13 May 2012

Happy Mother's Day. Mine was exceptional. The only thing that would have made it even more so would have been time with all 3 of my kids today. What made this particular Mother's Day a coming of age for me was that I really didn't have to do much of anything - except drive my youngest son and I down to Huntington Beach to meet up with my older son who treated us all to dinner on the pier - followed by carousing beach shops for a bit. My youngest son made me breakfast in bed this morning, traditionally my daughter's thing to do until she joined the Navy and moved to the other side of the US temporarily....  Today, there was no bickering. No complaining that no one wanted to do what I wanted to do. Just simple time spent enjoying each other's company on a beautiful California spring day....

I don't remember too many Mother's Days with my own mother. We were never that close. Ever. Even to her last moments on Earth as I sat by her side with a nursing infant for nearly 2 week straight. I don't remember spending time traveling or wandering cool villages or sharing music or being heard. It still puzzles me how we didn't have that kind of connection like I have with my own kids. I know she loved me in her own way. I was well taken care of in all the usual fundamentals like food, shelter, clothing. But to her last dying breath, I don't think we ever really knew each other. I find that sad.


Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I believe you tried your best...

iPhones aren't the best in low light situations, especially when you are trying to keep up with the herd - couldn't resist snapping a quick one. I love street musicians. This gentleman was quite good, and very friendly to boot. Wandering the beach side streets with my boys and being treated to live music was the icing on an otherwise pretty perfect day.....

        Don't forget to LIVE.

I hope your Mother's Day was filled with warm memories if not spent making new ones with those who nurtured you or were nurtured by you....












iPhone image ©Diana Shay Diehl

12 May 2012

I seem to be in a black and white mood of late. It has always been my favorite style of photography. Timeless.

A simple vision to remind us that summer days, meant to meander along a coastal shore, are just around the corner....

©Diana Shay Diehl

11 May 2012

A simple image from my natural world today...

Mojave Yucca 

2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl

8 May 2012

Time flies. I feel like I've been drowning in 'have to-dos' lately.....  The excitement is building though. Several trips on the horizon and I am excited to bring you with me. While I do enjoy, for the most part, where I live, I have a deep seated wander lust. Always have. Which is pretty amazing considering I've lived in the same house since 1985. The first 25 years of my life were pretty nomadic being an "Army brat". It's been an on-going adjustment to have lived not only the past 25 years in the same town, but the same house no less! There is a comfort in stability of that kind. My own children know the life of having been born and raised in the same house, same town with friends they still know from the diaper stages. A rarity in today's America. Still the same, I need frequent changes of scenery and mindsets or I get really, really grumpy.

What's on the billet for future travel plans?

Here's a very tiny peek.......

The Milepost is my planning guide for an upcoming trip to Alaska in late July with my youngest son. I had never smelled air so fresh and oxygenated until my first trip up.  Having friends all along the Kenai Peninsula makes for an intimate journey with many places off the beaten track....

Whittier, Alaska. Can't get here except by boat, plane, or through a 2.5 mile train tunnel (known to be the longest in North America) which is shared with automobiles (not at the same time, of course...).  It is literally on the other side of a huge mountain range with no passable canyon or low point to get there. I absolutely loved this little town nestled at the edge Prince William Sound. The fish was fresh and perfectly prepared at one quaint little cafe.  When my oldest son and I visited (on a wet and cold summer day), he and our friend precariously stepped on the edge of a ROARING waterfall and rushing stream coming out of a deep and massive ice pack / glacier. It was predicted that the water pouring out from under it was hundreds if not thousands of years old if I remember correctly - and really, really cold. The bottle of it my son captured is still in my fridge....  I'm looking forward to going back.

<---------I cannot claim this shot. My daughter sent it to me via her cellphone. I believe it was an early, early morning view she had walking somewhere.   Not a common site, these lovely water reflections, from my vantage point. Florida. I'm looking forward to seeing her next week and visiting her temporary home. We are going to explore the Gulf Islands National Seashore among other places.  Another thing to look forward to, and soon....

©Aubrey Diehl

And then, there will be many, many hiking excursions in the local mountains and respites on the California coast.  Looking forward to sharing my summer sojourns with you........

