Since moving to the desert southwest, the month of March has become a favorite time of year for me. I grew up in the Midwest and used to dread March. When March rolled around, I was ready for winter to be over, but Mother Nature still had lots more inclement weather to share. There would always be another snowstorm, gray skies, and a whipsaw of temperatures.
Not so in Phoenix, Arizona. March is awesome!
The Color Green
March is when our desert starts to come alive. As her plants come out of hibernation, the color green can be seen in all directions. There’s a feeling of rebirth and renewal. It’s a special time of year to experience the desert.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” Albert Einstein
As a combination of yellow’s optimism and blue’s calmness, green is considered to be a positive color. It can even evoke feelings of balance, serenity, and joy.
“Green is the prime color of the world, and that from which its loveliness arises.” Pedro Calderon de la Barca
It’s considered the most balanced color, most likely due to its association with nature. Green can improve mood and surrounding oneself with green elements aids in relaxation and depression. It can even bring about a feeling of peacefulness.
Green Heron spotted at a local pond
plant seen near the pond with the green heron
Feelings of Vitality and Peace
Spring has sprung here in Arizona and I couldn’t be happier. Is it the green landscape that has me feeling more energized? Could it be the wildflowers that are beginning to dot our landscape? It doesn’t really matter. What does matter is I’m in a good mood, and I intend to soak up every minute of our glorious spring weather and beautiful landscape because I know the extreme desert heat is just around the corner.
Now please excuse me while I grab my camera and head out in search of desert wildflowers ….
What does March look like in your neck of the woods?
For this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge, Terri asks us to showcase the color Green. March is the perfect month for this prompt. Green signifies new life, new growth, and new beginnings. Spring is upon us!
Spring in the desert southwest is glorious. It’s a time to grab the camera and head out into nature. This past week, I was quick to join other members of our local camera club for a photography outing.
It felt great to be back out and about with camera in hand, and although, I didn’t capture any compelling images, it was just the impetus I needed to get the brain into a creative mode. This recent outing along with John’s photo challenge prompt sent the creative juices flowing, and me scouring my computer for photographs that might fit John’s challenge.
Tools of Composition – Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #289
Today’s challenge focuses on Shape, Form, Texture, and Light. The desert southwest is abundant with photo opportunities and perfect for today’s photo challenge.
Texture
The texture of petrified wood along with the thought of wood turning into stone had me scratching my head in wonder. For anyone traveling through northern Arizona, I highly recommend a stop at Petrified Forest National Park.
Me, perplexed by petrified wood – Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Us camped near the Arizona-Utah border
Light
Throughout my life, I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel. I have traveled extensively, and during all these travels, I have never encountered more amazing skies than that found in the desert southwest.
Sunrise along the shores of Lake Powell at the Arizona/Utah border.
The light seen in this part of the country is more than just a photographers dream … it’s an experience and a joy to witness.
Shape
You’ll find some of the most remarkable scenery in this part of the United States along with all kinds of shapes and textures. The landscape is diverse, extraordinary, and stunning.
As many times as I have been exposed to Mother Nature’s unique creations, I continue to be awed by her artistry.
Form
Of course, I can’t forget about wildlife and plants; two of my favorite photographic subjects.
In my opinion, this flower image seems to hit all the elements of the composition challenge; shape, form, texture, and light.
This flower reminds me that it’s the beginning of March and spring is in the air. It’s my favorite time of year, and I can’t wait for the desert to come alive. She has already started.
It’s a time for bird’s to mate and flower’s to bloom. New life and new beginnings!
Finding inspiration… After a rough four months physically, I am finally feeling better, better than I have in quite some time and am inspired to continue capturing the beauty found around me in my home state of Arizona.
I am currently on wildflower watch which is nearing with each new day, and therefore, I am keeping the camera batteries charged. 🌵 Who else is doing a happy dance? 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻
Hobbies are wonderful considering they can provide entertainment, knowledge, social engagement, physical activity, or merely serve as a diversion. We may intentionally set out to engage in a given hobby or perhaps we’re accidentally introduced to a hobby. Such is the case with me and bird photography.
An accidental birder?
I never set out to be a birder, and quite frankly, I don’t consider myself a birder. I’m merely a gal with a camera who became fascinated with photographing shorebirds during her Texas Gulf Coast travels.
A birdwatcher, also known as a birder, observes or identifies birds in their natural habitat.
