When Dreamer's Dream

I lose myself each time I see a pillow made of purple fluff.  And each time I slowly morph into that college freedom fighter.  The one that sits in the tree to save it from being cut down.

The sky is limitless.  The Earth is not.  We continue to grow and expand where we should not.

I stand on top of a forest in the middle of the desert with awe and wonder. One side forest; another part mined not so far away.  How long does something like this take to grow and become?  And how long did it take for us to destroy?

                                                A bright flash of color stops me in my tracks.

The big things.  The little things.  They all matter.  One connected to the other. Each time I go out into the field, something new reveals itself to me.  And it makes me dream about what more is out there. These are things worth protecting for future generations.  So that little dreamers may dream someday. So that bees can flutter from flower to flower.  Or lizards perch upon their rocks. So that we preserve what little is left of this shrinking world.

Squint

Do your eyes ever "shut down" after long hours on the computer?  Or after long hours on the trail searching for life?  Sometimes I have to squint my eyes to catch what it is I'm searching for.  And if I didn't squint, I might miss some of the fun shots that happen all around me.

What's that with wings on a dark shadowy branch?  What's that glistening thing sticking out on the twig?

Or that rustle in bushes?  Will it bite me?  Is that a lizard or a dinosaur up ahead?  How big do these guys get anyway?

Desert Spiny

And the birds off in the distance......like this American Avocet below.  You can definitely strain your eyes trying to focus on the shot.

During this shoot, I was by a thorny mesquite tree.  I cleared the branches away so I wouldn't poke my eyes out.

Would I get these Black Neck Stilts finally?  Was the lighting finally going to work with the shot?  It was all so far away.....

So my question to you is, "What do you do when your eyes get tired?"  or  "Do your eyes get blurry after many hours of using them with your camera?" 

Look closely......

Tucson is a strange place.  If you plant it, they will come.  I live right in mid-town and even with all the traffic, you can create an oasis for your desert friends.  You just have to look carefully as with everything in life....and you'll find it. 

I'm definitely a plant guy, but I love all the wildlife that comes with a plant. I've heard Portland is similiar to Tucson in that there is wildlife and parks spread throughout the city.   Sometimes I wonder how the wildlife gets here.  Once when we were coming home at night, I heard some strange scratching and behind our shed, I found a skunk!!  It was very random and of course, the skunk disappeared after a few days.  It scratched my Eucalyptus, but other than that it moved on to other places.  We have hawks, hummingbirds, 3 types of butterflies that live on the property(so far), many lizards and geckos, bats, dragonflies, several species of birds.....and the more I plant, the more they come...and that's a side benefit of creating a garden oasis:)

I am loving this camera.  It has allowed me to do some incredible photo work....I cannot wait for those big moments while I'm travelling this year.  Until my next post.....happy gardening!