[Leica] what I did on my summer vacation

Thu Aug 15 10:13:20 PDT 2019

Great images Doug.

I agree about the Idiot Tourists who ignore warning signs, and common sense.

Cheers,
Gene

On Thu, Aug 15, 2019 at 9:11 AM Tina Manley via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
wrote:

> Amazing!  All of them.
>
> Tina
>
> On Wed, Aug 14, 2019 at 11:34 PM Doug Herr via LUG <lug at leica-users.org>
> wrote:
>
> > I've recently returned from a vacation with family (an oxymoron?) in
> > Arizona.
> >
> > My older granddaughter wanted to see the Grand Canyon and since I hadn't
> > been there since I was a wee lad it was our first destination. The south
> > rim is over-run with visitors, many of whom are breathtakingly ignorant.
> > Signs and verbal warnings about the dangers of falling into the canyon
> and
> > of feeding the cute squirrels who may be carrying bubonic plague are
> > routinely ignored. "There's a reason Condors were re-introduced here,
> it's
> > to clean up after the people who've fallen off the cliffs."
> >
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/cathartidae/gymnogyps/cacond01.html
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/corvidae/corvus/corave06.html
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/sciuridae/spermophilus/rosqui00.html
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/sciuridae/spermophilus/rosqui01.html
> >
> > Having said this, the Grand Canyon fully deserves its name; it's
> > spectacular even in the harsh light of high noon. In the limited time we
> > had, my older grandson and I were only able to hike a small portion of
> the
> > Bright Angel trail and what this did for me was whet my appetite for
> more.
> > During our time in the plateau of northern Arizona the annual monsoons
> > returned and stayed with us for the remainder of our visit. Torrential
> > thunderstorms bringing flash floods followed by spectacular evenings were
> > some of the highlights of the trip, at least for myself. I can't speak
> for
> > the rest of the family.
> > After the Grand Canyon we went toward Tucson and points south, to visit
> > the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum and a few small towns with legendary
> tales
> > in their pasts. This is the Sonora Desert: hot and dry until the monsoons
> > hit, with something less than a bazillion species of cactus along with
> > agaves, Ochotillo, Mesquite and Palo Verde trees and a surprising
> diversity
> > of wildlife superbly adapted to life in the desert: for example, the
> > Sonoran Desert Toad which burrows into the soil at the end of the monsoon
> > season and waits dormant for months until thunderstorms awaken it and it
> > digs its way out. Don't lick the toad, it skin secretes a hallucinogenic
> > toxin that can kill small dogs.
> >
> > The desert can be beautiful if you meet it on its own terms. If you fight
> > the desert, if you curse its heat and thorns, you will lose the battle.
> My
> > lifelong habit of being a 'morning person' was an advantage; several of
> my
> > best hikes were in the gentle warmth of the pre-dawn hours, and this
> > juncture between night and day is where nocturnal and diurnal critters
> > meet. My favorite wildlife encounter was on one of these pre-breakfast
> > walks. I had stopped to search for the source of a bird's song and while
> > waiting quietly a Javalina sauntered out of the brush and trotted within
> > 20' to munch on a cactus (genus Opuntia if I'm not mistaken). One slight
> > move and the little pig bolted back into the brush, never to be seen
> again.
> >
> > Evenings in the Sonoran Desert were darned near magical as the day's last
> > light lit the lingering thunderstorms which by this hour had tapered off
> to
> > a light drizzle and occasional distant lightning flash.
> >
> > I ought to mention that it's best to pay attention to that little 'check
> > engine' light. It might be expensive but fixing it means you'll get home
> > safely. BTW I can recommend Highway 92 Service Center in Bisbee Arizona.
> > This is a story for another time.
> >
> > One day was reserved for hummingbirds, first at the Paton Center for
> > Hummingbirds in Patagonia Arizona
> >
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/cynanthus/bbhumm00.html
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/cynanthus/bbhumm01.html
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/archilochus/bchumm23.html
> >
> > and later in the day in the hummingbird aviary at the Arizona Sonora
> > Desert Museum
> >
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/selasphorus/bthumm00.html
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/cynanthus/bbhumm02.html
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/cynanthus/bbhumm03.html
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/trochilidae/cynanthus/bbhumm04.html
> >
> > Our campsite was also a good location for critter photos
> >
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/leporidae/sylvilagus/decott06.html
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/mammals/leporidae/sylvilagus/decott07.html
> >
> > using the technique of hanging around long enough to become part of the
> > background scenery, these Cactus Wrens were quite cooperative
> >
> >
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/troglodytidae/campylorhynchus/ctwren02.html
> >
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/troglodytidae/campylorhynchus/ctwren06.html
> >
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/troglodytidae/campylorhynchus/ctwren07.html
> >
> >
> http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/troglodytidae/campylorhynchus/ctwren08.html
> >
> > with a surprise visit from a Curve-billed Thrasher
> >
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com/birds/mimidae/toxostoma/cbthra03.html
> >
> > all photos: Sony a7rIII, Sony FE 100-400 GM.  All comments are welcome.
> >
> >
> > Doug Herr
> > Birdman of Sacramento
> > http://www.wildlightphoto.com
> > http://doug-herr.fineartamerica.com
> >
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> >
>
>
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> Tina Manley
> www.tinamanley.com
> http://www.pbase.com/tinamanley
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