The more time I spent exploring the Gulf Coast, the more shorebirds I encountered. The more birds I encountered, the more photographs I took. The more photographs I took, the more I wanted to learn about these birds.
I stop for pink.
The first time I glimpsed the stunning pink hue of the Roseate Spoonbill had me yelling at Al to stop the truck. We were driving along Fulton Beach Road along the Gulf Coast in Texas when a shimmer of pink in shallow pond water caught my attention.
I had never seen such a beautiful, yet weird, bird in my entire life or such a beautiful shade of pink. That was just the beginning of my journey into photographing birds …. the beginning of my interest in birds as a photographic subject.
The makings of a Craniac
And then there were the cranes I stumbled upon; particularly the endangered whooping crane. I think we can all agree that they are magnificent birds. I became obsessed with cranes, so much so, that we made a special trip to the International Crane Foundation located in Baraboo, Wisconsin.
I was officially a Craniac and couldn’t get enough of these rare beauties!
I never imagined I’d develop such a passion for photographing birds, but I find that they make such an interesting subject to photograph that it’s almost impossible for me to pass up the opportunity to make at least a few images …. or more like a few hundred images when I encounter these entertaining beings.
Is it possible that I am indeed a “birder”? Nah, I’m still just a gal with a camera who merely enjoys photographing beautiful subjects.
Stay tuned for more bird images in future posts. My friend, Terri, has declared February as “Feed the Birds” month for her Sunday Stills Photo Challenge, and boy, do I have some bird images.
After a tumultuous 2023 fourth quarter, I couldn’t wait to change out the calendar in hopes of a fresh start and better things to come. Obviously, this was merely a mental game I was playing with myself. For some illogical reason, I hoped the flipping of a calendar would somehow make a difference and all would be right in my world.
Me perplexed at the unique landscape!
What happened fourth quarter?
Oh gosh, where do I begin? Let’s start at the beginning of October when I underwent a scheduled surgery. Knowing I’d have to take it easy for two to three months to recover, I figured that would be a great time to schedule cataract surgery. I had everything perfectly scheduled and planned. Little did I know that the universe would have other plans.
I was less than three weeks post-op from my major surgery, and had not driven a vehicle during that time, when I found myself unexpectedly behind the steering wheel rushing Al, my husband, to the nearest emergency room. After a bunch of tests, he was admitted to the hospital and later underwent gallbladder surgery His surgery was a success and he was home three days later, but unfortunately, that’s not the simple ending to his story. That surgery shed light on some other issues. Sigh!
Due to circumstances, my cataract surgeries were rescheduled, and eventually, I had both eyes completed; one in November and the other in December. To make a long story short, I encountered a few additional visits to my eye specialist due to a posterior vitreous detachment before and after surgery as well as posterior capsular opacification. Thus, additional laser eye surgery is in my future as well as I continue to deal with annoying floaters and flashes of light.
And just to add a little more drama into my life, let’s add in a couple of colds, flu, holidays, and a computer crash.😔
Life can look equally baffling as this landscape.
Not feeling sorry for myself!
With all the required downtime following surgery or illness, it’s easy to start feeling sorry for oneself. At one point, I realized I was nearing that pity party point and needed to do something. Initially, I turned to my first love; photography, and pulled out the external hard drives, but that was short-lived.
Amid all the medical drama, my expensive laptop which was dedicated exclusively to photography decided to crap out. What timing! My old everyday laptop isn’t powerful enough to run Adobe Lightroom which left me unable to download and edit photographs until a fix was found.
What’s a gal to do? Now I really was feeling sorry for myself and ended up going down the YouTube rabbit hole in search of self-help videos. We all know YouTube is where you find expert advice on any given subject (she says sarcastically).
A rabbit hole, indeed! From Andrew Huberman to makeup tutorials to anti-aging videos to various diets, travel, exercise, and then onto baking channels. Baking channels and SUGAR … sugar being the root of all evil. The bad stuff! I needed the comfort of a little evil white stuff in my life. 🤣 A diversion for sure.
During my recovery in October, I binge-watched The Great British Baking Show on Netflix and then moved on to binge-watching baking channels including ones on YouTube. Recipes were printed. Notes were taken. So, when I needed to find something to do with my funky vision after cataract surgery and avoid screen time, I stepped into the kitchen and started baking, baking like I had never baked before.