All images ©Diana Shay Diehl unless otherwise noted.

29 April 2012

Sometimes, even one word is too much.

Today, breathing space...........

iPhone image © Diana Shay Diehl

28 April 2012

A simple post today. Several of my viewers requested more photos of the area in which I live. I can imagine how fascinating the desert is to those who have never experienced it personally - yet. It is fascinating to those of us who do - still.

These iPhone snapshots are of a 'mutant' joshua tree cluster on the property of a dear friend and fellow artist's home. Supposedly these are a mutant variety, maybe +/- 4% of all joshua trees are like this. There were several of these growing on his property. I found them rather M. C. Escher-esqe......

What do you think?

This cluster seems happy in this spot. At the base, you can see new 'pups' growing (or maybe those are rhizomes....my joshua tree fact booklet is at school so forgive my temporary inaccuracy. I remember a ranger long ago using both terms for the various stages of growth.)


















The property owner said these are growing over the leach lines of his septic tank. Hm....perhaps that is why they are mutants....?

All photos © Diana Shay Diehl 2012  (Taken with an iPhone)

The above shot is one of more 'normal' joshua trees. The life expectancy of the average joshua tree is about 150 years.  They will often germinate under a 'nurse' plant for about 4 years for protection from predation. Then, the new plant will take over the nurse plant which is why you usually see the joshua tree growing solo - meaning more apart from the rest. There are clusters scattered around as well. I liken it to a nature family sharing space rather than a take over of the host plant.

More on joshua trees in another post. These are most fascinating plants in form and habit.

26 April 2012

Hello dear viewers... I apologize for my absence of late. There were a lot of events happening and I just couldn't bring myself to post at the end of each busy day.

I've also been going through a bowl emptying phase. "What's that?" might you think...  I have this thing about bowls. All kinds of bowls, handmade in particular. Big. Small. Tiny. Cracked. Useful pieces of art. Bowls represent an openness to receive. A certain kind of vulnerability. The Tibetan Monks would go out each day with an empty bowl and just sit. Whatever was placed in their bowl that day should be enough. Sometimes they would get rice to eat. Sometimes money. Occasionally, someone's trash. But whatever ended up in there was what they were intended to have for that day - and they were grateful. Could we westerners be grateful for nothing or someone else's trash? In our western culture, bowls have become catch basins for the 'stuff' in our lives. Keys. Mail. Receipts. Trinkets we aren't quite sure what to do with. Then, at some point, those bowls are full to overflowing. They can't hold anymore and we need to sort it all out. What to toss? What to keep? Our lives can get like that, too. We hold on to so much. Things and memories, both pleasant and heart wrenching. Anxieties over the yet-to-happen we cannot bring ourselves to stop thinking about - all taking us away from living in the present. Then, at some point, we are full to overflowing with no room for more. We can start to feel tethered. Worn down. Hollow. Yet, we still clinging on to things that have served its purpose, too afraid to simply bless the experience, thank it, and let it go...

So, probably for these past couple of years - since turning 50 basically - I have been ardently emptying my bowls. Tossing those receipts, keys to who knows what, broken trinkets. Forgiving the heartaches. Remembering with gratitude the wonderful times before gently letting even those go, too.... How else can one receive the new blessings and experiences coming our way if there is no room?  I have lots of bowls to refill and part of the excitement is seeing what new experiences come my way. Whatever it is, I know I am meant to experience it. All of it. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I hope these weeks have been kind to you. May all your bowls be filled with what you need most.

This is a mortero, or Native American grinding hole. Typically, you find these near a food source. Usually there are clusters of them on the rock surface. This solo hole is on a small granite slab sheltered behind several scrub oaks, pinions, and junipers. It is cool and shaded here. Can you imagine the activity of grinding acorns and berries for meals? Possibly visiting. Chatting. Reminding children to stay close? It would take a LOT of grinding to make such a hole in granite. 

All images and text © Diana Shay Diehl 2012

12 April 2012

Today. Just shocks of color on an otherwise dreary spring-that-wants-to-still-be-winter day.

