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The "Desert Agave" grows in the lower elevations of the Sonoran and Majavi deserts where it is hot and dry. The leaves have a distinct cyan/bluish tinge and are quite thick, and can grow up to 27 inches in length. The pronounced teeth along leaf edges are dark-tipped, a third of an inch long, and like most agave the underside of each leaf bears a permanent imprint of the teeth from the once underlying leaf (created when the two were growing together). The black tips are really sharp so you don’t want to back into one by accident (!), as I found out not long ago when I recently transplanted one ....ouch! I cropped this photo so that it leans (if you will) towards an abstract view; notice how I’m only showing part of agave. I love the flow (the diagonal and horizontal lines), the “teeth” and subtle colors. This photo would look great as a stand alone statement piece or blend well with a busier desert photo.
True to my nature (curiously; wondering what’s down that road), I was on my way to Wickenburg, when I decided to look for some photographic opportunities and potential boondocking sites in the Lake Pleasant area, south-west of Phoenix. A short distant from the Phoenix area, the world changes. To arrive here, I drove down a dusty gravel road, through small mountainous valleys and rocky gorges. The area was notably, densely covered with saguaro trees. As the lake came into view, I noted how intriguing it was to see both saguaro trees and a lake in one “frame”. Driving further north I noticed the sun’s reflection in the lake and stopped to take a photo. I carefully placed my feet as I made my way down the prickly pear embankment and framed this shot when suddenly a truck barreled past. Seeing the dust, my first instinct was to run back to the truck however I knew I wouldn’t make it there in time (so I ate the dust, lol) but to my surprise the dust lofted down into my frame! Although my camera (and myself) got sugar coated with dust, I was elated to get this shot! I absolutely love the softness and muted colors of this photo and how the dust (which looks like fog) adds to the interesting combination of sun, lake reflections and sky.
The Nuthatch I've recently discovered an interest in birding and bird photography, so when I saw a road sign in Patagonia Arizona for a bird sanctuary I had to check it out. Patagonia is known for its hummingbirds but perhaps I was there a bit too early to see these migratory birds because I didn’t see any during the two days that I was there. I did however see many other birds, including this White Breasted Nuthatch White Breasted Nuthatches can typically be found in the woodlands across North America; from Canada to Mexico and Florida. Although these birds are small they are certainly one of the noisiest birds in the woodland. Interestingly, you’ll often see them walking upside down, down a tree; they do that to find food that the other birds might have missed as they climb up the tree. They get their name from their habit of jamming nuts and acorns into the bark of a tree and then pecking it with their sharp bill to “hatch” out the seed. They typically live from 2 to 3.5 years but have been known to live for up to 10 years, and like many birds they mate for life.
