Image by kenne
Catalina Storm
the storm came in
like it owned the place.
the foothills went dark,
the saguaros stood there
taking it.
that’s the thing about the desert—
months of begging for rain,
then acting surprised
when it finally shows up.
Archive for the ‘Santa Catalina Mountains’ Tag
Catalina Storm 1 comment
The Case of Mistaken Identity Leave a comment
Queen Butterfly — Image by kenne
The Case of Mistaken Identity
To the untrained eye,
this queen butterfly is a monarch—
just another orange traveler
floating through the morning sun
as if it had nowhere special to be.
But lean in a little closer.
Notice the absence of those dark veins,
the subtler markings,
the slightly different arrangement
of nature’s handwriting.
It is like mistaking one hiker for another
from across the ridge,
until they wave
and remind you
that everyone carries
a distinct face into the world.
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Plume Thistle 2 comments
Plume Thistle On The Sunset Trail — Image by kenne
The trail winds upward
through oak and pine,
and there it stands—
the plume thistle,
guarded on all sides.
No one reaches for it.
No one gathers it
into a bouquet.
Yet the bees know better.
They arrive humming,
certain of the treasure
within the fortress.
I remember how often
the world mistakes protection
for hostility,
and caution
for indifference.
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Yellow Salsify Seed Heads Leave a comment
Yellow Salsify seeds — Image by kenne
Before the leaves have turned,
before the mountains
have lost their summer haze,
the salsify knows.
Its seeds rise
into the cooling air,
announcing a season
the rest of us
have not yet noticed.
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No Drama In This Sky Leave a comment
Santa Catalina Mountains — Image by kenne
No drama in this sky,
no thunder, no blaze—
just a quiet occupation
of white under gray.
The mountain breathes slowly
under its coverlet of cloud.
And something in me
loosens,
as if certainty were never
the point at all.
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Bearded Penstemon On Mt. Lemmon Leave a comment
Bearded Penstemon — Image by kenne
Bearded penstemons catch the dawn,
Holding drops of silver light.
Hummingbirds dart branch to branch,
Greeting flowers through the bright.
The mountain air is cool and clear,
The canyon streams begin to sing.
Every bloom along the slope
Whispers softly, “It is spring.”
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Fly Ptiliodexia on Mountain Wildflower Leave a comment
Fly Ptilodexia on Mountain Wildflower — Photo-artistry by kenne
Balanced on delicate petals,
the fly explores a world of color and scent.
What seems ordinary at first glance
becomes extraordinary through the lens,
revealing nature’s intricate connections.
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Regal Horned Lizard Closeup 4 comments
Regal Horned Lizard — Image by kenne
“Horned toad,” they often say,
but names can miss the truth.
This close-up reveals a reptile warrior,
its scales etched like weathered sandstone,
its horns standing guard above calm eyes.
Neither toad nor myth,
but a regal horned lizard—
one of the desert’s most remarkable creations.
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Bearded Penstemon Along The Mountain Trail Leave a comment
Bearded Penstemons — Image by kenne
High upon the mountain trail,
Where pine and aspen share the breeze,
The bearded penstemon blooms bright
Among the grasses and the trees.
Its petals gather drops of rain,
Its stems bend lightly in the wind,
Yet every blossom seems to hold
The strength of stone beneath its skin.
When sunset paints the distant peaks
In amber, rose, and fading gold,
The penstemon keeps its quiet watch,
A mountain treasure to behold.
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Spring Awakening In the Santa Catalina Mountains 2 comments
Spring Awakening -- Image by kenne
Along the mountain's winding trail,
Spring scatters blossoms on the breeze.
Purple lupines sway and bow,
While golden poppies light the leaves.
The Santa Catalinas glow
In shades of yellow, red, and blue.
Each blossom is a mountain song,
Brief, bright, and forever true.
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Marine Blue Butterflies 2 comments
Marine Blue Butterflies — Image by kenne
The marine blue butterfly wears
its colors like a living watercolor,
drifting between gray and blue
as it dances through the air,
each turn of its wings
creating a new masterpiece of light.
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She Asked To Hike In Sabino Canyon With Us 2 comments
A Desire to Hike In Sabino Canyon — Image by kenne
She was visiting from Eastern Europe
and wanted to see the desert on foot.
Sabino Canyon unfolded before her step by step—
a landscape of stone, cactus, and sky—
while friendship bridged the miles between our worlds.
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Silver-spotted Skipper 1 comment
Silver-spotted Skipper, a Little Rough Around the Edges — Image by kenne
To look at this skipper
is to confront the aesthetic of use.
The roughness at the margins suggests a history
we cannot access directly, only infer.
Unlike the pristine specimen, which invites admiration,
this one demands interpretation.
It asks:
what does it mean for a living form
to bear the marks of its own survival?
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Hiking Into The Morning Sun 3 comments
Hiking into the Morning Sun — Image by kenne
The desert does not hurry us.
Even the sun takes its time
climbing the ridge,
spilling light into every hollow.
We hike, and something in us
loosens—
as if the day is not something to conquer,
but something to meet
with open arms.
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Where Were You 5 comments
Image and Poem by kenne