Orange nasturtiums on grey....

Weathered shades of blue on wood.....

Red? Magenta? Hot pink?  Gazing ball....






















2007 - 2012 © Diana Shay Diehl

11 April 2012

This time of year is for dreaming of simpler, lazing summer days.... Must be all the hours we teacher folk are spending (cramming) in preparation for state testing this week and next (Which is nearly a month earlier than usual yet we are held accountable to the same criteria as if we actually had the full school year to teach our students. Yeah. You do the math.)

Here are soothing visions from a memorable trip last June with my daughter. I hope they smooth your ruffled feathers, too, testing or not....

©Diana Shay Diehl / Zion National Park

9 April 2012

A gazillion photo ops this past week - especially this past weekend. And do I have my camera(s) with me? Uh, well, yes actually. Three of them. And did I take them out, make them ready to capture the moments, use them? No. Not until my fellow photog and friend, Rachel Rauch Johnson (wedding photographer extraordinaire among other things...check out her link. And if you live in the Seattle, Portland, LA area - think westcoast - and need a fabulous wedding photographer...well, her online portfolio speaks for itself.) told me to just take out my camera - ANY camera and shoot. Don't think about it. Don't fuss over it. Just shoot. And shoot. And shoot.

So, I did.

2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl

The aftermath of a great dinner. We were the last to leave.

Thanks Rachel (and Eric), for your encouragement.......

And another one...

<-----Easter Sunday brunch with my boys. If you celebrate, I hope yours was filled with hope and surrounded by love as mine was.  If you don't, I hope your time was spent the same.

2012 ©Diana Shay Diehl

5 April 2012

At the end of the day....

© Diana Shay Diehl

3 April 2012

Oak trees. The Celtic peoples revere oaks to be the most sacred and powerful of all trees. They believe it to hold the true alignment of balance, purpose, and strength. The Celts are my people from long ago, on my father's side. Well, not too long ago. My grandfather came here directly from Ireland as a young lad. I wish he were still alive. I'd know what kinds of questions to ask now...

The photo in this post is of the largest oak tree in the national park where I live. It's located at the Live Oak day use area. However, the actual "live oak" is a short scrub oak about 20 or so feet to the right of this giant one.  This tree, according to the ecologist who taught the class that particular weekend, is a bit of a 'mystery tree' as it's not genetically related to the other oaks in the park (if I remember the discussion correctly). Although, I'm inclined to think Live Oak refers to this quiet giant as far as park guides go.  I can't remember how old this tree is, but it's old. It stands in a deep sandy wash, flanked by granite boulders on one side, an interesting assortment of cacti, desert plants, and rock formations on another, and the parking pad slightly above. This tree has seen many floods, wind storms, temperature extremes, critter invasions, curious humans, rising moons, and setting suns. And yet, it has continued to grow tall and strong. Its roots stretching far out as if to anchor and balance itself among the boulders and neighboring vegetation while the sudden desert flash floods rage around it and the winds batter its branches, seemingly unscathed in the end. Kind of reminds me of finding solace in family, faith, self, and true friends (not always in that order) when the sneaky flash floods of human unkindness, deceit, and selfishness try to chip away at the foundation...

That boulder underneath it is a great sittin' and contemplatin' spot. Or, a just sit and watch what comes by you spot. Or, a nap against it spot. Or, rest against it while visiting with a fellow hiker spot. Or, simply sit and think of - nothing. I wish I had shot a photo with someone sitting on it. You could then see the size comparison. As it was, I had a tough time capturing all of it in the frame of my camera.  I think you get the picture.......

2012 © Diana Shay Diehl

26 March 2012

Busy, busy, busy......the past two weekends I have had the privilege of following two different experts around in the desert. One, an ecologist. The other, a photographer as well as friend. So many intriguing things to explore. For now, I will just show you mainly in pictures.

This past weekend, a group of 'budding' photographers from the Desert Institute wandered about 2 miles up a very wide wash exploding with wildflowers. There aren't many this year, at least not in the higher elevations, yet. We won't have the profusion of flowers we had a few years back but last Saturday was not a disappointment. I am so glad I do not suffer from allergies........

