Old Rancher's Stone Cabin

The Lee's Ferry area is very historic and scenic. This photo is of an old rancher's home at a place called Cliff Dwellers.

You may have heard that Lee's Ferry is named after John D. Lee who provided rafting services across the Colorado River in 1872. Livestock and equipment and supplies were transported across the Colorado River.

Lee's wife called the area a lonely dell and the name stuck. It was called the Lonely Dell Ranch and there are various structures still remaining from that time period.

John D. Lee was executed in 1877 for his part in the Mountain Meadows Massacre, which occurred in 1857. His nineteenth wife, Emma Lee, continued the ferry operations after his death.

This would have been tough living in such a remote area in the 1800s.

Wahweap and Lake Powell

Lake Powell is situated between Utah and Arizona and is located on the Colorado River, near Page, Arizona.

Lake Powell is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States. Wahweap marina is the place to launch boats.

Lake Powell is beautiful but it is also controversial. Lake Powell was caused by the flooding of Glen Canyon by the Glen Canyon Dam. Environmentalists today still think the Dam should disappear and the river should run freely.

Lake Powell is named for John Wesley Powell who explored the river in three wooden boats in 1869. He was an American Civil War veteran.

When the Glen Canyon Dam was built, it cost $155 million and 18 lives. Rainbow Bridge is a must see on Lake Powell and is the world's largest natural arch.

You can see travel photos of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay at Viva la Voyage.

Bridge at Glen Canyon Dam Over the Colorado River

The bridge is over the Colorado River and is 1560 feet (475.5 meters) long and 700 feet (213 meters) high.

The Glen Canyon Dam Bridge is the fourth highest bridge in the country. The reservoir it built is Lake Powell.

Before the bridge was built, it was a 192 mile (309 kilometers) drive to the other side of the canyon. What a trek!

In the second photo, you can see the area below where they launch rafts at the bottom. Now there is an adventure. Everyone should go river rafting down the Grand Canyon.

Also, look at the wonderful shadows of the steel girders on the red rock of the cliffs above the Colorado River.

Glen Canyon Dam

The Glen Canyon Dam is 710 feet (216 meters) high and 300 feet (91 meters) wide at the base. California, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico receive about 8.2 million acre feet of water per year from the dam.

The dam is part of the Colorado River Storage Project for the Upper Colorado Basin. The dam is about 4.5 miles south of the border between Arizona and Utah. The dam started blocking the flow of the river in 1963. The plant generates enough electricity to supply about 650,000 persons in the area with power.

Construction started in 1956 and the dam was dedicated in 1966.

If you visit, take the tour, it is amazing. There are great views above this dam and there are many photographic opportunities.

Today is Sunday so we have new travel photos on Viva la Voyage. You can see photos of Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Colorado River, Cliff, and My Navigator

I have a story for you today. This is the view right in front of Lee's Ferry Lodge where we stayed during our photography tour.

You can see the Vermillion Cliffs and the long canyon to the right that leads a steep cliff and the Colorado River.

There is about a two mile drive off road that leads to the edge of the cliff where our photo group took sunset shots the night before. We could look down at the mighty Colorado River and see the glow of the rocks and the last bit of daylight.

On the drive back, our group went last and it was pitch dark. When driving back to the lodge, my Navigator went over a piece of shale and it cut right through my front and back tires so I had two flat tires instantly and we were in the middle of nowhere. We turned on our hazard lights and luckily had a cell phone to call back to the lodge so someone could come and get us.

If you enlarge the photo, you can see a little glint of metal in the upper left part of the above photo. That is my Lincoln Navigator.

It was quite the experience to get the car towed off the dirt road and get four new tires so I could drive the 5 hours back to my house. Very expensive weekend, but most interesting especially finding someone who know someone who could find a guy to meet me in a parking lot on a Sunday afternoon to put on four tires. Yes it all worked and when I was paying the person he gave me visitor information and thanked me for coming to Page, Arizona. A nice human slice of Americana.

The Path Through the Slot Canyon

This Secret Canyon photo shows a path. A path to a new beginning, the future, or merely just going around the next corner.

