Tumbleweeds, Zebra Lizards and a Tunnel to Nowhere!
Sometimes do you just have urge to get out and see where the journey takes you?
This was my feeling after so many days of 100°+ temperatures, smoke from all the
wildfires and then a percussive 4.4 earthquake that almost blew me off my office
chair. After packing lunch, water and camera gear, I ventured out to find a
road less traveled.
In less than one hour, I came to the tunnel in the desert that goes to nowhere. This seemed to be where I was supposed to go, so I stopped and prepared to take a hike.
Some interesting patterns in the dried mud caught my attention at the tunnel's entrance, reminding me of what a severe drought we were still facing.
There was not even much variety
in the flora and fauna on this hot September day other than a zebra-tailed
lizard scurrying by to find shade in the rocks.
The tumbleweeds were
doing well, flowering and soon to be going to seed. This invasive species, as
flammable as lighter fluid, is taking over the hillsides of the Great Basin
Desert.
A refreshing coolness greeted me inside the thick tunnel walls, making me want to linger before pressing back out into the intense high noon sun. The absence of spider webs reminded me of how desolate this area was. Careful footing was a must or you just might become something's dinner.
Exiting the tunnel, the fluttering of wings caught me by surprise and I
managed to catch one frame of a hawk departing the rock outcropping.
From the layers of white droppings, these rocks were a favorite nesting area for raptors. It would be interesting to check back here in spring with my 500mm lens, in hope of photographing the chicks. The long lens will allow me to focus up close on the nests without disturbing the birds. My creed as a nature photographer is to take only photos and leave with only memories.
As much as my mind was feasting on the Pareidolia in the dropping on the surface of the rocks, the heat index was climbing so it was time to turn back.
I am hoping to return when its cooler and I can get past the tumbleweeds to further explore more of this interesting outcropping of rocks. Maybe then I will find the purpose to a tunnel that leads to nowhere in the desert.
What
an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been. I love
it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get
treated to new experiences.
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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.
"Reflecting Nature's Artistry"
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Your photos and accompanying dialog, make me feel like I was almost there too!
ReplyDeleteThank you Carol for your response to my post. To make you feel like you were there is definitely what I hope to accomplish!!!
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