Here are a few highlights of my day this recent weekend. I wish I had bothered to bring my 100mm macro AND a wide angle lens. The wash was vast and complicated with the rocky canyon walls along the wide wash basin strewn with the remains of the huge flood last fall. The breeze made it difficult to get clear shots up close of the blossoms. Many of my photos were quite fuzzy. Delete. Delete. Delete. Still, it was fun, once again, to lie belly down in the warm desert sand, getting close to the miracle of spring birth.

(All images © Diana Shay Diehl 2012)

I love this tiny little cluster. They are a type of desert daisy. There are several varieties that look similar but have distinctions only a trained eye with a loop could discern. This cluster could fit in the palm of my hand with maybe 2-3 more. Miniature perfection.

Chuparosa or hummingbird bush.  These were abundant all along the roadside at the southeast end of Joshua Tree National Park. 

 Above: An unfurled Datura

Right:  Close up of Datura in full bloom

Bottom left:  Full view of Datura. I love the purple tinge on the outer most edges.

Beautiful to behold, deadly to ingest. Other names for this lovely plant is Jimson Weed, stink weed, devil's trumpet, loco weed.... It's in the nightshade family.  Stay away.....

Apricot mallow, I think. Although I remember them having yellow 'innards'. I should pay better attention. Anyway, if that is what this is, desert tortoises love snacking on these.

To the left is desert lupine. The leaf is as spectacular as the delicate flowers. This one has been pollenated already. You can tell because what was once yellow has turned red after pollination. The color change tells the pollinators to not waste their time here....the deed has been done.

 Above is a sand blazing star.  Don't you just love how it shimmers? Like taffeta on a gown....

Not exactly sure what this beauty is. I believe it is a golden sun cup.

  To the left is a young fan palm (I think) in various stages of leafing out. (Okay, I know that isn't the scientific term....dear botanists, forgive me....)  Anyway, I never realized how the new leaves are tightly bound and look like corrugated cardboard as they open up. Look at those patterns.  In the background, you can see the leaves after they have had time to stand straight and fill out.  The local Native Americans used those stringy fibers in their intricate weaving.

And finally, to the left is a......scorpi-something or other. For the life of me, I cannot remember. I think it's in the pea family. It grows like a vine. See how the tendrils intertwine?
The flower clusters are a soft peach, like I remember seeing in beach cottages on the Atlantic coast where I spent my younger years.  These have a Victorian look to me. They smelled nice, too.






















And there you have it. A bouquet in pictures. I have tons more. Another post. Another time.....

20 March 2019

Happy Spring Equinox!

Desert Canterbury Bells....one of my favorites out here. This wash was FULL of them - great, big tufts of these lovely violet-blue blossoms on tall stalks with thick, stocky leaves at the base. I find it particularly intriguing how they tend to want sandy washes to make their spectacular debut.  Who would guess there is enough nutrients in those porous granules of rock into sand to sustain such vibrant beauty?  It felt good to lie on my belly on a warm patch of sand as I took this photo. Within the hour, the skies turned dark and it began to snow.

Hope your first day of spring was warm and promising of new things to come...

2012 © Diana Shay Diehl / JTNP: Cottonwood Springs wash

19 March 2012

Here is another shot from this past weekend in my beloved park....more for the benefit of my distant readers (and maybe those of you close by who haven't taken the opportunity to explore this beautiful area...).

Considered the cornerstone of Joshua Tree National Park, this particular photo is of the Oasis of Mara which is a short and pleasant nature walk down a paved path from the national park headquarters / visitor center. When my daughter worked as an interpretative ranger there before sailing off into the Navy, she had the most interesting stories of what was witnessed just outside the large picture windows from inside the visitor center. One story that stuck in my mind, both kind of funny and sort of 'gross' if you aren't used to the ways of nature, centered around some European tourists experiencing desert life in all its glory one hot summer day. Both visitors and rangers were watching in awe and amusement the antics of a roadrunner in the garden area just off the patio. They are beautiful yet comical birds - and stealth hunters. Since there is shade and water, many, many desert critters visit especially when the human traffic is down - like on a hot summer day. Suddenly, the roadrunner nabbed a dove (I think - some kind of bird anyway. The dove makes sense because they aren't terribly 'aware' of their surroundings...). The roadrunner snatched off the poor creature's head and then began bashing it to pieces on the ground, feathers and body parts flying everywhere. The rangers went "Oooh.....wow.....look at that!"  The visitors were totally grossed out and quite upset over the spectacle. From what I remember hearing, they left abruptly in a huff.  I am wondering what they think wilderness protection areas are about? I must admit though, while I'd be kind of grossed out myself, it is sort of 'cool' to watch nature - pleasant or not - as the animals do what they must do to survive.

