Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Under the Sun

The Arizona Deserts, Arizona.

This week, Amy’s challenge for us is to focus on life under the sun. Actually, that’s a broad category considering that all earthbound things are under the sun. She writes that her inspiration came from the title of a book, “Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy.” You can read her entire challenge post here.

I’ve decided that my response to the challenge will feature images from my adopted state, Arizona. Though most of the images here come from the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona, the opening photo is from Monument Valley, part of the Colorado Plateau, a desert environment with hot summers and cold winters. Wild horses inhabit the desert that is part of the Navajo Nation. As you can see by the photo, life for them is hard.

Honduran Artistry – A Cameo Appearance

Isla Roatan, Honduras.

The craftsman in the opening image isn’t wearing a mask because of the pandemic. He’s an artist working to create cameo designs. I’ve always thought of cameos as small sculpted medallions worn around the neck. What I learned at this cameo shop was to change my notion completely. Let’s start with Marriam-Webster’s definition:

cameo (noun)

1a: a gem carved in relief (see relief entry 1 sense 6) especially: a small piece of sculpture on a stone or shell cut in relief in one layer with another contrasting layer serving as background
b: a small medallion (see medallion sense 2) with a profiled head in relief
2:   a carving or sculpture made in the manner of a cameo

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Sanctuary

This week, guest challenger, Xenia who blogs at Tranature and Whippet Wisdom, asks us to consider the term “sanctuary” and what it means to us. You can read Xenia’s entire challenge post here.

I find a personal sanctuary in a shady spot along a trail while hiking in the Arizona desert or on a bench in a North Carolina botanical garden. Some might find their sanctuary in a special place on a mountain. Many people find their personal sanctuary in their church, and I find church architecture to be a spectacular subject for photography. Indeed, my opening photo is of a magnificent cathedral in Cartagena, Colombia, the Iglesia de Santo Toribio.

McCormick Stillman Model Railroads – Trains Too Small To Ride

Scottsdale, Arizona.

In early May, I wrote about the miniature trains and the railroad museum at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park (here) and promised that I’d feature a post on the model train displays housed in a separate 10,000 square foot (929 sq m) building.  Hosted by four clubs, there are three displays and several other railroad oriented exhibits. The opening photo features a sculpture of a train engine breaking through the building wall. Some of these images may look familiar as I featured a sampling of theme for the May 21, 2020, Lens-Artists Photo Challenge here. This post features more facts about the museum, and photos not previously published as well.

Dronie Sunday – 2 August 2020

Mapleton, North Dakota.

Sunflowers are a source of oil and food for people and birds. There are two different types grown typically with North Dakota products generally the variety for food rather than oil. The majority of sunflower fields are found in central and western North Dakota, but there are a couple of fields near Fargo. When I learned there is a field near Mapleton yesterday, I grabbed my camera and headed about 13 miles (21 km) to the field that is visible just off I-94 and southwest of the town. Since I wasn’t quite sure where it is located and I didn’t know if it would be photogenic, I thought I’d check it out before committing to a drone flight. Another factor for not using the drone is that it is a bit windy tonight.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Winter

This week’s photo challenge is “Winter”, and winds up the July photo challenge collection of seasons. I love the beauty of winter. I can sit at my computer and browse winter scenes all day, from my office, in Arizona. You see, it’s not the winter I don’t like, it’s the cold. >grin< Still and all, I have a collection of winter images to share. I brave the cold weather during the holiday season and return to North Dakota to be with family over Christmas. The above image was captured along the Red River on a late December day.

Neowise – Once in a Lifetime Sight

Deep Space.

Well, actually from Fargo, North Dakota, a view from a comet that is making the news. It won’t be in the news again for another 6500 years due to its very long elliptical orbit. By the time you read this, it may already be gone out of sight. I learned a lot about night photography when capturing the images here and I will share what I learned for the next time a celestial visitor comes within photographic range in our night skies.

Cellpic Sunday – 26 July 2020

Fort Peck, Montana.

The Fort Peck Dam is on the Missouri River in northeastern Montana. The dam is the largest manmade hydraulic dam in the world. Constructed during the great depression in the 1930s, it began generating electricity in 1943. A celebration of life for a family member brought us here on the Independence Day weekend. As we drove along one of the several lakefront roads, a view of an approaching storm brought dramatic skies. In less than an hour after the photo was taken, this area was hit by 60 mph winds, heavy rain, and hail.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Autumn

This week’s challenge is Autumn. In North Dakota’s farm country, it’s harvest time and time for the harvest celebrations. At Bismarck’s Buckstop Junction, a pioneer village, it’s time for Applefest, an annual autumn weekend celebration. Displays like that shown in the opening photo are found throughout the upper midwest. Patti Moed brings us this week’s challenge. She writes, “What does autumn look like in your part of the world? What does this season mean to you personally?” You can read her entire challenge post here.

Atlantis Submarine Tour – We Don’t Live There… and It’s Not Yellow

Cozumel, Mexico.

Before we started our cruise to the southern Caribbean, I hadn’t heard of the Mesoamerican Reef system. I’m still no expert, but I’ve seen the northern and southern ends of the reef up close and personal. Readers of last week’s Travel Tuesday post “rode along” with us in a glass-bottom boat. This week, we go as low as 100 feet (30 m) underwater in the submarine Atlantis. As I noted last week, if you wish to visit the reef only once, my recommendation would be via this submarine. For more on the specifics of the reef and its treasures, and view some more undersea images of the Mesoamerican Reef, my original post is here. This post is all about the excursion.