Sunset at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah. The spot of blue is the Colorado River reflecting the sky.

A white ibis preens at a wildlife sanctuary in eastern South Carolina.

Wild desert penstemon in full summer bloom with juniper tree bokeh in the background.

I loved this pool, which my husband discovered and took me on a hike to see one sunset evening. Loved it so much, in fact, that I took about a million pictures. See a completely different view here.

We’ve been away from home for a few days, visiting my husband’s family. A visit to a local butterfly garden yielded this gorgeous monarch. I was loving the textures and patterns so much, I converted it to black and white in order to show them off better.

Lots of dark pictures lately. Let’s lighten up, shall we? This flower photo is from my garden right after an evening rain storm. I love how the flowers that are just past their prime begin curling into weird shapes. Much more interesting than the perfect, sunny, fully open ones.

Over Memorial Day weekend we took three (rainy) days to float the San Juan River in southeastern Utah. One evening as we set up camp near my favorite San Juan Rock Formation – the Navajo Tapestry – a thunderstorm blew through, turning the sunset light golden and the sky a bruised dark purple and blue. I abandoned tent setup and raced to a knoll with my tripod and camera. I made it back to my tent just as the wind picked up and the first splotches of rain came down.

There are so many photos out there of Utah’s famous Delicate Arch that I wanted to do something a little different. To add a little flavor, I tried a bunch of actions and ended up with the Old West one by Pioneer Woman. I know it won’t be to everyone’s taste but I found it fun, and at least it’s different!

P.S. The photo was taken through a nearby arch, hence the black around the edges and the different angle.

Rain drops bead on cactus blossoms. Found along the San Juan River in southeastern Utah.

The Basil puts his dukes up, ready for a little play fighting.