I like how artistic the sandstone wall looks with the deep pattern of ridges and the light softly glowing and beckoning you to travel down the path.

This photo will end the slot canyon portion of this photography tour, but we will continue with the tour by going to
Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell next.

I hope you enjoyed the slot canyon tour. let me know which was your favorite slot canyon photo.

Sunlight Backlighting Log in Slot Canyon

Now you can see how high up the log was in yesterday's photo. The slot canyon is quite high.

Look at the thin slot canyon path below. I really enjoyed walking through Secret Canyon and turning each corner to see what beautiful surprise would be next.

The photographic tour continues with the Vermillion Cliffs, condors, Glen Canyon Dam, Lake Powell, sand dunes, and more.

For travel photos, check out our photos of New Zealand at Viva la Voyage.

The Log

I think this is one of the best photos I took in the slot canyons.

I like the contrast of the red sandstone with the dark log and the sunlight glowing lightly from behind it.

Tomorrow you will see how high in the air the log is that is stuck in the red sandstone and was placed there by swirling water.

The Secret Canyon, on Navajo lands, was quite a place to visit as a photographer. As a photographer, I am learning to see Arizona all over again through the lens of a camera.

For those interested in going on a photography tour to hone your skills with the camera, check out Wilson Wyatt Studios

Lone Tree and Red Rock

Here is a lone tree on sandstone located on Navajo lands. You can see a storm is brewing.

This almost looks like a bonsai tree. The angle of the bushes and the tree show there is a lot of wind that races across this red sandstone plateau.

Two of what I think are my best slot canyon photos are coming up over the next two days.

The Tongue

Water swirling through the sandstone in Secret Canyon caused this interesting canyon formation and it is called "The Tongue."

Water can make fascinating designs in sandstone.

Can you imagine the power of the water rushing through this canyon during flash flooding?

I hope you are enjoying photos from my photography tour to the slot canyons and Vermillion Cliffs.

We also have New Zealand photos up on our travel site. Check them out at Viva la Voyage.

The Sensual Curves of the Slot Canyon

I love the curves of the sandstone in this photo.

The sandstone almost looks like a wave of red rock cascading down into the slot canyon.

The curves are formed by water and wind erosion.

This is a view looking up from the floor of the slot canyon towards the surface. Direct sunlight is not visible because the canyon curves on its way to meet the slot in the top of the canyon.

Today is Sunday so check out our new travel photos from New Zealand at Viva la Voyage.

The Artistry of the Slot Canyon

I like the glimmer of sunlight coming down through the top of the slot canyon highlighting the desert varnish near the top of the canyon wall.

Desert varnish results from a dark coating found on exposed rock in dry areas.

The dark coating is composed of clay, particles of iron and manganese oxides along with trace amounts of organic matter. It is usually brown to black in color.

The clay reacts chemically when the rock reaches high temperatures in the desert.

Sometimes petroglyphs are carved from scraping away the dark desert varnish layer to expose the lighter color of the rock below.

This photo has an interesting contrast with the yellowish ray of light on the pattern of the desert varnish and the texture and color of the sandstone wall below.

Bird Nest in Slot Canyon

Look at the beauty of the sandstone and the bird nest with the red curves and interesting textures reaching for the sky.

The sandstone is composed of sedimentary rock made up of sand-sized minerals or grains of rock. The sand becomes sandstone because of the pressure of the rock layers above it.

In the Southwest, the sandstone is red because it also contains iron oxide. The iron oxide will turn a reddish color for the same reason that iron turns reddish brown when it rusts.

Besides the American southwest, red sandstone can also be found in the West of England and Wales, Mongolia, and parts of Central Europe.

Sky and Nest in Slot Canyon

The slot canyons are made of sandstone. The slot canyons can be very dangerous.

People die in the slot canyons when water far upstream occurs. A cloudburst of rain can cause a wall of water to rush through the slot canyons, and it does happen.

A large area on the surface that receives rain can mean that all of the water will flow through the slot canyon like a funnel.

There is no advance warning so you really have to pay attention to the weather and the surrounding area and conditions before going into the slot canyons.