 2012 © Diana Shay Diehl

Looking west from the JTNP Headquarters Visitor Center towards the Oasis of Mara, a desert fan palm oasis, one of 5 in our park. I have been to 3 of them and will be hiking to a fourth the 31st of this month. There are only about 158 oases known in North America... 

If you are interested in learning a bit about the oasis, check out this link:  

History of the Oasis of Mara / JTNP

18 March 2012

Goodness, what a wild weekend I had - weather wise, of course (wink, wink).  Storms swirled all around us for two days -  wind gusts, rain, spots of sun, some sleet, then snow! All within the matter of a couple of hours. Many of us are hoping to wake up to frozen roads and snow in the morning. One can hope but I'm not holding my breath. All I can hear now is wind knocking more things around outside. At least the desert got a good drink of water....

I spent both my weekend days out in the park in an ecology class. I've always thought a desert was an amazing habitat. A master at adaptation. Resilient. Frugal. Surprises of vibrant colors and softness amongst the rigid roughness of grand rock formations. And yet, still fragile - especially at the hands of humans. I'm too tired at the moment to expound much more but I will leave you with a few photos of my weekend. I am anxious to share tidbits of what I learned which I will do throughout this week when I have more time.

A break in the clouds before the next storm blew in. This is looking "up" Pinto Road back towards the main part of the park. We had driven from the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Desert within minutes...  Did you know that the Colorado Desert is part of the Sonoran Desert? I didn't, until today. There are four main desert biomes in the United States and all are located in the southwest region. The desert I live in, the Mojave, is probably more temperate than the others as far as temp extremes can go. We are mainly a rain shadow desert as all the moisture from the nearby Pacific Ocean gets held up at the mountain ranges and we usually get little of it. Not today though....strong winds pushed it right on over - in various states of precipitation no less - rain, sleet, and snow!

Pancake, beavertail, or prickly pear cactus? Could you tell the difference? Is this a succulent? If it is, is it a leaf succulent or a stem succulent?  What is the purpose of those thorns?

I will divulge what I learned in another post. Until then, take your best gander....

Coming out of the park the first day, we encounter this 'fella' on the side of the road, snout shoved into the run off water, drinking, drinking, drinking.....  Its 'biologist' was nearby, making sure the onlookers didn't harass it while it filled up. Apparently, this one is notorious for dashing out to the street whenever it rains, knowing that's where abundant water will be. Rain dropped into washes usually soaks deep into the sand too quickly for a tortoise to catch. Those nodules on its shell are transmitters so their whereabouts and habits can be monitored. In all my years out here, I've never seen a desert tortoise (not turtle) in the wild with monitors on it. Out here, it makes us happy to cross paths with one that is healthy and spunky like this one. Although, I don't know about drinking that nasty road run off water. Its monitoring biologist wondered the same thing....

2012 © Diana Shay Diehl / all images

16 March 2012

Feeling a little melancholy of late. Maybe I'm just tired - lacking B vitamins. Maybe I'm just missing time with my daughter and middle son. Or, it's not enough time in nature or with people who are kind, genuine, gentle... Too much 'stuff' to do on my plate and not enough of the stuff that makes my soul sing...  I spent all of today, sitting, listening to stuff I heard the last time I sat and listened. I don't sit well. I always feel like I'm on the outside of the fishbowl looking in at the place I spend the majority of my days - particularly when there are staff gatherings. Ah well, such is life. Sometimes we are swimming with the school....sometimes we are flip-flopping helplessly on the shore - hoping to be noticed and rescued.  Today, I think I needed to be rescued.

