Abstract! I love looking for abstracts in nature! Thank you, Patti, for making abstract our Lens-Artists Photo Challenge this week. Patti Moed invites us to break the rules and go beyond the traditional realistic image of an object, scene, or element.
Look close enough and you can find abstract elements in all aspects of the natural world – be it animal
Is it a psychedelic palm tree? Or just… peacock feathers?
mineral
Is this just a rock formation – or is it really the Earth Mother giving birth?
or vegetable
Whoa! This one makes me dizzy!
Sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s animal, mineral, or vegetable. When I looked through some of my files, I was struck by the similarities in these 2 images, taken 1,000 miles apart of 2 completely different substances. Can you tell which one is wood and which one is stone?
Stone or wood?Wood or stone?
I especially like looking for the abstract in land forms. Sometimes it’s all about the angular with severe sharp lines –
Desolation Canyon
And sometimes it’s all soft, sensuous curves –
Ibex Sand Dunes
Water is a great medium for abstract photography, too.
Is it just a rainbow in a waterfall? Or is it one of those Hubble spacecraft images of a strange nebula in some far distant galaxy?
The next time you go out to play, try some abstract photography. You never know what worlds you may see if you look past the surface of an object’s everyday appearance!
Autumn is my favorite time of year to visit the big, iconic national parks that adorn the crest of the Rockies – Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain. Fat and happy after a fruitful summer, with sleek new winter coats, this is the prime time of year for most animals.
Moose and elk aren’t the only animals you might see!
I love the beauty of the golden aspens, accented by fresh snow on the high peaks and cerulean blue skies. I love the crisp clean feel of the mountain breezes and the gurgling music of the dancing creeks. But most of all, I love listening to the elk sing.
From the time the shadows fall over the valleys until just after sunrise, the herds hang out in the big meadows in these national parks, a perfect setting for the upcoming wilderness drama.
The moose are calling.
The elk are bugling. The moose are calling. It’s the rut, mating season for ungulates. Challenges are issued, battles fought. If you’re lucky, you just might get a chance to witness the pageant.
The biggest bull elk gather harems, whole herds of cows, and take on all challenges for the exclusive right to mate. The cows are not always willing to be corralled, though. This keeps the bull pretty busy.
Keeping a watchful eye on the harem
Sometimes, while the dominant bull is otherwise occupied either battling a challenger or herding a recalcitrant cow, some sneaky upstart might grab the opportunity to sneak in a quickie. All this makes for some very entertaining wildlife watching.
It’s nice just to watch the elk being elk.
If you plan on visiting the Rocky Mountain national parks during the rut, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) GIVE THEM SOME SPACE!!! Have a little respect. Remember that wild animals are dangerous. Especially at this time of year, when too much testosterone has these guys feeling really combative. And they’re a lot bigger than you are. Bull moose have been known to charge freight trains. A woman was gored by a bull elk in Estes Park just last week.
Don’t mess with this guy – he’ll kick your ass!
Although these animals are not fearful because they’re not hunted within national park boundaries, they are not tame. This is not a zoo. There is no invisible fence or moat in between you and the animal if they decide you’ve gotten on their last nerve. I see more ignorant, oblivious people out there every year. Do not approach wildlife. Give them a break and give them their space!
Wildlife crossing – Be aware!
2) Drive slow. You will be more likely to see animals camouflaged by their surroundings. More importantly, you’ll be less likely to hit an animal unexpectantly crashing out onto the road during this low light time of day. You’ll be more likely to notice an animal about to cross, affording better chances to catch that lucky shot.
I got this shot by using my car as a blind.
3) Your car can make a great blind. If the wildlife is on or near the road, stay in your car. Don’t stress the animal and endanger your safety. See # 1.
Don’t be like this guy – Back off!
4) Timing is important. You have to meet them where (and when) they are. The early bird catches the worm, or the shot, here. When the sun is out, elk fade into the forest or bed down in the tall grass. All the action happens in the evening and early morning hours.
Calves play at jousting while a bull looks on.
5) Arrive early, stay late. There is more to be gained from this experience than just a few photos. Watch. Listen. Don’t interfere. Stay a little longer. It will be medicine for your soul.
Bull elk in Rocky Mountain National Park
Want to hear the elk bugling but you’re nowhere near the Rockies? Check out these videos on The Nature Conservancy’s blog, Weird Green Science.
Hello April! April is life bursting out all over, wildflowers as far as the eye can see, all manner of joy and celebration.
April is sweet spring skiing, all the sweeter because the tourists have gone home. Walking around is getting sloppy, though. Mud season is nearly here, and it’s time to go to the desert. It’s the excitement and anticipation as I plan my spring adventure.
At least the rock in Death Valley is always amazing!
April is breakup. Think mud season on steroids.
April is when it starts to get HOT in the Valley. As temps climb into the triple digits, it’s time to leave the desert.
April has meant many things in my life. This year I’ll combine them all.
April is time for my spring road trip to Alaska. Time to head back home, after a detour south for one more peek at the desert bloom. I’ll joyfully celebrate life bursting out all over, wildflowers as far as the eye can see. I’m excited as I anticipate my spring adventure.
Joshua Tree Flower
I don’t usually escape breakup. It generally catches me in Canada. But this year, I just might. Photos from friends on Facebook show bare ground in Alaska, unprecedented in late March. Spring is already happening there, over a month early.