Bull Snake at Secret Canyon

Just after we were walking into Secret Canyon, we saw this young bull snake.

The bull snake had apparently fallen from the top of the canyon.

Bull snakes often exceed six feet in length and are harmless. We have many bull snakes in Arizona.

They are good to have around if you live in a ranch or in the desert because they go after rodents.

They are often confused by people for rattlesnakes and are unnecessarily killed. Part of the reason that bull snakes are confused as rattlers is that when they are threatened they go into a defensive posture of impersonating a rattlesnake. They will hiss, flare their face into a more triangular flattened shape, and they will take their tail and vibrate it against the bushes, trees or rocks to make a sound.

Rattlesnakes will elevate their tails to make a rattle sound; whereas, the bull snake will keep their tail down to make contact with bushes, trees or rocks to make the sound.

Bull snakes also seem to have an immunity to rattlesnake venom so they are being studied further for their antibodies.

Tomorrow we continue the photography tour into the slot canyons for some fabulous photos.

Secret Canyon

We are now entering Secret Canyon on Navajo Nation land. I will post several days worth of slot canyon photos to whet your appetite to visit this marvelous place.

The Slot Canyon Hummer Adventures takes you on a wonderful trip and is licensed by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation. You take a Hummer 13 miles across rocks, sand dunes, and down desert washes to reach the slot canyons.

The Navajo Nation is about the same size as Switzerland or West Virginia.

Secret Canyon has 1,500 feet (450 meters) of sandstone formations. Secret Canyon is part of Waterholes Canyon, which consist of three slot canyons. These are longer than Antelope Canyon and has more diversity in colors and formations and far fewer people.

You can see from the photo that the sand path that you walk on is a twisting narrow path and you generally cannot even see the sky. It is a challenge to carry a tripod through the narrow passageways of the slot canyon.

Check out the Polo Ponies of Argentina on our travel photos site at Viva la Voyage.

The slot canyon photos will continue for several days as they are quite a feast for the eyes!

The Deadly and Hallucinogenic Datura Wrightii

Such a beautiful large white flower to look at, but it is deadly if ingested.

Datura wrightii is also known as Sacred Thorn-apple and Jimsonweed. The white flowers can grow to six inches (15 cm) across.

The flowers open late in the day and close the following morning. I captured this image at sunrise at Vermillion Cliffs so this flower was in the process of closing.

All parts of this plant are hallucinogenic and can be fatal. Many kids think it might be fun to try this plant out, but many became very ill and are hospitalized if they are lucky to live, and the rest die.

And you thought the only thing to worry about in the desert were snakes and scorpions.

Firework Flower for My Birthday

I like this photo of fireworks I took with a long exposure last Fourth of July.

The rust and yellow colors are so vibrant. It looks like a flower.

The texture of the explosion as the firework trails falls towards Earth reminds me of a flower.

Because today is my birthday, I am posting it as a birthday flower.

Happy Day to everyone!

Today is Sunday so we also have new photos posted on our travel photo site. To see the Polo Ponies of Argentina, click Viva la Voyage.

Vermillion Cliffs at Sunrise

On our photography tour, we stayed at Lee's Ferry Lodge. It was a wonderful location.

I just rolled out of bed before sunrise and hiked behind the lodge to find the colors of sunrise dancing on the Vermillion Cliffs. The flowers and grasses below the cliffs were also beautiful.

The day after tomorrow I will show you a hallucinogenic Arizona flower that I found while hiking to take this photo. Then I will take you to the gorgeous slot canyons.

The photography tour was a great experience and I will be showing photos for the next few weeks as we were able to experience so many different locations with a variety of photo opportunities.

For more information about the photo tours I went on with Wilson Wyatt and Michael Madsen, check out Wilson Wyatt Photo Tours.

At the Top of Horseshoe Bend

Michael Madsen, one of the photo instructors on the tour, took this photo of me after the sunlight came up.

It was much scarier when it was completely dark and the wind was blowing, although it is still pretty scary to have a 1,000 foot (302 meters) drop straight down in front of you and no guardrail.

You can see the beauty of the Colorado River and the red coloring of the rock in the photo.

