Photo: Haboob warning

We have not had any haboobs yets this monsoon season, which is just beginning.  We did have one haboob warning last week, but the wind outburst did not escalate into a haboob.

This is a photo from my office of a haboob as it moved across central Phoenix.  Fortunately, these are very rare, and the blow through in a few minutes.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the Great Synagogue of Budapest, Hungary.  It is a unique, amazing building.

Photo: Monsoon Clouds over the McDowell Mountains

The enormity of these monsoon clouds is revealed by the fact that barely visible beneath them like a ribbon across the horizon are the McDowell Mountains that frame Scottsdale.  The clouds

This is another (iPhone) photo of the monsoon clouds from last weekend.  We went to the top of the parking garage at Scottsdale Memorial Hospital to reach this vantage point.

This week we have photos of the wildlife and people of Tanzania posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Monsoon Clouds over Piestewa Peak

This is a view of one of the massive monsoon clouds that form in the afternoon during mid July until early September.  The days start clear, then billowing clouds form, soar, and occasionally condense into brief thunderstorms.

The size of these clouds is placed into perspective by the fact that the clouds dwarf Piestewa Peakin the center of the photo, and it is 1,175 feet (368 m) above the Valley floor.

This is an iPhone photo taken from our office in central Phoenix last weekend.

This week we have photos of the wildlife and people of Tanzania posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Leaving On a Jet Plane

Here is a photo looking out at the sky and earth from a window on a plane.

I like this photo.  The sky and earth appears zen like.

We often like to take photos from planes.  We hope for clean and unscratched windows on the plane so we can take photos.

It is brutal heat lately in Arizona so we all think about getting away for awhile when we are experiencing the summer heat in the Valley.

We have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua.

Photo: Agave Sculpture in the Sky

Agave plants send up a tall stalk with seeds and flowers before they die.  This is the stalk of an agave in our yard silhouetted against the eastern sky on a day with thin clouds that caught the color of the sun setting in the West.

We have lots of agave plants in our yard.  In addition to dropping seeds, they sent out shoots that sprout new plants.  When on agave dies, there are often 5 or 6 small agave plants already growing in close proximity to the spot where the large agave died.  We often cut away the small plants and give them to friends to plant in their yards.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site. This week I am showing another installment of photos from the bottom of the Grand Canyon taken during my recent raft trip through the Canyon.

Photo: Camelback Monsoon

Here is a photo I took of one of the monsoon storms in the Valley.

This sky is right over Camelback Mountain and I took this photo from Scottsdale Fashion Square, located at the corner of Scottsdale Road and Camelback.

The clouds were so pretty and the backlighting from sunset was divine.

We are showing photos of the bottom of the Grand Canyon on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site this week.

Photo: Beautiful Sky and Desert

Happy Monday!

Here is  a photo of our beautiful Sonoran Desert.

We are so lucky in Arizona and our desert can be green. We have great hiking but take lots of water!

Enjoy our travel photos of my river raft trip down the Grand Canyon at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Stormy Sunset

Here is a photo of a stormy sunset over the mountains.

We are looking forward to monsoon season so we can try to capture lightning bolts across the sky and over mountains.

A good walk to talk at sunrise or sunset is through Papago Park. It is an easy walk and quite pretty with great vistas and so close!  Take lots of water!

Enjoy our travel photos of my river raft trip down the Grand Canyon at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Approaching Storm

Here is a photo of a potential monsoon night.

Our desert monsoon season is upon us.

This year I hope to capture some lighting during a monsoon storm. The power of lightning is rather awesome to observe and feel.

I took this photo right outside my front door in Scottsdale. There are lots of palm trees in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley.

And, the restaurant Elements at Sanctuary Resort & Spa is hosting an amazing lunch and learn series with Chef Beau MacMillan. There are lunches and dinners to join and culinary experts to teach you and the best part is you get to eat the scrumptious meals that are created, as well as take home recipes.  For reservations call 480.948.2100.

Enjoy our travel photos of my river raft trip through the Grand Canyon at Viva la Voyage!

