Going against the grain
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Going against the grain

My cat Foxy is small, but fiercely independent. She knows what she likes when she likes it. For this afternoon nap, she chose to sleep crossways in this cat basket with one ear completely covered, even though, clearly, the right way to do it was just the opposite. But who is to say which might…

Breathless with the delight
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Breathless with the delight

How long has it been since you’ve had a friend wind you up in a swing and then let go and you spin so fast that suddenly you are staying in one spot but the world is spinning in a widening circle around you and you are breathless with delight? The swings are still there.  …

Because she can
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Because she can

My cat Foxy has a corkscrew for a spine. I tried to figure out why she was doing this maneuver and finally concluded she chose this position because it felt good. In addition to the yoga pose Downward Dog, perhaps we need one called Curly Cat. The child is in me still…and sometimes not so…

The not-so-thirsty agave plant
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The not-so-thirsty agave plant

One of the fun things of being a photographer is that you get to go out in the elements when saner folks are at home, staying warm and dry on a stormy day. I did take an umbrella on this rainy afternoon, but gave up when I found it impossible to balance both bumbershoot and…

An eye for rust
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An eye for rust

As an aficionado of texture, when I came upon this old shack, I was in seventh heaven. Consider that great rusty barrel, the rain-stained wood, the stovepipe hanging at an angle, that old window missing one pane, the tattered, rusting side-panels. It was perfect! And then I discovered why is was perfect. It’s not real. This sheep…

Don’t always believe what you see
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Don’t always believe what you see

I was attracted to this spot by a smell that took me back to childhood, the wonderful aroma of grape Kool-Aid. This is a Texas Mountain Laurel, or Mescal Bean plant, native to the southwest. And then when I got there, I discovered this amazingly beautiful butterfly, a black Pipevine Swallowtail. One gives pleasure to…

My mind is like Fibber McGee’s closet
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My mind is like Fibber McGee’s closet

When I was poking about in Jerome’s suburbs one day, I came across this old shack. The roof was still intact, although patched with tin. The windows were gone, but that didn’t matter because there were plenty of openings to let in the great views. What struck me, though, were the myriad of things piled up in…

In the midst of winter
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In the midst of winter

One of the true joys of photography is that it refreshes the mind’s eye with things half-remembered, yet totally true. This picture of an aspen grove was taken one hot summer morning. The hiker and her dog ahead of me are enjoying the beautiful summer weather with me, a light breeze blowing, the heat on…

Squaring the circle
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Squaring the circle

Squaring the circle was an ancient Euclidean geometry problem that tried to construct a circle with the same area as a square. Mathematicians, being the type of people they are, thought this concept of perfection would be really cool to prove. Alas, it proved to be impossible. They spent countless hours over several centuries coming…

The delight of winter water
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The delight of winter water

Imagine standing by this water on a crisp winter day as the rush of cold breeze caresses your face. This is the Verde Valley’s Clear Creek at flood stage. In a normal flow, water is half this volume, but the creek bed anticipates change. Over the millennia the water has hollowed out a wide swath…