I will share photos of the Vermillion Cliffs area during the next few days before we travel to the slot canyons. The slot canyon photos are awesome but it makes sense to build up to them.

Silhouette at Dawn at Horseshoe Bend

As you saw in yesterday's photo, Horseshoe Bend was very dramatic. While we as photo students were taking photos of Horsehoe Bend, one of our photo instructors, Michael Madsen, took this fabulous silhouette of the students at dawn.

This photo captures the colors on the horizon and all of the tripods and students spread out over the rocks.

Wilson Wyatt and Michael Madsen were great instructors and they both helped me learn my Nikon D90 much better. Wilson Wyatt's stunning photos can be seen at Wilson Wyatt Photography. Wilson organizes great photo tour trips.

Michael is an architect but also does commercial photography and design. You can see his fabulous photos at Michael Madsen Natural Photography.

You also can check out his creative photography at Heart Rocks. And, yes, he has lots of creative heart rocks in natural settings.

Tomorrow I will post a photo taken of me by Michael Madsen at the top of Horseshoe bend after the darkness passes and you can see what the abyss and the 1,000 foot drop really looks like in daylight.

Horsehoe Bend at Sunrise

I drove and hiked in the dark starting at 3 am to wait for the sun to rise to capture the light and reflections at Horsehoe Bend.

The scariest part was trying to set up my tripod and gear on a rock that had no guardrail. I was only about 12 inches from the edge and the edge included a drop straight down of over 1,000 feet (302 meters).

You are looking at the Colorado River above the Grand Canyon, so the water is calmer. The flow of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon would have ferocious rapids.

Horsehoe Bend is a geological oddity because it obviously had to be carved by a rushing river, yet rushing rivers don't normally make big wide slow turns like the one in the photo. It shows how many millions of years had to be involved to carve a canyon with a slow bend like a horsehoe around the butte.

My photography tour continues tomorrow.

Red Sand and Rock Near Secret Canyon

Here is a photo of what the Page, Arizona area looks like. There is red sand and rock everywhere.

To get to Secret Canyon, we had to take a Hummer and travel for miles in this red sand until we arrived at what looked like a tiny crack in the desert.

The ride with Slot Canyon Hummer Adventures out of Page was awesome. Quite the thrill.

Secret Canyon turns out to be quite magnificent. Over the next two weeks, I will continue sharing the photos I took during this photography class with Wilson Wyatt at Vermillion Cliffs.

We also had a naturalist, Eric Garton, from the Desert Botanical Gardens on the trip so I learned a great deal about plants, geology, and more.

Tomorrow I will share a photo of Horsehoe Bend, which is world famous for the severe bend of the Colorado River that snakes around the butte like a horsehoe. I had to get up at 3 am and drive and then hike in the dark to stand 18 inches from an 1,000 foot (304 meters) drop to the bottom without any guardrail or protection.

Mare and Colt on Range

I spotted this mare and colt grazing on the range while I was on my photography class weekend at Vermillion Cliffs about two months ago.

These horses were such fun to watch and track. I parked my truck and started walking on the range to try and get the horses comfortable with my presence so that the skittish colt would come out from behind its mother. It took quite awhile.

I was crawling over barbed wire fence, carrying a tripod and all of my gear through the brush and stickers and was hoping for a good shot. And then the opportunity arose when the mother and colt came together and stared at me for about one second. That was the only opportunity. I was very pleased to capture this image.

Vermillion Cliffs is located along the Colorado River upstream (northeast) from the Grand Canyon towards Utah. This area is north-central Arizona, which is almost five hours from Scottsdale.

Over the next two weeks I will be showing you photos from my photography class. I think you will find some of them quite interesting, including the slot canyon photos from Secret Canyon, outside of Page, Arizona.

Also, check out the Action in Buenos Aires, Argentina photos on our travel site, Viva la Voyage.

Bobcats in Backyard Pool

Today you can see bobcats in a backyard pool, a very rare sight.

This photo was taken by Bob Meyer in North Scottsdale in his backyard pool. He had very little time to take it so this was the best shot he could get, but what a cute shot indeed.