This lovely flower is over 10 feet tall!
It’s definitely time for me to escape the Valley. I’ve been a bit restless the past few weeks. Way back in September I made a commitment to stay in Death Valley for most of March. I knew it would be an El Nino year and I was trying to position myself ahead of time for a possible spring bloom.
So, of course, everywhere else in the desert except Death Valley got the December rain that led to an amazing bloom. Death Valley got lots of rain in 2019, over 3 inches, in fact, but spring is very late, over a month late.
There was a full-on superbloom in Joshua Tree this spring.
I spent three weeks in March stuck in Death Valley while Joshua Tree had a full on superbloom. Anza Borrego had great wildflowers, too. Death Valley had next to nothing. I should have worked at Ocotillo Wells instead.
Death Valley is always great and the rocks are still incredible, but I’m definitely ready to leave.
Yucca Blossoms
So this year April is flowers, flowers and more flowers in Joshua Tree. It’s the cactus and agave blooming in Anza Borrego. It’s finally crossing the California Poppy Reserve off my bucket list on my way to Carrizo Plain, which just might be peaking when I get there.
After that, who knows? I could take the coast, or check out the burn areas in the Sierra foothills. For April this year, I’m following the flowers.
It’s been raining in the desert. There are possibilities.
El Nino weather patterns generally bring moisture to the Southwest, and this is an El Nino year. Although it’s way too early to know for sure, things seem to be shaping up for a decent bloom this spring.
Springtime in the desert.
Most places have gotten a good soaker sometime in the last two months. Here are my predictions:
Death Valley
Well, it IS the driest place in North America, after all. Although some parts of this huge park received rain, there has not been a big enough storm to trigger germination. However, there has been more rain than last year. It’s still early. A wet winter could make a difference. But don’t count on one. I don’t expect a big year, but I think there will be patches of great wildflowers. You just might have to hunt for your floral treasures here this year.
Desert Gold
Mojave National Preserve
Parts of Mojave have received over an inch of rain in December, most of it in one storm! If we get a few more good rains, evenly spaced into January and February Mojave should have a decent display of wildflowers.
Canterbury Bells
Joshua Tree National Park
Put your vacation dollars here! Well over 2 inches of rain has fallen in J Tree over the last couple of months. One big storm in mid-October yielded over an inch and a half of precipitation. The totals so far are nearly as much, or possibly more, rain than Joshua Tree had at this time two years ago. (Some of the data for this year is missing.) 2017 was a great flower year in the southern part of the park. If the rains continue, the flowers may be just as exceptional this year.
Box Canyon Road in the Mecca Hills near Indio
Coachella Valley
Over an inch of rain has fallen on Palm Springs so far this season. At this time last year, none had fallen. It’s not a lot, I’m not predicting great things, but there will be wildflowers.
Ajo Lily
Anza Borrego State Park
Borrego Springs has received 1.76 inches of rain so far this fall. It’s looking good. It will take a lot more to make a superbloom, but I am predicting a fair-to-good wildflower season for Anza Borrego next spring.
There are still a lot of variables. At this point it’s a guessing game. No matter where you go in the California desert, prospects are looking much more hopeful than last year, though. This year, there will be flowers, Time will tell just how many and where to find the best blooms.
Where does a rambling ranger find the fun facts she shares with others? Many places, actually. I talk to other rangers and volunteers at Visitor and Interpretive Centers I come across in my travels. I read brochures other handouts I find in these same places. I check out websites. I do a lot of research. And sometimes, I read other blogs.
If you like reading my articles, here are a few other blogs you might enjoy.
Cool Green Science will teach you a lot about wildlife.
This is the official blog for The Nature Conservancy. It’s definitely my favorite blog. It’s what I aspire to. Every week I can’t wait to see what Matt Miller, one of their main writers, has to say. Not only do I learn something new, but there’s usually a great call to action showing how you can help make the world a better place, or an uplifting message of something going right for a change. Reading this blog can make my day sometimes.
This is a woman after my own heart. This is the blog I would write if I were more rooted. Based in Montana, Coffee and Woodsmoke extols the joys of living that Northern/Western, rural, close to the land lifestyle. And what’s more, she includes a recipe with every blogpost. I can’t wait to try the Chai-Spiced Turmeric Latte!
Hakai Magazine has superb articles about coastal science and culture.
I guess technically this isn’t a blog, it’s an online magazine, but they send a newsletter to my inbox so it FEELS like a blog. I am SO impressed with this Vancouver Island based publication on coastal science and culture. Fabulous photography and superb writing. Extremely informative.
This Canadian couple took the money they had been saving for a house and decided to travel the world instead. Their article on “15 Things to do in Armenia that are not in Churches” added Armenia to my bucket list. They also write posts helpful to the armchair reader who wants to start living the gypsy lifestyle but isn’t sure how.
This is the official blog for the National Parks Conservation Association, the non-profit organization that watchdogs and advocates for our national parks. It’s a good place to keep up on what’s happening in our parks, learn about places you may not have heard of, and see some really pretty pictures, too.
I hope you enjoy these blogs as much as I have. Do you have a favorite blog you’d like to share with us? Leave your suggestions in the comments!
