Weber Reservoir and 2017 Spring Snowmelt

Recharging lakes, rivers and streams

Over the winter of 2016 – 2017, back-to-back storms in January and February brought more snow to the Sierra Nevada Mountains than in the last two decades. As a result, snowmelt in the spring is causing the lakes, rivers, streams and reservoirs to flow at an all time high. 

To prevent flooding along the banks of the Walker River, water is being released through the spillway at Weber Reservoir. 

What an exciting event to stand on the bridge during Earth Day weekend and feel the mighty force  of all this water rushing down.  

The additional water will recharge the ground water at Weber Reservoir which is on the Walker River Paiute Indian Reservation, located in Western Nevada. It will also flow to Walker Lake and bring much needed fresh water to this desert lake that has been at an all time low level. 

Weber Reservoir supports a number of fresh water fish and provides a sanctuary for numerous birds and other wildlife.

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Conserving Water in the Old West

More precious than gold?

Taking a drive on a desert trail can often turn up some interesting and intriguing sights when you are open for adventure.  Such was the day on my most recent outing when I came across what appeared to have been a settlement that was built to trap rain water and snowmelt. 

 Many years ago, trapping and containing water was crucial to the survival of settlers in the desert where precipitation levels can range to just a few inches per year.      

Lured by the promise of free public land, a cruel hoax had been played on the homesteaders by speculators that if they came to the west, rain would surely follow them.  Water was to become as precious a resource as gold and John Wesley Powell foresaw the struggles of settling in the dry barren desert. To offset fighting over the scarcity of water,  Powell in 1878 published "Report on the Lands of the Arid Region", thus laying out a strategy to  organize settlements  and conserve this scarce but vital resource.  Powell's idealism sought to prevent the overuse and/or pollution that could come as a result from the rapidly expanding West.    

My thoughts are with Powell as I walk around the mud-cracked retention basin and think about the latest warnings regarding the Colorado River  at an all time record low.  

I look across at Walker Lake and see where this natural desert lake has receded more since the beginning of this hot summer in 2014.  

Powell had the foresight to conserve and protect this natural resource and now that many years have passed since the rush to settle the west, water still remains as critical an issue.  It is a harsh reality when our natural lakes are allowed to dry up but then artificial ones are built with eloquent sounding names. 

 I just wonder what will happen in the western U.S. when the day comes that the ground water can no longer quince all the feverous demands?

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Nature's Artistry with Rocks

Familiar Shapes in Rocks

Rock formations and clouds share a common bond because interesting shapes and images are often found in them. 

Perceiving images in objects like rocks and clouds is a psychological phenomenon termed Pareidolia.  Many of the master artists including Leonardo da Vinci were aware of pareidolia and used the imagery for artistic expression.

One thing we do have plenty of in the Southwestern Desert is rocks, which most of the time are more numerous than clouds.

Some of my favorite rocks that are great examples pareidolia are as follows:

Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah stands out against the snow and the Ponderosa forest and is actually an 85 foot (25.908 m) arch. The rusty-orange flying buttresses of Natural Bridge were formed over millions of years by wind, water, and chemical erosion.

Bell Rock in Sedona, Arizona has a distinctive shape and is one of the favorite tourist attractions. Standing at 4,919 feet (1499 m), Bell Rock is actually a butte, composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock.

The red and white sandstone of Calico Hills accents the desert landscape in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (RRCNCA) with peaks that extend up 4870 feet (1484 m).  Towering in the distance behind Calico Hills at 6324 feet (1928 m) is the famous Turtlehead Peak which is the only limestone formation in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

The Chief, wearing a full headdress watches out from a volcanic cliff at the entrance to Wilson Canyon, Nevada.  The two mile long (3.2 km) Wilson Canyon gorge was cut by the Walker River many years ago.

 

An elephant rock sits atop what was once the lakebed of Walker Lake.  During the last Ice Age, the prehistoric Lake Lahontan covered much of northwestern Nevada, as the climate dried, the lake receded, leaving behind unusual tufa based outcroppings.

A colorful outcropping of sandstone resembles an eagle at Buffington Pockets which is an area of unusual rock formations and canyons near the Valley of Fire State Park in Southern Nevada.

In most of the areas where these unique rock formations are located, traces of early humans can be found who left their stories carved in the desert varnish on the faces of these ancient boulders.  Over the millennia, many different cultures have lived and hunted through these canyons and along the streams.

Today as I walk on the trails, I feel these ancient spirits that still dwell within the rocks.  As I look closely I catch a glimpse of the former inhabitants through the pareidolia that stand out in the rocks.  Maybe that is why I feel so drawn to spend countless hours just gazing at rocks.  And when the gentle breeze touches my face at dusk, I know that they are there watching over their sacred home.

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Chasing the Sunrise

 Morning Walk

There is something so peaceful and inspiring about getting up early and watching the earth come alive from the night's slumber.  I guess in a way it has become an obsession because I never tire of watching the sun come over the Gillis Mountains on the east side of Walker Lake. 