The Bobcat is believed to have evolved from the Euroasian lynx, which crossed into North America by way of the Bering land bridge.

Bobcats are good hunters and sought after for their fur. The bobcat is crepuscular (generally most active at twilight and dawn). Each night bobcats tend to move between 2 and 7 miles along their habitual route.

In Native American mythology, the bobcat is tied with the coyote in a theme of duality and there are varying interpretations. Apparently the Mohave believed that dreaming habitually about beings or objects would provide characteristics as supernatural powers. Dreaming of two deities, cougar and lynx, they thought would grant them the superior hunting skills of other tribes.

And today is Sunday so that means new travel photos on Viva la Voyage. Today's photos show the action in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Saguaro Rib Cactus Furniture

I had lots of comments this week asking me to post a photo of Saguaro rib cactus furniture in my home. I just added a more natural stain to the wood and really like the contrast with the ribs.

The photos you saw the past three days shows the beauty and stature of the Saguaro cacti when alive.

After the Saguaro dies, however, we can use the ribs of the saguaro cactus for other uses, such as the example of the bench displayed in the photos.

I really like having the saguaro ribs --which I grew up with in the desert as a child -- around me in my home.

The colorful painting is from Oaxaca, Mexico from 2002. The artist is Doris Arellano Manzo. Oaxaca, Mexico is a fabulous place to visit with phenomenal history and culture and it is a city of artists. We like to go during the Guelaguetza, which is an annual festival by all of the indigenous cultures around Oaxaca.

I also am just finishing up five weeks of home renovation work.

I did not take photos of the renovation because I want to forget how miserable it is to do substantial construction work including electrical, plumbing, framing, painting, flooring, lighting, and more.

I have added Asian red and eggplant accent walls throughout our house. You can see the Asian red paint on the wall in the photo. I will be very glad to unpack everything and see and enjoy the finished product!

Up Close Crested Saguaro with Flower

Look at the texture and patterns of this magnificent green Saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert. The beautiful white Saguaro flower is opening.

Bats love the nectar of this flower and it is great to watch them come to it. I am anxious to one day capture a photo of a bat drinking nectar from the saguaro flower.

Remember from my earlier cactus posts, each of these cactus arms and ribs are very, very heavy.

When the cactus dies, the Saguaro ribs are great to use for other items. I like to be around natural woods, stones, etc.

I have saguaro ribs used in my bedroom furniture and it is gorgeous and makes me feel at home. I am an Arizona desert rat after all.

Crested Saguaro Caused By Fasciation

This is one of my favorite Saguaros. You also can see the fruit and flower amid the blue sky.

I took this photo with my new camera and new lens and you can see the difference as compared to an old photo I posted of this similar cactus. This photo is strikingly better.

Note the holes where birds live and the flowers and fruit that are ripening.

Picking Saguaro fruit is not easy. The saguaros are extremely tall and you do not want to damage the cactus when getting the fruit down. Look for a close-up of the Saguaro flower tomorrow.

An Arizona Purple Sunset

I am so lucky to live in Arizona with its gorgeous sunsets. You can see the hues of purple and orange radiating and backlighting the tall saguaro cacti.

You can see from the silhouettes that these saguaro are laden with fruit.

I will be sharing more about the Saguaro fruit soon as I was fortunate to go on quite an adventure to pick the fruit with Tohono O'Odham Native Americans in the desert South of the Valley, near Tucson.

Tomorrow I will show a Saguaro with fruit and a flower. I will complete the series on the entire process of Saguaro, the fruit, the flower, and the results soon but for now I want you to see what the Saguaro cacti look like at night and up close during the flowering and fruit season.

A Gigantic Boulder Larger Than Some Houses

Today's theme day for all city daily photo bloggers is "BIG."

Well, this photo shows a gigantic boulder. It does not look real. It looks like we are in a small model of a community with houses, grass and saguaro cactus. Enlarge the photo for the full effect of BIG!

When these houses and golf course were built, they were built around this gigantic boulder. This area is at the Boulders Resort and Spa in North Scottsdale. The resort name fits perfectly for today's photo.

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