Yesterday
the temperature was below normal, so we were enjoying gorgeous low 70's
in the morning and low 80's later in the day. Absolutely amazing for
this time of year! So my parents, two very good friends of ours, and
myself took advantage of this beautiful weather. We went for a hike in one
of the local state parks right in the middle of the city. We always have a good time during our hikes; we always joke and laugh, while never giving up an opportunity to appreciate the beauty around us. Hiking an intense incline while laughing is quite the workout! Also I
was having fun with my camera settings. I have grown quite fond of the
"pop art" setting! It really helps bring out the muted color of the
desert, especially this time of year. In fact, there are a few duplicate photos one with the regular
setting and one with the "pop art" to show the contrast. The desert is
soooooo dry right now. I still find it extremely beautiful, but just a
little muted right now.
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| Saguaro, Palo Verde, and our beautiful blue skies! |
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| Barrel Cactus surviving in harsh conditions! |
You can see the city in the background and all the smoke in the air from all the wildfires in our state.
We had a wonderful hike! Everyone was good and had their handy dandy hiking sticks. I love geology, it was one of my favorite classes through school. Our hikes always inspire me to bone up on my geology skills.
This is the same photo as above, just with the "drawing" setting on my camera. It's a quick way to do a pencil sketch!
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| Beautiful with the regular setting |
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| Enhanced with the "pop art" setting |
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| Saguaro framed with an Ocotillo |
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| And with the "pop art" filter... Much better! |
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| Silly looking Barrel Cactus - they are VERY thirsty... |
"The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have." - Norman Vincent Peale
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| We have a late bloomer... |
"Serenity is not Freedom from the Storm - it is Peace Amidst the Storm." unknown
Bird making a nest... lots of wildlife out, just wasn't able to catch anyone else in a photo.
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| Some Lichen on the rocks... they are still blooming as well |
"Inner
peace can be reached only when we practice forgiveness. Forgiveness is
letting go of the past, and is therefore the means for correcting our
misperceptions." - Gerald Jampolsky
I like your photography. We have several small container succulents here. Some of the small cacti are blooming. Those barrel cacti are neat.
ReplyDeleteLove these! beautiful. The late bloomer made me smile.
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