Double Exposure

Took to the Higher Country for a few hours today

Put script writing and audio recording

On Hold

Shut off the computer

Took off my Internet Assessor hat

A hike

Bird's eye viewing of this place we call home

Yes, the work was still there when I got home

After a late lunch

And a nap

Back to work

Took til 8 P.M. to finish

That which I ignored today

To Play

And

That's OK

It got done anyway!

;-)

Brat!

Grill Master Dave 

Working his magic with Bad Boy Brats

 Summertime Soul Food

Mmm-Mmm

What a great way to ease into an almost Summer Evening

Only thing missing is homemade ice cream

Or S'mores

Next time......

Cac-Ti-Yi-Yi!

FINALLY the Cacti have moved 

From the inner sanctuary of a heated dwelling

To the REAL heat of the AZ Sunshine

And the fresh outdoor air  

As was intended

I do believe I detect a smile

On this prickly untouchable pot-o-cacti

Wild Ass :-)

There's a tiny town in AZ named Oatman...

Like many scattered sparsely populated AZ towns 

It once was a thriving mining community. 

2 miners struck a $10,000,000 gold find here in 1915

 At one time over 3500 souls called Oatman home

By 1924 the major mining company shut down

By 1941 the government ordered the remaining mining operation shut down

Its location near Route 66 kept the town alive thanks to tourism

But in 1953 a new highway totally bypassed the little town

Tourism vanished as quickly as the gold had

By the 1960's the town was for all intent and purpose

Abandoned

Then out of the desert 

The gambling oasis of Laughlin, Nevada was born

A short hop, skip and jump from you guessed it....

Oatman.

And again the tourists came

And came

And came

 

But one resident never left the dusty mining town

The burros

The lifeblood of the miner

 

Stubborn but sure-footed

Ultimate beast of burden

Pack in

Pack out

When the miners left

The burros stayed

Multiplied

Remain there still

They roam the town like Sunday Shoppers

Begging food off tourists

Free ranging

Stealing munchies out of purses 

No shame when a tasty morsel tempts their nostrils

Local merchants sell carrots just for folks to feed 'em

So if you ever pass near Laughlin, Nevada

Or Bullhead City, AZ

Or Needles, CA

Ask directions to Oatman

I promise you'll be entertained by the local wildlife.  ;-)

 

OH, THE THINGS I SEE...

Ok...So these are not my photos

Found them on photo bucket

But, really the point is this...I saw these beautiful creatures today

The Collard Lizard ?

Warming it's self on a rock

Near the trail where Ellie and I run

Brilliant and beautiful, textural

Alive!

Wild and free

I have never seen one before

Here in Arizona...but, why not

The outdoors is soooooo diverse here

I will add this flamboyant Collard Lizard to my very visual mental list

King Snake...check

Collard Peccary's (javelina)...check

Mountain Lions...check

Bob Cat...check

Pronghorn...check

Deer...check

Elk...check

Mountain Goat...check

The Butterfly?

Well not my photo either but, she was there

Hanging a bit laxidazically at the end of a lavender spring flower

New to the world it seemed

Stretching her wings, soaking up the sun

Hmmmm...sounds familiar

Doesn't it...humans

Little Known Heroes

Bikers come in all ages

Sizes

Personalities

Temperaments

Some have exceptionally big hearts

Like the little known hero above

Every summer a Phoenix Chapter of the Wind & Fire Motorcycle Club (an organization for Firefighters) have a benefit motorcycle run.  Monies go to Camp Courage Burn Camp in Prescott, AZ.  The camp is for kids who have suffered through serious burn injuries.  It's a week of fun, entertainment and the companionship of others who have been through the same life changing experience of being a burn victim.  

The Wind & Fire members ride from Phoenix to Prescott where they are joined by other bikers and then make a grand entrance, usually over 100 strong, (which I was a part of last year...totally major cool!) into Camp Courage where they are greeted by cheers of excitement by the kids attending the camp.  

A feast of burgers and dogs is served by the Prescott Wind & Fire Whiskey Row Chapter (which by the way I'm an associate member :-) where kids and bikers sit side by side, each in awe of the other.

The presentation of donations is made afterward.  Generous sponsors fork up hefty amounts of the much needed cash that keeps the Camp going year after year.  Without these funds the camp would fold. 

The big, bad biker with the Viking Horns above let the kids paint his beard red, white & blue and willingly let me document it in a photo.  He wore it proudly!

