Windmill In The Desert (November 21, 2022)– Image by kenne
This image was taken near Bear Creek Trail, where we explored the Sabino Creek and Bear Creek area and an old Hohokam archeological site.
Check here for more images the this Monday’s SCVN hike.
— kenne
Sgt. 1st Class Lance Amsden, platoon sergeant for the 1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 501st Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne),
25th Infantry Division, watches as CH-47 Chinook Helicopters circle above during a dust storm at Forward Operating Base Kushamond, Afghanistan, July 17,
during preparation for an air-assault mission.
— Army Flickr Stream
On this Veteran’s Day, in honor of those who served and died, I share this song written and recorded by Tom Russell, which was also recorded by Johnny Cash.
One of the blogs I follow is So Far From Heaven. Old Jules writes about his old running buddy, Phil:
“I hadn’t thought about my old running buddy, Phil, for a while. That last blog entry got me chewing on thoughts of him. I’ll tell you a bit more about him.
Phil went to the Marine Corps as the result of being a 17-year-old driving from Temple, Texas, to Austin with a case of beer in the car. A Williamson County Sheriff’s Deputy stopped him on a tail light violation, asked for his driver’s license, and saw the case of beer. Old Phil, being a clever youth, gave the officer a Texas Drivers License with an altered date of birth so’s to keep from being arrested as a minor in possession of alcoholic beverages.”
Veteran’s Day
Well I used to hang out down at the VFW hall
And stare at the photographs up on the wall
Of the neighborhood boys that died
in the wars we’ve been through
And the hand lettered sign that said
remember Jimmy McGrew
Well Jimmy went to Nam back in 1965
But there’s a lot of men here that think
Jimmy McGrew’s still alive
Though they carved his name
on a stone in Washington DC
His brother said that stone
don’t prove a thing to me
It’s veteran’s day and the skies are gray
Leave the uniforms home cause
there ain’t gonna be a parade
But we’ll fill up a glass for the ones
that didn’t make it through
And leave a light in the window tonight
for Jimmy McGrew
Well I used to hang out down at the VFW hall
And stare at the photographs up on the wall
Of the neighborhood boys that died
in the wars we’ve been through
And the hand lettered sign that said
remember Jimmy McGrew
Well Jimmy went to Nam back in 1965
But there’s a lot of men here that think
Jimmy McGrew’s still alive
Though they carved his name
on a stone in Washington DC
His brother said that stone
don’t prove a thing to me
It’s veteran’s day and the skies are gray
Leave the uniforms home cause
there ain’t gonna be a parade
But we’ll fill up a glass for the ones
that didn’t make it through
And leave a light in the window tonight
for Jimmy McGrew
— Tom Russell
There’s a narrow trail that you have to scramble up a few feet before heading down under twisted alligator junipers. The best way to experience these ancient hoodoos along the Catalina Highway is to attack them from the rear, sorta speak.
This SCVN Friday Hike was to have two parts; explore the hoodoos followed by a hike from the Gordon Hirabayashi Campgrounds to Molino Basin. The hoodoos segment was led by naturalist Edi Moore, who is s long-time member of the Monday Morning Milers (MMM). The MMM was the first hiking group I begin hiking with after moving to Tucson. It was with the MMM that I first had an opportunity to explore the Catalina Highway Hoodoos. Of the 20 hikers on this Friday, Edi and I were the only ones to which this experience was not new. The views in and around the hoodoos are something else.
— kenne
Images by kenne
Click here to see more Catalina Highway Hoodoo photos.
Guess Who’s Getting Splashed??
Ty Markey and Pedro Macuapa Balsa Wood Rafting In Madidi National Park — Images by kenne
By day three on the Tuichi River the water was less red and lower causing more rapids to appear going down river.
Click here to see more images.
Eyespot Butterfly — Image by kenne
While on our Madidi National Park adventure, I took approximately 1000 photos, most of which will only be seen by blog followers and those who visit my Flickr account. Of those photos, I have uploaded 20 butterfly and moth images, which you can see by clicking here. I was not on a butterfly expedition, having very little knowledge of butterflies, especially in the Amazon. However, I love photographing and sharing butterfly images.
If you are interested in more information on Madidi National Park’s diverse ecosystems for plants and animals you might start with this posting from Mongabay: News & Inspiration from Nature’s Frontline — Expedition finds butterfly bonanza in Bolivian national park (PHOTOS).
— kenne
Ty Markey checks out the landscape at the Valley of the Moon (Chick Here for more Images)
Moon Valley, located 6+ miles from downtown of La Paz is where you will find impressive formations, composed mainly of clay were created by the persistent erosion of mountains and by the area’s strong winds and rains.