"Mama said there'd be days like this
There'd be days like this my mama said......."
(First sung by the Shirelles, no? Or was it Sam Cooke?)

I'm also kind of missing doing a daily post. Lately, I pick up my camera and it feels like dead weight in my hands where it used to feel a part of me.  I wonder if taking B vitamins will get my groove back? Or maybe just a long, hard hug from a real friend. Or, a road trip. New scenery. Different air. Did I mention I don't sit well?

I'm kind of thinking all of the above...

Here is a simple and sweet image. I like it anyway. I am hoping to see more this weekend as I get to spend both days learning something new on the ecology of the national park and surrounds where I live.  Better get my camera gear ready. Then again, the weather forecast calls for high winds, rain, or possibly snow in my area. This will be interesting. Springtime in the desert.

The miracle of flowers.......

 © Diana Shay Diehl

PS The calendar idea is taking shape. Four different themes so far. Pretty exciting! And now to find affordable, quality printing services....

Saturdays

I'm back! The little respite from trying to figure out what to post on a daily basis has afforded me a creative burst of energy. That's what meandering Saturdays are for - days few and far between for me as I seem to always schedule my 'free' time away doing volunteer work, arranging hike outings for friends and new acquaintances, or running in circles trying to catch up with the must-dos around my home. This particular weekend, however, I gave myself permission to not be in charge of anything but me.  And, amazingly, much was accomplished - including some nothing-in-particular restful time at my favorite place - home.  All in a day...

Saturday morning found me wandering the farmers' market for fresh goodies with time thrown to chat with dear friends over Aztec coffees (and a vegan date shake for breakfast for me....yum!) in the warm spring sun.  I love this little place in Joshua Tree - Ricochet Gourmet. Fabulous, homemade food and drinks. Hip vibe but not pretentious at all. Definitely one of a kind. A place that makes you want to linger....

One of my favorite reasons to hit the farmers' market on a Saturday morning is to buy myself an armload of fresh cut flowers. The grower hails from San Diego. He comes up every weekend with a truck load of whatever is in season and happily growing on his acreage. An armload (literally) costs the same as one sad little bouquet from the local grocery store....and these last me 2 weeks, sometimes more. They make me happy and I'm helping to keep a private farmer/grower in business.

 Usually I don't buy too many fruits or veggies. It really depends as this farmers' market is not all certified organic nor does the food look fresh and inviting every time I go. This Saturday, however, something happened from one week to the next because practically every vendor had beautiful fresh and tasty foods to offer. Prices were still higher than I'd like but the flavor and quality were worth the extra bucks.

Know what I did with what I scored? I roasted ALL the veggies (what remained from raw snacking - SO tasty...)  Here is a simple recipe my good friend, Ann, turned me on to. It was my dinner tonight: (I would have posted a photo but I was famished ...sorry....) 

• Slice / quarter 4-5 different types of veggies. (I used turnips, brussels sprouts, beets, parsnips, and carrots.)
• Drizzle olive oil over them. (Mix with your hands to make sure everything is covered with oil.)
• Sprinkle over coarse sea salt, pepper, and rosemary.
• Put in a cast iron skillet or stone baking dish and bake for about 50 minutes @400 degrees - stir every 10 minutes or so. (Don't use glass or metal baking dishes...not as flavorful, I think.)

That same evening, I headed "down the hill" for an art opening and dinner with a girlfriend. A change of scenery, even if it's for a few hours, changes perspective and rejuvenates the soul and that is what I needed to get past a creative road block. Maybe it was sipping champagne at the opening of Edward Cunningham's works from the early 1900's or the walk down the block to dinner or the one martini (shaken, not stirred, extra dry with 2 olives) with a sumptuous seared ahi salad or the open hearted, engaging conversations my friend and I were having. Maybe it was all of that....  