When there are interesting clouds, I grab my camera and tripod to rush out with coffee in hand for an early morning walk.  If I time it just right, sometimes I catch the transition just as dawn rolls back the curtain of night.  It is a wonderful feeling, almost like witnessing the earth's creation.

As dawn begins to light the eastern sky, the stars are still visible over the silhouetted tall elm trees.

 

Silence fills the earth as the early rays of sun begin to warm the still lake; the first inland gull begins its morning quest.

The sun ascends; a star-studded sky is now an artist's pallet of color.

A lone owl watches and waits for an early morning snack.

Standing quietly on the bank's edge, the camera catches a falcon flying overhead.

Mr. Robin warms overhead as the sunlight breaks through a dense layer of cloud.

A flock of inland gulls scurry with wings warmed by the morning sun.

A contrail appears to shoot from the sunlight blushed moon as it descends, giving way to the start of a new day.

  

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Western Pigmy Blue Butterfly

North America's Smallest Butterfly 

During the early morning on October first, I was enjoying my coffee while sitting outside by a lantana bush when I noticed a tiny set of blue wings on one of the leaves.  A closer look revealed a very small Western Pigmy Blue Butterfly.  The western pigmy blue butterfly, Brephidium exilis is the smallest butterfly species in North America, with a wingspan that measures from 5 to 7 millimeters.

Preferring warm salty areas, the western pygmy blue can be found in the Southwestern States of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas. Over the last few summers, I have noticed more of these butterflies which may be due to the increased levels of salinity in Walker Lake.

After changing my camera lens to the Nikon macro 150mm 2.8, I began taking close ups while the butterfly was still.  The air temperature was was cool and butterflies need the sunlight on their wings to warm-up before they can start to fly.

 When the sun rose higher in the sky the butterfly slowly stirred from its leaf and moved to the lantana flower.  As a reference to how small this butterfly is, the entire lantana flower only measures approximately 3 centimeters across.

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Desert Bighorn Sheep at Walker Lake

 Photographing the Cliff Dwellers

  

A few weeks ago in January, early one Sunday morning as I was leaving the beach at Walker Lake, I spotted a Desert Bighorn Sheep standing on a ledge at the area knows as The Cliffs. 

Many years ago, the water level to Walker Lake was much higher and the area known as The Cliffs was underwater.  In present time the water level has receded eastward, way below the highway.

 After a short hike scrambling around the rocks, I noticed a group of at least 10 bighorns grazing on the dry desert grass. I quietly set my camera with the ISO at 800 for a faster shutter speed since the canyon was still in shadows with the morning light.

A closer look through the lens revealed that this was a herd of younger sheep and females.  Bighorn sheep have a gregarious nature and will stay together in large groups. The adult males, rams, will usually remain a part from the ewes and young in bachelor herds for most of the time.

Several sheep stop grazing to watch and a youngster peeks out from around the cliff. 

During winter, the sheep can be found in sheltered areas around the canyons and along the cliffs. 

In the warmer season, they will migrate to the upper areas.  Interestingly, the sheep may inhabit their same bedding area for many years. 

 

The rugged rocky cliffs allow the sure footed Bighorn sheep quick escapes from predators.   

 

Photographs Make Great Gifts

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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Walker Lake's East Side

A Glimpse Through Earth's Ancient History

A trek through the desert to the east side of Walker Lake takes one back through the ages to a glimpse at Earth's ancient times.  The natural high desert lake of Walker Lake lies with in the Great Basin Desert, south of Reno Nevada and northeast of Yosemite, California. 

Going back in history, earlier than 586 million yeas, the Great Basin Desert was formed during the Prepaleozoic Era due to plate tectonics that lifted the ancient seabed.  Having no outlet, it became an inland sea.  Moving forward in history, during the Pleistocene epoch (ice age), Lake Lahontan covered most of the western U.S.  As the climate began to warm, the massive ice sheet receded northward, causing Lake Lahontan also to recede.  A number of smaller isolated lakes were left behind in closed valleys, thus Walker Lake was born.  Today, three major rivers still drain and feed these lakes: the Truckee, the Carson and Walker which presently flows to Walker Lake.

The west side of Walker Lake is established with a residential area, parks and recreation.

 Across the lake, the east side still remains desert and primitive. Desert sage, natural grass and rabbit bush grow abundantly in the alkali desert soil. Shells from ancient sea creatures are uncovered from wind drifts and accent the sandy banks. 

The mantle from a long extinct volcano stands out against the distant Gillis Mountain Range and is a reminder of Walker Lake's violent past.

Looking out across the desert playa toward the west side of Walker Lake and the Wassuk Mountain Range.

A fun day exploring the desert with the camera.  At a glance, the desert appears barren and harsh, but remain still and watch closely and its many secrets will be told.

Photographs Make Great Gifts

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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. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

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" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

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