Photo: Venus over our house

With the extra large moon last weekend, I guessed  that Venus might be especially bright, as the moon was reflecting extra light, and the extra light might also reflect off of Venus.

So, looking back in the opposite direction of the moon revealed Venus in the western sky, and it was indeed clear and bright, even though no stars were yet visible.

The lights in the foreground are the landscaping lights in the front yard of our house.  All of the lights inside the house were off so the "light pollution" would not diminish the light of venus.  We had the landscaping lights redone about a year ago, as it was too much of a nuisance to keep replacing the bulbs that burned out in our old landscape lighting.  The new lights are supposed to last for many years before changing.

The second photo is a similar view of our house with Venus in the sky the following night, with the lights on inside the house.

We have new travel photos posted at Viva la Voyage from our wonderful trip to Buddhist Bhutan.

Photo: Super Moon

Last weekend's Super Moon was 16% larger than normal.  This photo shows the moon as its light was penetrating a wispy layer of clouds.  The clouds caused the extra marbling, and the dark spot in the top half of the moon is a cloud blocking the reflected light.

The extra large moon meant more reflected light.  I will show the effects of that in my post tomorrow.

I did not have my good camera and good lenses available during the moon rise.  This photo was taken with a semi-automatic camera, 15 times zoom, held by hand.

We have new travel photos posted at Viva la Voyage from our wonderful trip to Buddhist Bhutan.

Photo: Two Palms Against the Blue Sky

Happy Thursday!

Here is a photo of two tall, intertwined palms against the vibrant blue sky that are on a golf course at McCormick Ranch in Scottsdale.

Enjoy critters and plants of Cape Breton Island at our Viva la Voyagetravel photo site.

Photo: Billowy Cloud and Palm Trees

Here is a photo I took out my front door of this interesting sky.

The billowy cloud looked like it was rolling down the street towards our house.

Check out our new travel photos on Viva la Voyage of the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile. These photos show more of the mountains. This is a unique area of volcanoes and the Andes mountains in the driest desert on earth. With all of the publicity about a little more than one year ago with the miraculous rescue of the Chilean miners in the Atacama, you should come visit our site to see how harsh the conditions can be.

Photo: Clouds Meet Sky

Here is a photo of an ominous evening sky where bright light shone on the top of the cloud, while the rest of the sky looked orange.

Check out our travel photos of the magical lands of the Atacama desert in Chile at Viva La Voyage!

Photo: Glorious Sunset

Here is a photo of a glorious sunset with a storm teasing the sky.

This is a photo from my backyard towards the mountain.

I always am grateful to be able to enjoy this special view. I feel so lucky.

Check out our travel photos of world famous Villa de Este in Italy at Viva La Voyage!

Photo: Perspective of Clouds on a Building

Happy Theme Day!

The theme is perspective. I chose clouds on a building looking to the sky.

This is the building I work in and it is such a fabulous place to work.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Check out our travel photos of world famous Villa de Este in Italy at Viva La Voyage!

Photo: Storm Arrives

Here is a photo of the haboob arriving on the street where our office building is located.

You can see the blue sky getting blotted out with the yellow dust wall as it descends on downtown Phoenix.

At least these dust storms are not that dangerous. They are far safer than hurricanes or tornados.

Check out fabulous travel photos from Chicago at Viva La Voyage!

Photo: Haboob Wall of Dust

Here is another photo of the haboob wall of dust that we experienced.

This photo was taken from the 24th floor of our office building.

Look at the size of the wall of dust compared to the large mountain that the dust is rolling towards.

Check out fabulous travel photos from Atacama, Chile at Viva La Voyage!

Photo: A Haboob

Here is a photo of the haboob we experienced in the Valley last night.

What a wall of dust.

They call it a haboob.

We have had three this year and I don't ever remember seeing them here before.

Check out fabulous travel photos from Atacama, Chile at Viva La Voyage!

Photo: Fire in the Sky

Here is a sky that looks like it is in fire.

The monsoon season in

Arizona makes for a very interesting colors in the sky.

Check out beautiful travel photos of Lake Como and Bellagio at Viva La Voyage!