Photo: White Dove of the Desert

Here is a photo of San Xavier del Bac, commonly referred to as the White Dove of the Desert.

Enlarge this photo to see the dramatic sky and architectural features.

This is a special church in Arizona. It is historic, is still in use as an active church, but it is in danger as the restoration that was planned for the right tower has been delayed for more than a year now because of state budget issues. We hope the restoration is made a priority soon.

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Photo: Bee in Cactus Flower in Desert

Here is a photo of a bee getting pollen from a cactus flower blooming in the hot desert.

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Photo: Which Way Did He Go?

Here is a photo of a saguaro cactus with many arms sprouting from the main center of the tall, stately saguaro.

You can compare yesterday's photo to this photo to see how the saguaro looks when the cactus dies and only the saguaro ribs are left standing.

It is very rare to see this many arms sprouting from a cactus. It takes 80 years before even one arm grows from a saguaro.

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Photo: Saguaro Ribs Standing Tall

Here is an interesting photo of a Saguaro cactus that has died, but its inner ribs are still standing tall.

Many people go in the desert and search for these saguaro ribs and then use the material to make furniture.

I have several items in my house the include saguaro ribs and I really like have these items around. I grew up in the desert so they are familiar items to me and they look gorgeous.

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Photo: The Blue Door

Here is a photo of a blue wooden door.

I like the wood work and texture and thought it was perfect for Sunday.

The image has so much character and looked like art to me.

Today is Sunday, which means new travel photos. Check out photos of the Art of London, England at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Agave Leaf Being Born

This photo shows an Agave leaf melded to the base getting ready to separate and become a leave.

It is very interesting to see the outline of the agave leave, which will look like the other ones to the right once the leave separates from the stalk.

The texture also looks almost like velvet.

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Photo: Macro of an Orchid

Here is a macro photo of the inside of an orchid.

I had light in the back of the orchid so the colors were move vibrant.

I think this looks like a painting, but it is real and this is how it looked up close.

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Photo: Fire in the Sky

Here is a photo at sunset and the clouds look like they are on fire. Enlarge for more details.

The big backlit cloud is billowing upwards into the air almost like a fire, but it is just being lit by the sun at the end of the day.

The other clouds remained white and blue.

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Photo: Peach Faced Lovebirds

Here is a photo of a group of peach-faced lovebirds hanging in the tree at sunset.

They are so loud.

They are also very colorful and like to chew on nuts and mesquite beans.

One of the birds is looking right at us while the others are turning away in a shy and timid mode.

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Photo: Gorgeous Cactus Flower

My favorite cactus flower has bloomed.

The photo shows how gorgeous the colors are and they change by the minute.

The flower only lives in its fully glory about one hour.

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Photo: Sunset Clouds

Here is another photo of a colorful sunset with interesting clouds with Papago Mountain in the forefront.

I love it at this time of year when Arizona has so many moods at sunset. I wish I could hike every night and see these beautiful scenes.

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Photo: Saguaros and Sunset

Here is another photo of a great Arizona scene: Saguaro cacti and orange sunset.

I took this while hiking on Camelback Mountain and reaching my camera way out on a rock ledge to try to get the sunset colors along with skyline, South Mountain and Saguaros.

Today is Sunday so that means new travel photos. Check out the gorgeous photos of Villa Monastero in Varenna, Italy at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Camelback Mountain From the North

This photo was taken at Sunset of the North Side of Camelback Mountain near the West end of the mountain.

You can see the houses at the base of the mountain.

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Photo: The Night Sky

Here is a photo of the deep blue night sky at dusk backlighting the many clouds making this photo look like a dappled painting.

I like the color and texture of the sky. I took this photo from my front yard.

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Photo: Praying Monk at Sunset

This photo is of the Praying Monk on Camelback Mountain taken at sunset while I was eating in the Praying Monk room at the Sanctuary, a great resort.

I like the glow of the sunset on the red rock and the angle of this rock formation looks like a praying monk.

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Photo: Moonlight and Agave Flower Stalk

Here is a photo taken of the 20 foot tall center stalk filled with flowers that grew from the Blue Agave cactus in my yard.

I took this photo at night with moonlit clouds. The moon is very bright.

My cactus finally died but I did get some great photos to share of the center stalk shooting to the sky.

