Blog

X Marks the Spot

Shadows fall on a wooden X adorned with ribbons in Scottsdale, Arizona on December 29, 2024. Original: _A678172.ARW

Bear and I pay our respects at the grave of someone who was important or at least well-loved, given the many colorful ribbons on their marker. They must have died long ago as this area is surrounded by subdivisions now. Perhaps someone who got rather lost trying to find the Oregon Trail. Perhaps a member of the Donner Party who was lucky enough to be spared the arduous journey through someone’s bowels.

The Embrace of Old Friends

A close-up view of the root of an old saguaro wrapping around the waxy base of an old ocotillo in the Sonoran Desert, taken on the Chuckwagon Trail in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on October 8, 2023. Originals: _Z729938.NEF to _Z729969.NEF

As long as she stands the Elephant will be my desert favorite but this is my favorite close-up. The woody bit in the lower left is the exposed root of a saguaro, the rest the glory that is the ocotillo. I like to think these two old friends grew up embracing, shading each other from the unrelenting sun but one never overshadowing the other.

📷: Nikon Z 7II | Nikon 105mm macro
🗓️: October 8, 2023

Subtle Hints

A great horned owl perches in a palo verde while a massive saguaro towers in the background in McDowell Sonoran Preserve in Scottsdale, Arizona on

I’ve seen a number of owls while walking Bear the past couple of years and have focused on taking environmental portraits to highlight how different their home is here compared to the other places I’ve lived. In this picture I used an extremely subtle hint to suggest this owl lives in the Sonoran Desert.

📷: Sony A6700 | Sony 100-400mm + 1.4X
🗓️: May 11, 2024