I had some flops but mostly successes. Even the flops tasted good though. As the piles of cookies accumulated, neighbors and friends were gifted a plate of holiday cheer.
Now that it’s January and a new photography laptop was purchased, I’ve stepped away from the evil sugar … wink, wink, and am more focused on fixing healthier options and returning to my love of photography. It’s time to pull out those hard drives and venture down memory lane. I still enjoy baking but am trying to limit that hobby considering its impact on my waistline.
Once I bought the new laptop, I had so much fun going down memory lane via photos.
A favorite!
Except for the cookie image, all photos in this post were taken near Page, Arizona, back in 2018. We’ve been asked many a time, what are some of our favorite travel destinations? Al and I agree that the five weeks we spent along the Arizona-Utah border will always rank in our top five favorites. We have the fondest of memories of exploring such a unique and mystifying landscape.
Sifting through thousands of images from our travels, served as something entertaining to do during my downtime. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t add the therapeutic effect baking offered. Baking allowed me to be creative yet kept me away from the computer screen giving my healing eyes a much-needed break.
Let’s hope there aren’t any new stones thrown our way!
‘If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.’ – Jim Rohn
Chin Up!
Well, the hits keep on coming. A week ago, I was sitting at a packed Urgent Care waiting for my name to be called. Ninety minutes later, I walked out with a prescription and recommendation for additional over-the-counter medications to use. It had been years since I last had a sinus infection, and I seriously did not need the reminder of how unpleasant they are.
Alas, today I am feeling better. Although, not yet 100%. The sinus infection seems to be gone. I’m fully recovered from the October major surgery. I’m adjusting to my funky vision with high hopes of improvement with time and YAG laser eye surgery. Al has a plan for his ongoing health issues. So yeah, the flipping of a couple of more calendar pages, and we’ll be on our way back to some form of normalcy around here. 🤞
Normal may not look like it did six years ago, but we’ll adjust to a new normal.
Whether I’m out and about with my camera or remain home in the kitchen, photography and baking will always keep me busy and offer me something to do.
Till next time,
Terri over at Second Wind Leisure Perspectives has asked us to showcase images of something to do for today’s Sunday Still’s photo challenge. Check out her post and others to view more images depicting the challenge.
There comes a point in life when we could all use a bit of a break from the everyday… a recharge, so to speak. It doesn’t matter whether we’re retired, traveling for fun, working a nine-to-five, or any number of other scenarios, we can all benefit from a recharge. Isn’t that what vacations are all about?
Over the years, I have been asked many a time, “What are some of your favorite places that you have traveled to”? That’s such a subjective answer because most times it’s never just about the location. It’s about what’s going on in my personal life or about my personal experience.
I assure you, I could be in the most gorgeous place on earth, yet if Al and I are having a tiff, a differing of opinions, that place will not make my top ten list of favorite places … even if I capture the perfect image.😁
It was the summer of 2016. A very busy and somewhat hectic summer for us. We started off the season by working camping at an RV park in Idaho. That in itself was an experience and anything but relaxing.
By mid-July, we meandered our way back to Colorado and in early August found a place to park the RV for a week while Al stayed with his sister in Denver and I caught a flight to Chicago so I could accompany my ninety-year-old father to my nephew’s wedding. It was a fun time spent with Dad, but by the end of the week, I was ready to return to my husband and RV life.
A special place that was perfect for a much-needed recharge.
It was time to bid farewell to Colorado and head south. What was supposed to be a few days in Santa Fe, New Mexico, turned into two weeks. Our summer had been a whirlwind of activity filled with lots of travel and stressful situations. We were in dire need of a break. We needed to recharge and New Mexico offered the perfect place to do just that.
We ended up splitting our time between stays in Santa Fe and the Cochiti Lake Campground. While staying at the Cochiti CG, we were a short drive away from the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks, allowing me the opportunity to visit this special place numerous times.
The days spent hiking or chilling back at camp, were precisely what I needed to recharge and rejuvenate. Nature is my church!
If you’re interested in hearing more about my hikes at Kasha-Katuwe along with lots more photos, you can read this post, Take a Hike in New Mexico. My morning solitude hikes there did wonders for my soul, and thus, this park/monument will always hold a special place in my heart.
Great farmers market
Oh, I can’t forget to share the outstanding farmers market in Santa Fe. I’d say it’s one of the best we’ve ever been to and we scheduled our travels so we could visit three times. The fresh foods found at the farmers market fueled my body while the nature hikes fueled my soul. Talk about energizing and recharging!
