SNOW!

IMG_0979, originally uploaded by torri_g.

It is snowing here today! It took it most of the morning to get going but the rain finally changed over into snow. I will take more pictures over the course of the day here because I can't wait to see how much is actually going to fall.

Wordless Wednesday

IMG_0199, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Fluffy Desert? (A wordless week)

Fluffy, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Monday Morning Time Travel

100_1763, originally uploaded by torri_g.

The great thing about sitting and going through five years worth of picture taking out here in Arizona, is the discovery of pictures long forgotten. Seeing the pictures of the girls make this Mother's heart long for the days when they were so very much younger, and seeing the pictures of other things made me either laugh, or think "Wow! I took that picture?" There are tons of great flash back pictures that now that I have an idea of just what disk, or flash drive they are on, may be making their way to being posted. But that is going to mean sitting and finding them again and transferring from their archive to something more accessible for me.

Today's picture though is from June 2005, and a trip made out to Organ Pipe National Monument. Once you travel the 192 miles west from our place here in Arizona, you land in a town called Why and really have yourself a laugh at how appropriately named that town is. Pass by the Why Travel Shop and laugh a bit more. Go through a border patrol check point and realize that you are just minutes from the border, and then you see the signs for the monument. Of course you are still wondering Why you drove all this way just to see cactus. I mean it is Arizona and I think the state tree is cactus since you can't go anywhere without seeing several different types! This place is special though. There is a wide variety of cactus that grows out there in the desert and one of the only area's that organ pipe cactus grows. If you ever get the chance to make the trip out there make sure to pack a picnic lunch since there really isn't much out there. Be prepared to have birds hounding your picnic area looking for crumbs, and while sitting in the picnic area keep an eye out for all kinds of creatures. Take the time to drive through the monument loop that will take through the desert and the mountains. Even though you will probably need your back adjusted after you are done with the trip because the road is true Arizona dirt road.(For anyone who has never been out here that means we use boulder size rocks for our dirt roads, and love to have them as wash boarded from the monsoon as we possibly can. That way when you get the vehicle up to about say...5-10 miles per an hour, you feel as if the whole thing is being shaken apart.)
The point of this is it was worth the long day trip out there. Even the vibrating roller coaster ride through the desert. There were lots of great things to photograph that day.

Alright, today's trip back in time and travel guide is done. I hope that everyone has a great start to the week, now excuse me while my back remembers how much it hurt after that trip.

Another Day of Getting Out

IMG_4829, originally uploaded by torri_g.

I have a ton of pictures from getting out an about in Arizona today, so have more than enough new for posting for a while. However, tonight I'm tired and don't think that I have enough brain power left for a real meaningful entry, so enjoy the picture of the desert land that I so want. Actually I just would love to have for the mountain but there was a sign about 750 acres for sale. If it includes the mountain I want it!

Finding things in the desert

IMG_4571, originally uploaded by torri_g.

Yesterday was an enjoyable adventure out in the desert. Well except for the part where Josephine and I stumbled across an illegal campsite. Since I live in very southern Arizona and only about maybe 30 miles from the Mexican border, I think you can figure out just what kind of illegal campsite I'm talking about. Back packs, water bottles scattered around, and Josephine and I getting back in the truck very quickly. Because fun is fun, but not knowing just who and how many may be watching from behind all of the brush in the area is just not fun at all.
Just to keep you up to date on the names Napoleon and Josephine are Army Guys parents that are out here for the winter months and Binky Sue's graduation in May.

Anyway, they took me out yesterday to show me some very cool locations to shot pictures. Some I knew of and have planned on getting out to but just hadn't gotten to them yet. Others I never would have thought of. It was a beautiful day weather wise here, and getting out of the truck to walk for the different pictures was great.

Today the girls are out of school for a long weekend because of the Easter holiday, which is probably a good thing since all three of them seem to be exhausted this week. We are heading out to visit with their grandparents for a little bit at some point in time today if they ever get up and moving. (My girls...not their Grandparents) Other than that I think the plan and hope is just for a calm semi laid back kind of weekend here.
I hope that everyone has a great weekend spent with all of the people that you love.

Fading back into the desert...Gleeson

Gleeson Saloon, originally uploaded by torri_g.

This picture overall is just a huge mistake on my part, but one that I love none the less. Shooting through the glass window trying to get a picture of the mural painted on the wall of the saloon, because the building doors are chained and locked up tight. First I had to fit the camera through the bars on the windows, which meant I had no way of being able to see just what I was going to be focusing on. There was very little in the way of light going into the building so setting the camera to use every drop of it was interesting and I didn't come as close to it as I would have liked to. Remembering the fact that I was shooting through a window and would risk getting pictures of reflection seems to have been forgotten. All that said though I like how the pictures turned out. Always kind of funny to me when I can look at a picture that is a series of mistakes and like it better. The reflection is of what was behind me while standing on the porch of the saloon, but how it blends with the mural on the wall is what I like the most about this picture. It is the fading back into the empty desert look that I like.