Sunday, January 23, 2011

I can see for miles and miles...Font's Point, Anza-Borrego Badlands~






Talk about seeing for miles and miles...these are the badlands near Anza-Borrego state park. Hubby and I put up our tripods at Fonts Point and went exploring, looking for the perfect spot to get a photo...The Salton Sea would be to the left on the top photo. Unfortunately, by the time we drove home, it was past sunset and we didn't get any photos of the sea. Somebody we will have to drive down there and get some photos of it. But, that's another adventure!








Thursday, January 20, 2011

Carriage in the sky? SkyWatch Friday 012111

Not really, but I did see this one on top of a building in Payson, Arizona and just HAD to stop and get a photo of it! SkyWatch Friday for January 21, 2011.

windows, Desert Ridge~Thursday Challenge 012011

I woke up early one morning during our recent trip to Desert Ridge Canyon Villas and I walked down to the lobby. It wasn't even light outside yet and the lobby was deserted. I looked up and saw these windows and decided to take a photo of them. I'm always looking at windows, but, unfortunately, I spend so much of my time outdoors taking landscape photos, I don't have that many of them! So, I was pleased to see this weekly challenge and have something to contribute! Thursday Challenge for January 20, 2011. To visit other participants in Thursday Challenge, please visit: http://www.spunwithtears.com/thursday.html or click on the badge at the bottom of my blog. :-)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

"A" is for...ABC Wednesday 011911
















Hubby and I headed up the Mogollon Rim in Central Arizona last weekend. There is a stand of ASPEN up there that we like to revisit each trip. This time, they were surrounded by snow, and stood ALONE in a snowy meadow. ABC Wednesday for January 19, 2011.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Cholla, cholla EVERYWHERE!! Cactus Monday for January 16, 2011













Hubby and I stopped at the Superstition Mountains state park in Arizona yesterday before we headed for home. Neither one of us had been there before. We'd passed by near it the previous afternoon and I looked up the park online. So, I suggested to hubby that we visit it before we left for home and we were both glad that we did! It's got great plant variety there and lots of animals. We intend to return late one afternoon next time, so that the sun is on the mountains and we aren't TRYING to take photos of it facing into the sun! But, the park is full of cholla cactus. I looked down at one point and both of my shoes were covered with them! ACK! And, I'm always careful about where I put my feet! I didn't have my boots on, but I did have a pair of slip on HEAVY shoes, so I never got hurt by the cholla, but next time, I'll be sure to have on my heavy boots! Here are some pics of the cacti. Cactus Monday for January 16, 2011.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Rock silhouette~Scenic Sunday, SOOC Sunday 011611

Hubby and I were tired yesterday from our all-day drive from Scottsdale to the Mogollon Rim and then back down to Globe, Arizona. We stayed overnight in Scottsdale and headed out fairly late, after breakfast. While I like to get an early start, hubby...er..."procrastinates" and has to check his emails time after time and we didn't even get started until 10:00 a.m. and THEN we had to go out for breakfast! (...drumming fingernails on counter...) But, ahem, back to my story...so after breakfast we headed out past McDowell Mountain to Payson, when hubby remarked, "We might as well head up to the Mogollon Rim and see how much snow there is." Well, let me tell you, there was PLENTY of snow up there! But the roads were clear, so we drove to Show Low and then down to Globe. We hit the big canyon by the Salt River there in late afternoon, when we pulled over before a tunnel and I leaned out the driver's side window and pointed and took this shot. I was shooting into the sunlight and I had no idea how (or even IF) it would turn out. I'm rather pleased with it!!!! :-) What do you think? Scenic Sunday and SOOC Sunday for January 16, 2011. To see other participants for Scenic Sunday, please visit: http://scenicsunday.blogspot.com/. To visit SOOC Sunday, please visit: http://www.murrieta365.com/

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Joshua tree and jet~SkyWatch Friday 011311

Joshua Tree is such a fascinating place, whether it is looking at the joshua trees, the rocks, or the San Andreas Fault from Keys Point. I can't wait to return! If you click on this photo to enlarge it, you'll see a jet behind the joshua tree! SkyWatch Friday for January 13, 2011.


Just joshua trees~Nature Notes 011311











During our last return trip to Joshua Tree National Park, I thought I'd find some unusual joshua trees and take photos of them! And, believe me, there ARE some weird ones! The one in the second photo was nearly bent over. The third one had a branch bent in a circle! And, the next one had branches nearly touching the ground! Not all joshua trees are perfectly formed. Those up by Keys Point were very closely bunched, while in other areas, they are far apart. Joshua Tree is such an interesting place and I can't wait to return! Nature Notes for January 13, 2011.




Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Little blue house~Outdoor Wednesday 011211
















I've been posting about the little blue house and pink house over on my other blog, deserthorses, (http://deserthorses.blogspot.com/), but I thought I'd post them here, too. Believe it or not, I don't have a lot of followers who cross over between the two blogs. They either follow the desert horses one or this one, but rarely follow both. I completely understand that. This blog is devoted to our adventures in the desert southwest, mostly Arizona. We'll be heading that way next weekend, over to Scottsdale. My desert horses blog seems to most attract other horse owners and we have formed a close knit community. I hope to eventually do that on this blog. If you have ANY questions about the desert southwest, please email me! ANYWAY...back to my post...Along the road to the western entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, there is a little blue and pink house. Actually, these would be homesteads. There was a time when an individual or family could just put up a structure on land and claim it. I would imagine that these two structures would be old homesteads. They sure are cute and I wonder what happened to their families? I got out and investigated them, totally ignoring the "Keep Out" sign. I found old lanterns and a mailbox that needs some TLC. Actually, both little houses need some TLC! Joshua Tree is in the high desert, so during the summer, it is about 10 degrees cooler than our desert and I don't believe it gets up to 120 degrees, like ours. However, it also gets colder in winter and they frequently have snow. So, enjoy the tour of the "little houses" here in the desert southwest. To see other participants in Outdoor Wednesday, please visit: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/

Monday, January 10, 2011

Bird's nest in cholla ~~Cactus Monday 011011


I'm always intrigued by cholla cactus and every time I see one, I bend over to see if there is a birds nest in it. Yup. this one, even though it was ony 3 feet high, had a bird's nest! The spines of the cholla prevent predators from invading the nest. And, LOOK at those spines! OUCH! Cactus Monday for January 10, 2011.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Return to Joshua Tree







Hubby and I headed back to Joshua Tree National Park yesterday. He wanted to return and take more photos of the joshuas. They are such interesting trees! I was hoping to see a hawk or owl or woodpecker in one of them, but, alas...no such luck! Maybe next time?

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Rocks and sky~SkyWatch Friday 010611


Rocks, clouds, and tree at Joshua Tree National Park. Skywatch Friday, January 6, 2011.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Cattle cabin~Window Views and Doors, Too~ January 5, 2011

This cattle shed is north of Bishop, CA. There is a huge cattle ranch here. When we stopped here last summer, cattle were in the barn and were looking out! This time, they were huddled out in the pasture, soaking up the sun! You can see the Sierras in the background, covered with snow. Window Views and Doors, Too for January 5, 2011.


Monday, January 3, 2011

Sierras~That's My World 010311
















No, this isn't the Alabama Hills. These photos were actually taken on the road outside of Bishop, CA that goes up to South Lake. The road climbs out of town until we were actually surrounded by snow. Fortunately, it had been freshly plowed and we were able to drive up past AspenDell, where we stopped last October and took photos of the aspen. But, on this trip, the lake was frozen over and nobody could get down to it! Hubby and I LOVE to travel to the Sierras whenever we have a 3 or 4 day weekend. Bishop is about a 5 hour drive from our home in the desert, but that's where we go when we need some "mountain time"! That's My World for January 3, 2011.


Sunday, January 2, 2011

"First of the Month"~~Ocotillo at Joshua Tree National Park 010211

Hubby and I drove to Joshua Tree National Park on New Year's Day. I mean, why stay at home when views like this are only an hour away? So, off we went! First of the Month for January 2, 2011, a new meme which you can visit here: http://www.murrieta365.com/

Rock climbers Joshua Tree National Park~SOOC 010211

This is literally a "point and shoot" photo, straight out of the camera. Hubby and I drove to Joshua Tree National Park yesterday. The clouds for a new storm were moving in, but the park was packed. There were several rock climbers there, including these two on top of one set of rocks. I was driving our car and I glanced out the window to see them. I leaned over, grabbed my camera, aimed it in their direction, and clicked. SOOC Sunday for January 2, 2011. To see other participants, please visit: http://www.murrieta365.com/

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Calves in Bishop, CA




These little guys were on a ranch near Bishop, CA and, of course, we just HAD to stop and take some photos of them! That's one of the mountains in the Sierras behind them! Brrrrrrrrrr!!!!