but… it hurts so good…sure 😉

Retro Cactus

Lots going on so I almost forgot to post an image. Needing a quick photo, I grabbed my DroidX and headed to Javelina Cafe (a fenced in area of my yard that’s filled with yummy Javelina favorites). This cactus was captured using an app called Retro Camera. It doesn’t have as many options as the other camera apps but it’s fun and quick! Having an image processed completely in the camera is so much fun but boy can it drain your battery quickly. Guess I better order a spare 🙂

Sunrise

I missed the spectacular color this morning but my DroidX handled the bright light really well!  As others…no post processing.

Prickly Pear Fruit

Prickly Pear are loaded with ripe fruit right now. Here’s a quick DroidX shot using a vintage effect. Ideally I want to capture birds and ground squirrels feasting on the fruit!

Reata Pass Squared

Reata Pass is a great photo op just a few minutes from my house so I took my DroidX there yesterday to get a photo for today. Sadly, the buildings will be cleared for development in the near future so if you live in the area, you might want to get up here before it’s gone. I’m continuing to play with different camera app effects. It’s addictive 🙂