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Photo: Agave Points

Here is a photo of the agave points from a large blue agave cactus.

I used a kelvin filter to bring out blues and pinks and then played with tints until I brought out the rose colored hues that actually are part of this cactus.

Just before the tip of each agave, it looks like a sliver of a glowing light.

These points are really sharp and will stick right into your muscle in your arm, as I have done this. Some people cut off the agave tips to avoid injury but I would not do so. They are part of the beauty of the plant.

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Photo: Birthday Firework Flowers

I have been doing a tradition on my birthday of posting firework photos that I have taken that look like flowers. Happy Birthday to everyone.

I think it is just my excuse to post firework photos at odd times of the year since we all know how hard it is to get good fireworks images.

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Photo: Yoga in the Clouds

Enlarge this photo to see the yoga pose of this person on top of Papago Mountain amid the clouds near sunset.

Truly awesome pose. You can see the strength and stillness and feel the power of being on top of the world alone with the clouds.

Today is Sunday so that means new travel photos. Check out the sculptured look of Santa Fe at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Blue Sky and Camelback Mountain

This photo shows the vibrant blue sky above Camelback Mountain.

The skies have been so fascinating this past month that I have taken a lot of sky photos to share.

The profile and patterns of the clouds make for a dynamic sky.

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Photo: Brilliant Arizona Sunset

Here is a photo of the light show at sunset with the colorful clouds high above Camelback Mountain.

The light shows in the evening are truly spectacular.

Many people move to Scottsdale, Arizona for the dry heat and the remarkable sunsets and beautiful deserts.

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Photo: Monsoon and Towers

We have had very interesting monsoon skies lately. Here is a photo of a monsoon starting late in the day.

The color and towers make for an interesting scene.

What is the worst storm you have ever been in?

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Photo: House on a Hillside

Here is a photo of one of the many houses built on one of the hillsides.

We have many of these types of residences.

Would you prefer living on the flat ground just far enough away to see a great view of the mountain at all hours of the day or night, or living on the side of a mountain where you look out from the mountain to the city lights and houses?

I prefer the view looking up at the mountain. I have shared many photos on this site of the views of Camelback Mountain from my bedroom and I really do enjoy looking up at the mountain.

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Photo: Side View of 1925 Courthouse

Here is a side view of the Maricopa County Courthouse in downtown Phoenix.

It was built in 1925 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The building used to be both the County Courthouse and Phoenix City Hall until 1963.

This is the last day in my three day photo series on this historic building.

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Photo: Antique Light in Courthouse

Here is a photo of the light fixture in the Maricopa County Courthouse.

I like it when I get to go to work in this old courthouse. I like the feel of historic places.

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Photo: Maricopa County Courthouse

Here is a photo of Maricopa County's Courthouse, which is located in Downtown Phoenix.

I like the historic look and great architecture of the building. Remember, Arizona has a lot of new architecture but not that many historic buildings.

And, historic buildings for Arizona are not that old compared to other countries. Arizona became a state in 1912.

Some movies and television shows use the courtrooms in this building because they are the classic old courtrooms.

Today is Sunday so that means travel day. Check out the Birds, Bridge and Bats of Sydney, Australia at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Cool Bluish Grey Full Moon

I took this photo of the full moon and still find the moon so interesting to look at and study its topography.

I like being able to see the details and craters of the moon.

I need to try taking photos with a telescope as I have never done that. Have you ever taken photos with a telescope? How did the photos turn out?

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Photo: Monsoon Storm

Here is a photo of a monsoon storm arriving in the Valley of the Sun.

We get a lot of monsoons in August. I still want to take photos of lightning strikes but the right moment has not occurred yet.

I was fortunate to capture the color and the rain coming down at sunset.

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Photo: Downtown Phoenix Skyline at Sunset

Here is a photo at sunset of Phoenix's downtown skyline.

The colors in the sky were breathtaking and the silhouette turned out quite well.

I took this photo while hiking at Papago Park.

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Photo: People Are the Festival

Enlarge this photo to see some great people shots in the crowd.

Can you see the guy in black and white?

There are many interesting and engaged people attending this Native American Hoop Dance Festival at the Heard Museum and there are lots of great things being sold at this market.

And then look at the person competing who is rolling his hoop. All spectator eyes are on him.

Today is theme day and the theme is Festivals and Outdoor markets.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

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