Did I mention the big, bad Viking Horn adorned biker (who wears his horns as he rides by the way...) writes a donation check to Camp Courage every year?  Last year I think it was around $10,000. 

Little Known Heroes walk amongst us each and every day. 

Never assume you've never met one.

I guarantee you have....

I certainly have

He let me take his picture

And the most precious little Known Heroes of all..

The kids who watched wide-eyed at all these people

Who cared

Who Shared

Who didn't know them

Yet made it possible for them to just be a kid at camp

And

Forget about a disfiguring scar

A lifetime handicap

The pain of skin grafts

Rehab

Medication

I'll see them all again June 13th

At the Next Wind & Fire Burn Camp Run

What an honor to be amongst so MANY heroes!

 

COUSINS...

 

These cute little folks are cousins...

My niece and nephews

There are others

But, this is what I was able to capture at this moment

I have cousins and remember very few times of really gathering as children

But, I always knew what it should be like

And perhaps without so much distance we may have been

Lives can get so messing

So much distance can get in the way

But, there is something to be said about knowing someone your whole life

I mean...really knowing them

Sharing things and laughing because only you know the story

These beautiful children

Enjoyed a cool creek in the beauty of Sedona

A very hot day in June

On this particular day

They started with clothes on

With mothers' being concerned about their dress

About the water

About drying off and getting back into the car

I walked out to a rock in the middle of the stream

I watched it all unfold

Sandals and flip-flops...off

OK...but, only up to your knees

Oops! Someone fell in

A frenzy gave way

This photo is the outcome of that

Of cousins

Of the power that comes from knowing each other as babes

A bond that even mothers' can't break

And oh...the secrets that will arise

This photo is mine for them

Later

When they are all grown up

Maybe over dinner and wine and...a boyfriend or a girlfriend

Or maybe as a short journey

Back in time...a shared reminiscent smile

I can hardly wait!

Just Hangin' Out

These are the rags

That washed the Harleys

That waxed on

That waxed off

That polished the chrome

That shined the windshields

And now are resting in the sun

Job well done

Job well done

To Infinity and Beyond

It seems so simple

To just "be"

When surrounded by sky

And mountains

And sparse desert landscape

Far above the Rat Race

Dog eat dog

"I want what they have" mentality

Moments of treasured quiet

Before descending into the flatlands

To join the frenzy

I can play the game

Knowing I can return

To peace

Prayers Answered

Lest we forget

Even Angels pray for Spring

Ahhh...

The Power of Prayer

(taken a few snowfalls ago ...  the Angels are singing praises of Spring now...See how well it works!!!! ;-) 

THE SPICE...

A day in my life...

Many lives I lead 

But, gathered all in one

I do not believe in any religion, god or deity

No mythical perception

The wrongs and failings that I have committed are my own

No one to blame

The same as the "blessings" are mine alone

The things that "I" have chosen

The path that I walk belongs to me

I have learned and taken that which suits "me"

Who I am

On any given day

My spirituallity is my own

I will share it with you

As I would respect yours'

I am amazed at the people in my life

The luck of knowing so many

And sharing their lives

Where you come from...matters not

To me

Here in this photo...

A lifetime of friendship

From here until always 

They allow me the spice

In this very sweet thing we call life

To all of you...I LOVE YOU

Goin' Dutch

When was the last time you had cinnamon rolls baked in a dutch oven?

The union of seasoned cast iron

And

Dough kissed with just a hint of cinnamon

Is a treat beyond description

Slow and easy

Aroma pleasin'

Dunkin' Donuts don't stand a chance

When Dave puts on his Dutch Oven Master's Hat

Topped off with cream cheese frosting......

Doesn't take much to make us happy!

Ready....Set..........

Hang Hammock

Check

Gas up the Quads

Check

Remove Jeep soft top & replace with bikini top

 

Check

Let the summer begin.....

Imperfection Perfection

Rusty & Worn

Tattered & Torn

Cast aside

To wither & die

These are the things that catch my eye

I know not why...

Perhaps it's compassion for castaways

 For things that have seen better days

 They says ones trash is anothers treasure

Depends what value you use to measure

 

Worth....

If it looks like a duck...

Nothing represents the message of "still" like water

First quad ride of the Spring today

Up into the inner sanctuaries of 

Forest

Mountain 

Rock

Cactus

Water

Not large enough to be christened "lake"

Not small enough to be labeled "pond"

Perhaps a Lakond?

