Championing the makers, artists, and wanderers in all of us.
Maybe it’s because I grew up in Phoenix, where trees either don’t lose their leaves or lose them very late (like in the middle of our “winter”), but I think there’s something kind of lovely about bare winter branches.
When we were at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in mid-January, I kept taking photos of plant shapes silhouetted against the afternoon sky.
How are the trees looking in your part of the world right now?
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After looking back at what an app considered my top photos from last year, I realized the app doesn’t really know my life.
So this year, I’ll be choosing one of my Instagram photos each month that speaks to where I’m at in some way and sharing it here as my own Photo of the Month.
For January, I chose this photo from the foggy day we visited Monticello during our DC and Virginia trip. Phillip and I enjoyed exploring the grounds, and the fog added a layer of romance and mystery.
Also, I find myself drawn to photos with empty seats in them. Maybe when I see this type of image, it makes me feel like there’s a place for me in the space. Maybe I take them (and post them), so you can feel like there’s a place for you in my photos too.
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“Wait…that’s a real thing?!”
People from outside of Arizona have been surprised or skeptical when these 5 things have come up, but they’re all for real.
How many of these have you seen?
1. Tumbleweeds – Not just the stuff of western movie lore, they’re actually Russian thistle plants. When they’re alive, they’re green and grow like weeds. The dead, dry ones break off and roll around in the wind. It’s not like I have to stop my car for tumbleweeds rolling across the road every day. But it has happened.
Also, the city of Chandler builds a big tumbleweed tree for the holidays every year.
2. Gila monsters – They’re more fat lizards than monsters. Yes, they have a poisonous bite. However, that’s not a big concern, since they’re not particularly quick or aggressive or likely to chase you down (or meet you at the airport). In fact, it’s rare to even see one out and about.
We felt lucky when we spotted a Gila monster sauntering through the shadows at Boyce-Thompson Arboretum.
3. Desert monsoons – A friend from Taiwan laughed when I mentioned monsoons in Phoenix. While what we call “monsoon season” isn’t what you’d see in South Asia, it comes with bigger storms and more rainfall than we get other times of the year. Sonoran desert storms are dramatic – and beautiful – in their own way with downpours, thunder, lightning, wind, and dust storms (see #4).
4. Dust storms – If you saw Mad Max Fury Road, that’s not what a dust storm is like inside. Think fog made of sand, and you’ve got the picture. When it’s dry and very windy, blowing dust forms a cloud you can see approaching from miles away. sometimes an eerie orange color in the afternoon light.
5. Roadrunners – Although they look nothing like the Wile E. Coyote’s nemesis, they are an actual type of bird. That runs. Sometimes on roads.
So there you have it: the real story behind Arizona’s mythological-seeming creatures and phenomena, which are, in fact, the real deal.
Of course, the jury is still out on the Phoenix Lights.
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Photos:
1. Willcox, AZ
2. Tumbleweed Tree, Chandler, AZ
3. Gila monster. Photo by Blueag9. CCL.
4. Gila monster at Boyce-Thompson Arboretum.
5-8. Phoenix area during monsoon season.
9. Roadrunner. Photo by Ralph Arvesen. CCL.
10. Sierra Estrella Park.
