Day #15 - More flowers

I've had a lot of hits on my Picacho Peak hike pictures - especially the wildflowers. Sadly, we got there just before they really started blooming. This picture shows a particularly dense patch of yellow. When things really get going, this is what the entire area looks like.



I'm going to be playing airplane tag most of tomorrow, and then hitting the road for 4 days, so I may or may not get a chance to update. Hoping for lots of interesting new photos from the road!

Day #14 - Spring flowers

I think we're officially done with winter here. The last gasp was the freak snowstorm on Sunday - now we're slated to be in the 80s for the rest of the week. Sigh. Summer heat, here we come. I'm no fan of extreme cold, and I don't think you could pay me enough to move back to the midwest, but I do miss the changing of the seasons. There's something almost magical about trees blooming and green leaves poking through piles of snow. This shot was taken on the grounds of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, AZ in 2005. A light, wet snow started falling as we arrived, and I found these lovely flowers while we were out on the tour. Wish I could have come back in a week to see everything in full bloom.

Day #13 - Sunrise and travel

One of the worst things about traveling by plane, for me, is that I almost always have to get up at some ridiculous "cow milking hour" and be at the airport before the sun breaks above the hills. In summer, the sun's up by 5:30am, so this gives you an idea of how early I mean. I am a night owl through and through - the only way I'm up for a sunrise is if I've been up all through the night...or if I'm catching an early flight. Sigh.
On the other hand, Tucson sunrises can be almost more impressive than the sunsets, so assuming I'm awake enough to appreciate natural beauty, it can be quite cool to be up in time to catch a sunrise. This one was taken at the Tucson airport in June, 2003. It was a quick snap on the way to the security gates -no time to frame it or focus on composition - but I'm quite happy with how it turned out. The reflected floating overhead lights are a funky touch.



My flight Friday leaves around 6:45am - hoping for a gorgeous sunrise and a hot breakfast to make it a little more bearable.

Day #12 - back to Iowa

On Friday, I'm flying up to the Quad Cities to help a friend pack and move back to Tucson. This will be the second time I've been back to IA since I graduated from college, but the first time I've been back during the cold months. (I know - when is it NOT cold in IA?). The trip got me nostalgic and looking through my old albums. Here's a shot from about this time of year, circa 1997. This is Pulpit Rock, overlooking one of my favorite running routes, a loop we christened "Pub Loop".

Day #11 - Snow!

Snow is no big deal to folks in most of the USA, but down here, it's big news. Went out to run some errands yesterday and found myself in the middle of a tiny little snowstorm. It lasted all of 5 minutes, but gave us plenty to talk about for the rest of the day. Unfortunately, I only had my cell phone camera with me, so the picture's only so-so. Still, it's SNOW!