  

Calmness lies upon Her surface

like stretched silk

A lone mallard paddled out from among the cattails

Broke the perfect stillness 

Leaving a trail of parted waters

That spread across the Lakond

In perfectly synchronized ripples

Duck and water

Sharing space

Without intrusion of one upon the other

Perfect relationship

Unison extraordinaire

Of course he wouldn't let me capture it on my camera

Kept his distance

 That's OK

Some things you just can't capture

I do believe that's a good thing

A very good thing....

Pure Desert

Ok this is a bit freaky

I was going to post the saguaro cactus pic earlier today

Got busy with work and all...

 Took the pic Tuesday while cruisin' thru the desert

Haulin' a quad home

Get on this here blog to post my saguaro

and..

DANG Miss Amy

You're doin' an AZ Cactus Dance today too!!

Surprised?

Not Me

We're kinda like that sometimes

No great thoughts go un-thunk between us :-)

THIS MOMENT...

 

I AM SO FREAKIN HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!

~amy

MISS TERA...

This is a photo I took of my girlfriend Tera this past fall...

A camping trip on the beach at Dohaney

Three very powerfully spirited women

Miss Tera, Miss Becky (my blog mate) and myself

Devouring the mightiness of sand and sea

She was in town today and it was good to see her

Our time spend well 

Talking of life and all it's happenings

Funny we no longer try to solve the problems of the world

Or even our own...maybe we no longer really have any

We talked about the earth and all it's earthiness

About the cultures, the beauty in them

About Arizona and the southwest

How we are decidedly in love with it

And the ocean...I guess we would both change that one thing 

Move the ocean to the southwest

Mexican food and an ice cold Modello at Casa Sanchez

A favorite restaurant, ended our day

She will be back, so we made plans

I will always picture her here

At the waters edge, just this way

HOLY Snake Batman!!

Guess it's warmin' up in Arizona!

The reptiles are sunnin'

Coming back "up the mountain" this afternoon

After picking up a couple of quads some friends are loaning us over the summer

This fine 3' - 4' specimen was stretched out

Takin' up 2/3 of the road

I had to stop and capture this Kodak moment

Was hopin' he (or she..how DO you tell?) was a Diamondback Rattler

But .....

No rattle

Just a boring 'ole snakey

Not a fan

But I do admire their resilience

And if I'm not in harms way

(Or high above them in a BIG truck like today)

I like to Observe

Yep!

A sure sign Summer's comin to Arizona :-)

OF THE SIMPLE...

Simple

Makes me think...

Of a place called home

Of Arizona

Of spring and summer

Of sunshine streaming through windows

Of how warm those rays feel against my feet 

Of the sounds of quiet

Of alleys and coffee cups

Of friends

Of the smell of damp soil

Of all the small things

Of breathing...

Sisters

Alas, I have no sisters

In the "we share blood" sense

In the "share heart" sense

I have a precious few

One of course is my blog-mate Amy

I cannot remember a time without her 

Nor do I want to

The two ladies in the picture above are also "shared heart" sisters

As opposite as night and day

The two of them have been best friends since high school

Both are now grandmothers

One... a great-granny

They entered my life probably 7, 8, 9...years ago

Have lost track...

As with Amy

I cannot remember a time without them

Nor do I want to

We have shared many memorable "girl times"

This weekend marked a "dream-come-true" for one of these sisters

A Live Beyond Fulfillment experience for sure

A leap of faith accomplished

Survived

Celebrated

 And so it is...  ;-)

 

Just a thought..

I Expect

and

Receive Miracles

WILD BURROS...OH MY!

My last few posts have been from my recent work week travels.

This will be last from this trip (I think), but I really wanted to share it...

On our way down Diamond Creek we encountered four wild burros.

The first photo reveals all of them...the dark one having created quite a ruckus on his way down to the rest of the group.

He apparently had been fighting for a female (those were the days, eh?), his nose was ripped and he had been bitten more than once (and twice shy), he seemed to have a lot to say...

The light colored buck skin ( a female) showed signs of having once been caught and haltered

Now an escapee...some things you just can't cage...

She still wears the haltered that is now tight and embedded into her skin, she is old and seems to wear it like a badge of courage...Bravo Girl!!!

Of course last but, certainly not least...

The Momma and baby...

