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Sunday Stills, the next challenge: Pointy Things

night cactus

The desert is full of pointy things, so a good flashlight is essential when exploring at night.  Some desert plants bloom at night, such as this fruit chain cholla cactus, which is also called the jumping cholla.  While they don’t actually jump, they broken pods on the ground just need the slightest touch to attach themselves to you.  These broken chameleonlike pods, now dead and dehydrated, blend in effortlessly to the rocky ground.  Loose cactus pods don’t usually venture too far from the living plant, so avoiding them isn’t too challenging.  Rattlesnakes and scorpions like to come out at night, too.  Did I mention you want a good flashlight…..better yet, two?

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WPC: Motion appears in a variety of subjects

I went searching through the archives for this week’s challenge, because I didn’t think I was going to find motion in my landscape photographs.  I prefer those to be sharp and still, but I even found some surprises there.  I couldn’t really chose a favorite, but maybe you’ll have one.

Auto racing at Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
Auto racing at Road America, Elkhart Lake, WI
Waves crash the shore near Hilo, HI
Waves crash the shore near Hilo, HI
Drummer in action
Drummer in action
Stars above the forest of Mount Charleston
Stars above the forest of Mount Charleston
LPGA Hall-of-famer Nancy Lopez
LPGA Hall-of-famer Nancy Lopez
Parker Creek moves swiftly through it's canyon
Parker Creek moves swiftly through its canyon
Could there be motion in a solid object?
Could there be motion in a solid object?
Nighttime on the streets of Seattle
Nighttime on the streets of Seattle

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Motion.”

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Earth Day 2015

winter, Zion National Park, Utah

April 22nd is Earth Day, an idea originally started in 1970. It also marks the day that Ansel Adams passed away in 1984.  Adams was one of the greatest advocates for the environment and our role as stewards, so this post is a tribute to him.  The town of Kanab, Utah uses the slogan “Greatest Earth On Show”, which is hard to refute given its proximity to Zion, Bryce, and many other unique locations.  In keeping with Adams’ style my black and white photo comes from Zion National Park, Utah.

On the 45th anniversary of this day, I can’t help but think that we haven’t made very good progress as stewards of the earth.  Our rapidly growing population can only place more stress on resources that are already being pushed to their limits.  News stories abound about overfishing, forests being cleared or rapidly dying, greenhouse gas emissions, water shortages, etc.  I’m not sure if there is a more blatant example of our mismanagement of natural resources than China’s current water situation.  In their rush to industrialization, they have depleted thousands of rivers, and are now in an effort to channel water from the southern part of the country northward to the civilization centers.  Having lived in a desert for the better part of my life, the message has always been out there for water conservation.  I hope this crisis instills the same message to the Chinese.

It has taken many years for the problems facing us and our planet to build, and they won’t be going away overnight.  Perhaps a reminder like Earth Day will make us think about our daily decisions and any long-term ramifications.

Happy Earth Day!

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Sunday Stills, the next challenge: yellow or wildflowers

cactus flowers, desert, Arizona

I was down in Arizona this week, and while the early flowers have succumbed to the heat, the cactus are now beginning to show. And, as it turns out, there’s a little bit of yellow in this one.

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