PHOTO Notes

Swan writes: “Spring continues” … Click image for 800×536 file.

We have a couple of volunteer acacias gowing in the yard in Phoenix. This little one in the back will have to come out; it’s chosen a spot too close to the foundation. These are the real deal, African style, with hundreds of enormously long, sharp thorns. They do well in the hot desert climate and you see lots of them. When more mature, they bloom in a profuse cloud of tiny yellow blossoms. … Nikon D70. Click image for larger file.

Swan writes, “Happy Days of Spring”. These nice vertical “portrait” images are full-size and not clickable. Spring Blossoms.

Swan writes: “Move over Miro. Joan Miro was a modern artist in the earlier part of the Twentieth Century who used splotches of color and lines to create his work.” … Click image for larger file.

Swan writes: “Something you don’t want to meet in a dark alley…” … Click image for larger file.

After a month of blooms these Arizona Poppies are just about past their prime, but still putting on a good show … Nikon D70. Click image for larger file.

Swan writes: “Ice storm aftermath. Yes, it really looks like this.” … Click image for larger file.

This year the Phoenix back yard is filled with a profusion of blooming yellow poppies. With the wet winter Arizona finally got, this is the best year ever for poppies. These are probably “Mexican Poppies”, not the orange-gold variety more familiar in California. … Nikon D70. Click image for larger file.

Swan writes: “And now something entirely different… High school basketball game” … Click image for larger file.

Swan writes: “Small rose to keep the winter blahs at bay.” … Click image for larger file.

Terry has uploaded a stunning collection of images from a climb at Edmonstown, South Wales (UK). View Terry’s Picasa site Early Morning Climb to see 26 enchanting, top-quality images.

Swan writes: “Kalanchoe up close” … Click image for larger file.

Dragon Lake, Rae Lakes Basin, Kings Canyon National Park, 1972. During my camp-over at Upper Rae Lake in the Rae Lakes Basin, I took a day hike up to Dragon Lake, nestled safely below the protective crouch of Dragon Peak. Dragon Lake was (or so it was told to me) the true home of the real Sierra Whopper, that elusive mountain Rainbow or Golden trout. I do believe I brought my backpacking fly rod rig, but I honestly don’t remember. When I got to the lake, it was clear but very shallow, and littered with rusting tin cans and other evidence of clueless camping. I left in disgust.

Click the image above for a high-quality 1024×768 JPG.

Swan writes: “Prehistoric flightless bird discovered in ice crystal, adding further proof to the theory that the dinosaurs did not end by meteor impact but by flash freeze.” … Click image for larger file.

I’ve had this photo on my desktop for a couple of days and thought I ought to share it. This is a small unnamed mountain in the Rae Lakes Basin, Kings Canyon National Park, California. It sits practically in the shadow of Painted Lady, a more celebrated mountain in the vicinity of camp. I camped in a nice site overlooking the Rae Lakes in 1972, my one luxurious layover in a tough 7-day solo circuit.

The story behind this mountain, I suspect, has been told somewhere before: looking for a nice non-technical rock climb and an opportunity for some hard-to-get photographs, I climbed up this mountain with my little Rollei B-35 camera and  a T-shirt. I am not a trained rock climber but I used to be pretty good at free-climbing my way up some interesting ascents. I did get some nice photos, once of which is linked here.

Trouble is, I’m not as good climbing down, and I got stuck.

I attempted to retrace my ascent going down, but found I hadn’t paid attention. If you can right-click the image to “open in a new window”, you’ll get a 1024×768 desktop image. You can pretty much see how I must have gotten up: zig-zag up the side frontally, as you see it in this picture, to the 45-degree slab near the top, and then ascend carefully to the top.

Going down, I believe I got stuck on the ledge that’s lined with stunted trees about a quarter of the way down. The trouble turned out to be,  looking over the edge, you can’t see which part of the ledge gives the most favorable holds for climbing down. I suspect I originally got there by zagging in from way over to the right. I have no idea where in that ledge I was on the descent down, but it was too steep to climb, I couldn’t see, and frankly I was beginning to panic. It was getting darker, and COLD.

I finally picked the shortest sheer drop I cound find, climbed down a few feet on the seat of my pants, and jumped. I landed safely on a ledge below, and the rest was easy sledding, or, well, scree sliding.

Swan writes: “Maybe not everyone’s (anyone’s) taste. But think of it as you would see something when you entered a darkened room with only a little reflected light.” … Click image for larger file.

Terry writes that he’s been out with the digital camera again. He’s producing some stunning images of the winter landscape in the UK. Must-see: Terry’s Picasa slide show displays 30 remarkable high-resolution images. Click the single image above for a 1024×768 desktop-size image.

Swan writes: “Amaryllis” … Click image for larger file.

Dave writes from Oregon:”Here’s a shot of frost on the glass last week. The truck had been parked outside, and the fractal pattern of the ice crystal formation is very nice. I wonder about the nearly vertical tracks, perhaps those were drip trails before it all froze. I think the oak tree in the background adds a bit of interest as well. I sent the full-res shot this time because it enlarges pretty well.” Sony DSC-W70. Click image for a large 1024×768 desktop file.

Winter has struck Northern California with its full cruelty. This shot was taken a couple of days before Christmas while visiting a friend’s house. Notice one of the trees has even lost its leaves due to the cold. We were unable to wear T-shirts for more than an hour of midafternoon sun. This week we have been terrorized by a drizzle which makes the ground look wet, yet mysteriously does not wash the cars.  Canon EOS 5D … Click image for larger desktop file.