August is pepper harvesting and roasting season and the tastes and smells at the market are divine. Even my husband, who is not normally a pepper eater, was sampling all kinds of roasted peppers.
“Where is my husband, and what have you done to him?” 🤣 Seriously, I could not believe the peppers he was eating AND raving about. Yep, August is a notable time to visit New Mexico.
Can you spot the trail below? Lower center, near the cluster of trees. I started down there.
Great food, great scenery, and great hiking equal RECHARGED. I was ready for the next adventure!
I grew up in America’s Midwest surrounded by lush vegetation and always enjoyed autumn, but that also meant winter was on its way and that I did not relish. Nope, this gal is not a fan of snow and cold.
In the northern midwest, sometime in September, the crisp cool air would roll in and the leaves on the trees would start changing. Let’s face it, it’s just a matter of time before the seasons change, and as much as we’d like Mother Nature to work on our schedule, she’s in charge of the time.
Ah, but who can resist a forest filled with vibrant colored leaves or the smells of pumpkin spice and the taste of all things apple? Not I !
However, the fall season never lasts long enough. The trees shed their colorful beauty way too quickly and the skies remain a gloomy gray for weeks on end. And as much as I loved autumn in the Midwest, spring was a time of year to look forward to.
I’ve always felt spring symbolizes growth, new life, and a sense of energy. Plus, it meant summer was on its way, So, spring was always my favorite time of year …. until recently.
Travel is the best! We get to time the seasons.
Traveling full-time in our RV meant we got to enjoy all four seasons on our terms. We could migrate like birds. We could stay in the north until the first frost then head south for the winter, and in the spring, we could do the same only in reverse, head north to escape the southern summer heat.
That all changed when we sold our RV and bought a house in the desert southwest.
There’s no more migrating for these two old birds. Since selling the RV, we don’t travel frequently like we used to. We live a much more stationary life these days.
This summer has produced record-high temperatures in Arizona without much of a reprieve from the extreme heat making me not look forward to future summers.
At least my husband and I were able to get away a couple of times for a visit to Colorado to enjoy a change of scenery and weather. These days, I’ll take whatever travel I can get.
Let’s hope our temperatures drop soon and fall is just around the corner 🤞 Fingers crossed! Fall, winter, and even spring are absolutely a joy to hang around the deserts of Arizona, So not only do I look forward to fall, I look forward to winter. Thus, I’ve changed my mind regarding the seasons.
Fall has replaced spring as my new favorite time of year.
What’s your favorite season?
For this week’s Sunday Stills photo challenge, Terri asks us to showcase colors of orange and gold. Click the link to check out her post and what others are sharing.
I love color, all colors, a variety of colors, and the more vibrant the better, but I like the feel of a black-and-white image every now and then. Perhaps it’s my mood of the day or the mood of a particular image that finds me embracing the abundance of gray tones.
Corpus Christi, Texas
Considering I’m such a fan of color, I always take photographs with color in mind. Thus, the images in today’s post were shot in color then converted into Black & White and further edited in Lightroom.
San Diego, California
Lens-Artist #265 Black & White or Monochrome
This week, Anne over at Slow Shutter Speed invites us to share our images of B & W or Monochrome photographs. Be sure and check out her post for an informative explanation of the differences and similarities between the two.
I’ve always liked the color yellow. There’s something uplifting about the color yellow that inspires a sense of happiness and has an energizing effect.
I don’t believe I could ever tire of the lovely shades of yellow found in nature, especially sunrises and sunsets.
The meaning of yellow?
Yellow stands for happiness, hope, and spontaneity. It’s the color of smiley faces and flowers. It’s a youthful color that grabs our attention.
“In the world of safe hues, like black, red, and white, yellow shouts: Look at me. I’m happy!” – Joy Sewing
Yellow is associated with sunshine, warmth, energy, and laughter. A splash of yellow on anything dull or dark can make a person feel cheerful and optimistic.
When I find myself in a bad mood, all I have to do is find a patch of yellow blooms to lift my spirits. Yep, yellow makes me happy!
Yellow can be found all around us. All we have to do is look.
