Soaring Eagle

There is nothing, perhaps, more incredible than a bird, wings outspread, soaring high above. Oh, to be free from the constraints of the ground! To be able to spread your wings wide, catch the faintest of all breezes and survey your kingdom from high above. No pity is given to those stuck on the ground.

There is nothing, perhaps, more awe inspiring than a bird of prey, a raptor, with wings outspread, soaring high above. Wings spread wide, eyes intent upon the ground for prey, the hunt happens silently from high up above. For those on the ground safety is not assured.

There is nothing, perhaps, more majestic than a bald eagle, with wings outspread, soaring high above. The sight of one upon the hunt takes one’s breath completely away; the eagle itself takes no notice and remains focused entirely upon the task at hand. Back and forth, it swoops up and dives down, all the while its eyes directly intently upon the ground.

At long last, the eagle returns to its catch, resting momentarily. Without warning, its wings unfurl, catch the breeze, and the eagle soars again.

Desert Snow

Ah, spring in the desert. The desert begins to green up ever so nicely in the spring; lush and rich, and the travails of winter have been cast aside. The cactus begins to bloom, adding to the beauty. And the snow comes in, draping over the Four Peaks of the Superstition Mountains. Wait. What? Snow?

Yes, snow. Although it was mid April when this was taken, that didn’t matter to the cold rainy day which came around. Down low, it was just that–cold and rainy. But at the higher elevations, well, that was a different story entirely. There it was cold and snowy, and the upper reaches of the Superstitions had a wonderful blanket of snow.

As the clouds began to break up later in the day the Four Peaks were once again revealed; still wrapped in their blanket of clouds they slowly began to reemerge into the spring. Down below, the saguaros took it all in stride, reaching skyward and thankful for the brief rain; if anything the desert floor was even more lush and green than it had been earlier that morning.

Ah, spring in the desert. What a wonderful, wonderful time of magic.

Copper Sunset

Every now and then in the desert southwest a magical sunset will happen. You’ll know it when you see it, too, for it is completely unlike any other sunset. Take this sunset, for example.

One moment the sun is heading below the horizon, just as normal as you please. And the very next moment the sky itself is breathtaking. The copper and golden colors appeared in the blink of an eye; and for an all too brief moment the sky deepened and took on even more copper.

But the moment was just that: a moment. For the darkness stole the color and the sunset was just a sunset. Luckily, the moment was captured and the Copper Sunset shall live on.

There are different sizes of this photo available at our portfolio. Copper Sunset is available for purchase, as well, and you can have this print framed and delivered right to your door.

Heading Home

Key West! Just the name alone conjures up a smile, doesn’t it? For who could not love Margaritaville?

In many places, day’s end is just that: the end of the day. Not so in Key West, though… for there, especially around the Mallory Square area and Duval Street, the party is just getting started when the sun goes down. This does not mean that everyone is starting their day out, though… far from it.

These sailors had been out on the ocean for the day, and as the sun set, their day was drawing to a close. Chasing the last of the sun across the waters, they were making for safe harbor, which, as it turns out, was just to the right of this photo.

One of the great things about Key West is that some day, just as the sun dips below the horizon, the most amazing colors spring to life, but just for a moment. This is exactly in the middle of the moment; I loved the deep, rich tones of the sky, the sharp contrast of the clouds that had been lingering throughout the day, the faint reflections of the sun on the water, even though the sun was below the horizon. It was a beautiful site and, as always, I was thankful to have had a camera at end.

There are different sizes of this photo available at our portfolio. Heading Home is available for purchase, as well, and you can have this print framed and delivered right to your door.

The sun made a last gasp and without warning dove behind the distant mountain. The world wasn’t quite ready to see it go, but the sun was done for the day and it was time for it to go home. The clouds were caught wholly unprepared and their myriad colors bore witness to their outrage at being left alone so quickly. For after all, the sun was not supposed to go quickly, but rather with plenty of fair warning. The clouds glowered, and vowed to stay lit all night long, if need be, until the sun came back and apologized.

The tree, however, stood fast, for it had suspect that the sun was up to something sneaky; it lost its own color very quickly, welcoming the night with an inky blackness all its own.

And before anyone else could do much of anything about it, darkness claimed them all.