Whatever it was, I am now a few clicks away from a calendar prototype of my images - a test sample is ready for this year to see how the quality of one printer I selected is. I will launch a variety of calendars for 2013. One, in particular, is earmarked as a fund raiser to buy art and science supplies and, hopefully, honorariums for an after school enrichment program I am developing for the younger students at my school. I have hopes this venture will be successful enough to fund additional programs. We'll see. Continued budget cuts are stripping not only the fun but the necessary content and subject matter that makes real learning meaningful and life long. The arts. The sciences. World geography. History. Anything that doesn't involve filling in a bubble......  

Ah, but I digress....wasn't I talking about meandering Saturdays? Good food? Friendship? Rejuvenating the soul? I'll save my soapbox for another post....

(All images © Diana Shay Diehl 2012)

Day 60

My 60th post! And it's time to change it up a bit. I have some new ideas on the burner and am anxious to put them into fruition. With that mentioned, my original photo-a-day turned post-a-day turned a photo-post-when-I-get-to-it will now be once a week. In a rambly sort of way, I am fine-tuning what I need to get out of this project...

I appreciate all the support, candid comments and suggestions, so far, from my readers. What has been really cool is that you all come from all corners of this magnificent planet of ours - countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, Canada - and a few countries I had to look up!  So, thank you, my silent supporters. I hope you have seen something intriguing and inspirational. I'd be curious to hear some thoughts now and again from you.

Today's 60th post is another example of Chiaroscuro...probably my favorite one. This particular shot evokes warm feelings and very pleasant smells for me. My daughter and I shared a wonderful week flitting through the Mojave Desert Preserve on our way to and from Zion National Park. Alongside the road were these tall stands of flowers as well as sprinkled all over the trails in Zion - orchid-like in a way with a strong, sweet scent. Most of the stalks were nearly 3 feet tall.  Amazing to me is that it was a hot, hot mid June day; a time seeing prolific stands of flowers anywhere in the desert is not often seen. I should get better at finding out exact names of things. Sorry about that. I'm an image/feeling person, not a details kinda gal. However, I would like to know what they are, too.....

© Diana Shay Diehl

PS For those who asked, yes, many of my images are for sale and can be printed. I am working on a location for direct sales but for now, contact me directly and we can discuss what size, paper type, presentation type you would like.

Day 59

Chiaroscuro: In art, whether it is drawn, painted, photographed - even in words - extreme contrasts of light and dark...

#1.

© Diana Shay Diehl

Day 58

I am getting a little bored with my posts. I tend to write from the cuff - whatever is going on, whatever is passing through my mind and heart, very little editing (mistakes feel more human, no?).

Part of the reason (a large part...) to challenge myself with regular posting was to stretch my creative abilities with images more so than wordy ramblings. I am out of wordy ramblings at the moment. Time to stay within for awhile....

Here is another image of Impressionistic 'painting' with light and lens, one of my earlier ones. I should have moved the camera more. In any event, I wish was walking down that country road again.......smell the fresh, wet earth? Mmmm.... 

©Diana Shay Diehl

Day 57

Today, snowshoeing with one of my favorite hiking friends. We've been waiting all winter for opportunities to break out our gear. I think we may have found the last of this season's snow deep enough (in shady, north facing places) to don our snowshoes and trek back into Sand Canyon (or was it Bow Canyon? I get the areas mixed up....). Pleasant temps. None of the predicted winds were blowing - thank goodness. The crunch of our snowshoes, an occasional jet, and songbirds were the only noticeable sounds of the afternoon. The air, fresh and cool. The sky, bright blue with the moon peeping over the pines. Two and a half hours of plodding up slopes and back down, trying to avoid the bare patches of mud and rocks.

A welcomed change of scenery....

.......and I'm off......

Day 56

People. Families. Love. My favorite subjects to photograph. No bells and whistles. No cutesy frames or wording. Just the natural light. My camera. A good lens. Some slight adjustments and tweaks for clarity and color....and getting to know the faces in front of my lens. A precious moment, frozen in time. No better way to spend a few hours of a well lit morning or afternoon.

Here a just a few of my favorite families/friends/artists.....

All images © Diana Shay Diehl

"First Born"

"Catching Josiah"

"Philip Rosenberg: Musician/Poet/Wordsmith"

"Sisters"