Like they had just walked out of a story book...Brighty?

These two actually approached to my window...I thought about it for a second before giving in to better judgement and rolling the window up as Momma stuck her nose in....I hated to do it!

The final photo is the baby...four or five months old...and healthy as well you can see

This fine baby burro showed off a little for us by running around his Momma and throwing his back feet up into the air and then coming back around to look in the window...like it was checking to see if I had noticed

I had...

~amy

Restless .......

I have been blessed with many travel adventures

The call of the open road has been a gift

And a curse

It seems as though I'm being pulled in a million different directions

Everyday

The sights yet unseen

By these human eyes

Ceaselessly whisper in my ear

Beckoning me to walk among them

Drink from the cup of their historical waters

Eat at the table of their long lost youth

And rest among their memories

Restlessness is my constant companion

As the struggle to wander

And the responsibilities of Humanness

Battle within me every moment

Of every day

San Juan Capistrano California

The picture is from the Sacred Garden

Built in 1920

Inside the Catholic Mission 

San Juan Capistrano

Founded in 1776

The location is famous for being a stopping point for the Cliff Swallows on their 6,000 mile migration from Argentina to the America Southwest

According to legend

 The swallows began taking refuge at the Mission centuries ago

when an irate innkeeper began destroying their mud nests

Unfortunately, in recent year the birds have not returned

Development of the area has been blamed 

Along with a decrease in the insect population

There are better rest stops on the Cliff Swallows migration freeway

Even Cliff Swallows 

Know when to Hold 'Em

And when to Fold 'Em

And..

Where the best eatin' places are!

PERSPECTIVE...

Some folks come to this fine place called "Arizona" without much knowledge of the beauty

I am always amazed at their shock when they find out we have mountains with...Trees

Pine and Juniper

That we get snow in them there hills!

I am amazed that they do not envision this great land with...Wildflowers

Columbine and Penstimon in all colors

Surprised that we live in a land where Elk and Deer roam our vast land

I am always pleased to change their view

I smile as I see new pictures enter their minds...

Recognition of something familiar they thought so different from their own

I like the curiosity when the thought becomes embedded

Denial still on the surface but, the images still changing the perspective...

The photo is of a Joshua Tree...

Outside the former BIA office in a very tiny stop called "Valentine"

A group of trees over watered in a drought climate...

Became heavy and has fallen over...

By the end of summer it will have lost all will...

But, in it's struggle blooms fill it's fallen branches...

A momentous occasion, a final stand of it's brilliance..

It's strength, in a land of unbelievable beauty

~amy

Resting Rose

A stroll along a rocky jetty in San Diego years ago

Presented this particular Kodak Moment

Not going to get wordy here

The image itself is worth a thousand words

What could it mean?

A rose placed on stone

Alone

I've always wondered

What the story behind the rose could be

Snail's Pace

Who'd have thunk there were snails in Arizona?

Well, not here on the mountain

But my former home in Prescott had 'em everywhere

The rains brought them out by the dozens

From beneath the trailing vines that bordered the yard

For critters that have a reputation for being S  L  O  W

They sure had a way of appearing out of no where

After a refreshing summer monsoon rain

And instantly vanishing as temps climbed

And puddles evaporated

Minding their own business

Sneaking out 

quietly

peacefully

silently

To bask in the outside world

For a moment

Their moment

Risking their lives

Easy prey for 

Birds

Skunks

Curious Cats

Mischievous Dogs

And the such...

Defenseless

No speedy getaway

Poisonous sting

Lethal bite

Just pure faith

And the Knowing 

That a Moment for Self

Is worth the risk

Better to risk death

For a taste of glorious freedom

Than be paralyzed forever

In the darkness of captive fear

Snails..

Who'd have thunk??

Passin Time...

From wearing the Librarian Hat Thursday

To wearing the Antique Storekeeper Hat Saturday

My neighbor has a little antique store downtown

She wanted a day off

I agreed to be Queen of the Antiques for-a-day

Quaint

Rustic

Warm Day

Friendly Tourists

Locals Stoppin' By to Chat

Surrounded by "things of age"

And shoppers who exclaim...

Hey I have one of these!

I had one of these when I was a kid!

My Grandma has this!

Now.. what did I do with that??

I told my husband we should have kept that!

Whole conversations with total strangers

Come easier when antiques are gathered 'round

Yes, it was good being the Queen of the Antiques for-a-day...