There’s just something about yellow …
This week’s Sunday Stills photo theme is the color Yellow. Check out Terri’s post for more yellow inspiration. #yellow
It won’t be long and we’ll be talking about fall colors. I won’t lie, I’m looking forward to summer coming to an end. It was a brutally hot and uncomfortable July here in the desert southwest, and cooler temperatures can’t come soon enough.
With that said, my mind drifts to summers in the past. We enjoyed three fabulous summers spent at my sister-in-law’s lakefront property in northern Wisconsin. Unfortunately, yet fortunately, my SIL and her husband sold that property and now live a mere mile up the road from us.
We will be forever grateful to have had such a beautiful place to hang out, especially to ride out the summer of the pandemic.
Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer
There’s such a dichotomy between the weather in northern Wisconsin versus that of Phoenix, Arizona. While the summers in Wisconsin are treasured our summers in the desert southwest are not.
Winters are the opposite. When it’s minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-23C) with six-plus feet of snow on the ground, the majority of northerners hunker down inside. Well, we do the same during the summer when it’s 110 degrees plus F (43C) outside, we remain inside with running air-conditioning. Thank goodness for that invention.
As I type this post, my outdoor thermometer reads 118 degrees F in the shade 🥵(47C). The desert southwest has been setting record-high temperatures for the past month. So, you can imagine, I’ve been staying indoors and haven’t picked up my camera since June. Thus, today’s images are from summer’s past spent in the northwoods of Wisconsin.
Just viewing these images has a cooling effect on my soul and brings back special memories. Perhaps one day, we’ll return, but until then, I’ll stroll down memory lane.
Our daughter fishing in northern Wisconsin. That looks so refreshing!
What does summer look like in your neck of the woods?
This weeks post is in response to Terri’s Sunday Stills photo theme: Lazy, Hazy Daze of Summer. Be sure and check out her post as well as others found in the comments section for more photography inspiration.
Al and I called Colorado’s Front Range home for more than twenty years. Once we moved into the RV full-time, we still continued to spend most summers exploring the state with a focus on Colorado’s Western Slope. The Western Slope and town of Grand Junction soon became a favorite. What’s not to love when you’re surrounded by beautiful landscapes in all directions?
Colorado’s Front Range refers to the land east of the Continental Divide, while the Western Slope refers to the terrain west of the Continental Divide. Colorado’s great divide traverses high through the Rocky Mountains and separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean and the river systems that drain in the Atlantic Ocean.
Therefore, Denver and Colorado Springs are located along the “Front Range” while Grand Junction and Telluride are located on Colorado’s “Western Slope”. End of lesson!🤣
Whether traveling by RV or other means, a visit to Colorado’s Western Slope should be included during any trip to this part of the country. I sometimes think towns like Grand Junction are overlooked with places like Denver or Breckenridge taking center stage.
Since my brother and his wife live in Grand Junction, they have provided an excellent excuse for us to visit the area regularly over the years. We actually enjoy Grand Junction so much that we almost bought a house there back in 2014, but timing just wasn’t right for us back then …. ah, there are regrets though!
During our most recent trip to Grand Junction, we enjoyed a very chill visit hanging with family. With the exception of visiting the local botanical garden, we didn’t do any exploring, but in the past, we always packed in plenty of adventures including stops at the Colorado National Monument.
My daughter taking a panorama at one of the scenic overlooks.
Boasting an abundance of scenic overlooks, the historic Rim Rock Road drive in The Monument is not to be missed or overlooked.
Attend a festival. Throughout the summer months, Grand Junction along with the neighboring towns of Fruita and Palisade offer a variety of festivals sure to fit anyone’s taste. This post shares the details of a wine festival.
Thursdays: Downtown Market on Main. Every Thursday evening during the summer, downtown Grand Junction hosts a farmer’s market/entertainment event.
Lots of outdoor recreation: golf, mountain biking, hiking, canoeing on the Colorado River, and more.
Visit a dinosaur museum, botanical garden, orchard, winery, or brewery.
In conclusion
Should you plan a visit to Colorado, consider visiting the western slope, and don’t overlook a stop in Grand Junction. We’re already trying to schedule our next visit.
Janet is hosting this week’s Lens-Artists photo challenge. The theme is overlooked. Be sure and check out her post.
Images in this post were made nine years ago with a Panasonic Point & Shoot camera. I’m disappointed with the quality of the photographs, but they serve as an impetus to revisit with my new camera and challenge my ever improving photography skills.
Live Laugh RV 