Little Valley Lakes Trail along Rock Creek Canyon is one of the best if not the best rated hike for the eastern Sierras in Mono county. It is a glacier carved valley filled with wildflowers, marshes, and lakes surrounded by 13,000 foot granite peaks. What better place to spend a morning hiking? Perfect, right? There…
Striking out in the heat?
Summer has arrived in the desert and it is HOT. Temperatures hover near 110 degrees during the day and drop to a chilly 90 just before dawn. On Sundays the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden opens at 6am for members, a perfect opportunity to get outside before the heat of the day and remind myself of…
Arizona Wild Flowers
It takes a special formula of rain in the fall followed by more rain in mid-winter to deliver wild flowers in the spring. Given that Arizona is a desert, rain is not that common. We can go many, many months without so much as a drop. For us to have enough rain at the right time…
Local Flavor
Culture and local flavors A country’s culture is often displayed in their cuisine, especially that found among the locals. What better way to experience a country than through the local food? In Cambodia, every road is lined with mom & pop shops. Some are selling gasoline in recycled plastic soda bottles (now you know where…
Breathless
North Rim of Grand Canyon We woke up at 4:00am to get to the canyon’s edge for sunrise. It was pitch black save for some stars in the night sky. Luckily, there were a few other insane people heading to the canyon’s edge with cameras and tripods in tow. We followed them figuring they knew…
A Morning Walk
It was our anniversary the other day. The weather was exquisite. Up early and coffeed up, we were raring to go. So what do two photographers do under these conditions? We go out on a photo shoot! We decided to go to one of our favorite shooting locations near our home in Massachusetts, Tower Hill Botanic…
The Mighty Saguaro
I should have been watching the Master’s. But, when out for an early morning walk, I saw this cactus, a Saguaro cactus, in full bloom. And, the lighting was quite nice with the sun in partial hiding. I just couldn’t resist. So, I put the Master’s on the back burner for a few moments and…
What’s so special about April 4?
For days we have been walking by a lot of Cereus Cacti waiting for the beautiful “Argentine Giant” blooms. Nearby, the local hospital (Mayo Clinic) has many plantings, all of which have many buds. Lately, these buds have looked like they are about to burst. Unlike most of the desert cacti, these bloom at night….
Enjoying the Desert Spring
Spring has come early to the desert and all the cacti are in bloom. Usually, we don’t see flowers until early April, followed by a staggered approach with one variety blooming, then the next (e.g., strawberry hedgehog, then prickly pear, then cholla, etc.) . This year they all seem to be blooming at the same time. Flowers…
The One Shot Deal
What if you only had one opportunity to capture the perfect photo? When you take a photo with a digital camera or with your phone, do you ever take just one photo? Or do you take a couple of shots – just in case one doesn’t turn out? As a perfectionist, I tend to take…