— kenne
I-10 In southern New Mexico going into Arizona — Image by kenne
Dust devils come and go
across the flat land
of southern New Mexico
beneath a clear blue sky
with only a few white puffs
over distant mountains
providing a backdrop
for as long as the eye can see
on a long straight highway
with vultures circling above
and occasional overpasses
with towering signs near exits
tempting our stiffening bodies
by giving us a sense of home,
if your home is
McDonald’s golden arches.
We feel lonely even though
we are not alone
making us wish for
a bend in the road.
Instead, we are distracted
by counting vultures and old
railroad cars on tracks running
parallel to this lonely highway.
(Now we know what happens to beat-up old cars,
they are parked in the desert southwest.)
I with my Goldfish,
she with her sunflower seeds,
we try to settle down
for few hundred more miles
before crossing into Arizona
just south of the old
Butterfield Stagecoach route
through Doubtful Canyon.
Not complaining,
over 100 years ago
we would have been traveling
by stagecoach through
Doubtful Canyon rather
than a modern Interstate
escaping any chance of
being attack by Apaches.
(See a photo essay of Doubtful Canyon on Flickr. Enjoy!)
— kenne
Doubtful Canyon — Image by kenne
Hiking the Romero Pools Trail In the Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
(Larger Slideshow View of Romero Pools on Flickr)
— Paulo Coelho
Recently I received a comment on a July 11, 2008 posting, “Our Zen Fountain”.
The writer wanted to know where I got the supplies. The concrete pieces
were made in Mexico, but it has now been eight years
since the project, so I no longer have specific information.
The inquiry brought back memories of this work of love.
As I wrote at the time, we waited six weeks for the final concrete piece.
The location of the fountain is near of deck
under a canopy of pine and crape myrtle trees,
which made for a beautiful setting.
Images by kenne
Soon after completing the project, Kiko our 17 year old cat died.
We buried him in the fountain landscape area making the Zen Fountain
a memorial fountain for Kiko.
This project was my favorite landscape project ever.
Two years later we move from The Woodlands, Texas
to Tucson where we have a patio fountain,
but no fountain will replace this very special fountain —
“Our Zen Fountain”.
— kenne
(CLICK ON ANY OF THE IMAGES TO SEE A LARGER VIEW IN A SLIDESHOW FORMAT.)
March 2015 Flowers In Our Desert Yard — Images by kenne (See on Flickr)
This blog frequently posts images of wildflowers in the Sonoran desert,
to the neglect of domestic flowers in our yard.
So, it’s their turn to be shared.
What’s not to love about flowers, domestic or wild?
— kenne
Brittlebush Blooming Everywhere In Picacho Peak State Park — Images by kenne
Friend, Tom Markey and I spent a recent morning hiking in the Park and so much is in full bloom.
This posting focuses on brittlebush images with many more wildflowers to come.
Click here to see more brittlebush images in a slideshow format.
My daughter, Kate and her family (Matt, Nick and Jaxon) and I walked a trail near the Poudre River northwest of Ft. Collins, Colorado (September 14, 2014).
Click on and of the tiled images for a larger view in a slideshow format,or view the images in my Flickr account.
I have other photos of this beautiful country I will be sharing in future postings. — Images by kenne
Heavy monsoon rains create flash-flood conditions in Sabino Canyon (September 5, 2014) — Images by kenne
Flickr
SCVN Lizard Walk (August 9, 2014) — Images by kenne
(CLICK ON ANY OF THE IMAGES TO SEE LARGER VIEW IN A SLIDE SHOW FORMAT.
You can also go to my Flickr account to see all 22 photos taken yesterday.)
The trail begins merciful,
level and wide for
our first steps.
The sun greeting us
rising above the mountains
warming the morning air.
Our path is straight
into the canyon
through winter’s brown.
Soon the trail narrows
turning left, then right
with carved rock stairs.
The pace slows as
fellow hikers snake-line
up the steep slopes.
As we near the first ridge,
the sky seems smaller,
staying alert with each step.
Hiking the lower canyon walls,
soon we reach the first saddle,
we break for the vistas.
Seeing no bighorn sheep,
only white rocks mistook
for their white rumps.
Climbing up and
around the next ridge,
water flowing from its top.
A steep drop in the trail
beckons thoughts of yet
another ridge to climb.
Reaching a thousand feet
above the trailhead before
hiking down to the pools.
Winter rains have provided
plenty of water for breathtaking
views of the pools and falls.
Spring break will bring
students’ cliff jumping into
the deeper Romero Pools.
I share a silent moment
above the pools with
only my shadow companion.
— kenne
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL PHOTOS OF HIKING ROMERO POOLS TRAIL, JANUARY 2015.
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