Archive for January, 2011

The Dik-Dik

Friday, January 14th, 2011

Let me introduce to you a very strange animal called a dik-dik.Yes, its name is dik-dik. The even funnier part is what this animal actually is, a deer like animal that is only about a two foot long. An antelope named for its shrill call that actually sounds like “dik dik” or “zik zik”. Probably one of the strangest animals I have ever seen, I had heard about them before but never expected to see one in person when I went to the San Francisco Zoo. I am very glad I got to see one, and now you can too.

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Joshua Tree

Thursday, January 13th, 2011

Joshua Tree in the eye of the beholder, the eye of the adventurer. My mom and I recently visited Joshua Tree National Park down by Palm Springs. A park full of rock pillars and sculptures and very odd looking trees that slightly resemble puffy cacti slapped on the ends of a scruffy looking tree trunk. Odd but intriguing plants.

The first thing we did was visit Barker’s Dam. It was a nice little hike out to a small lake and a very old looking dam.

Reflections truly are a beautiful thing, it always makes me wonder if there is always another mirror image of every single thing on earth, and we just don’t know it. I feel like reflections give us a brief glimpse of this other world of upsides and opposites. They are beautiful, especially with the rich blues and bright red rocks contrasting. It really is one of my favorite types of landscapes to shoot.

On our way back from the dam we visited a petroglyph site which was my favorite part of the trip. It was this big monolith of a rock with a dug out little alcove in it high above the ground where nestled inside were old cave drawings from native americans. I climbed up the rock and into the alcove to get a better look at them. Being so close to these old drawings was an awe inspiring experience. To feel so near history, to something so ancient that it is hard to fathom. It was remarkable, not to mention the scenery you could see from inside there.

After that we visited the Arch Rock which was a spectacular arch of red rock in a canyon of giant boulders. It was so cool to look around at this desert rocky landscape and photography it.

OVerall Joshua Tree was a very nice national park and the petroglyphs were definitely the best part. The cacti were pretty amazing as well. Another park down for the travel buddies.

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Poppies

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

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Monday, January 10th, 2011

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Bird Shots 2

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

Slowly but surely through constant effort, I am getting better at getting the bird shot. Here are some new attempts for bird shots.

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Adorable yet Evil Animals

Sunday, January 9th, 2011

The peacock is a truly magnificent animal with dazzling colors, long majestic feathers, and beautiful patterns. However it is actually a relatively mean animal. There is something scary about them like they are constantly trying to figure out the best method of attack to send you running and screaming in the other direction. I think it is the black beady eyes always watching you even when it seems like it isn’t.

Why do all the really cute or beautiful animals have to be the really dangerous or mean ones? It seems a cruel trick to give such magnificent feathers to a bird that scream, sure get closer to take a better look at my feathers so I can attack you. Other examples include raccoons and polar bears. Raccoons are adorable so it doesn’t really make sense that they are so incredibly mean and evil. Polar bears are beautiful and I want to hug one but they would bite my head off, literally. They are incredibly dangerous despite their cuddly looks and adorable behaviors. It just isn’t fair. Oh well, I will just have to adore these beautiful but dangerous animals from a far, but not too far that my camera can’t get a good shot.

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Dead Man’s Light

Monday, January 3rd, 2011

I don’t think I like it but it is an interesting example of short poetry…. which I don’t do plus a picture. Sorry not a lot to post tonight, can you tell 🙂

Shadows retreat
As dawn creeps closer.
The sun claws its way from darkness
Like a dead man from his grave
Chasing away the shadows
Leaving this lighted day.
No more living in darkness
The last thing the dead men say.

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Black and White

Sunday, January 2nd, 2011

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Wolf Child (Crossroads)

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

They say you found me
At a crossroads unmarked
But a split all the same
The child born for a civilized world
And the daughter raised by wolves

They say I was savage
I did not know I had hands
Only teeth to get my way
I fought for all I wanted
Even if it meant fighting you

They say I had hair like tendrils
A mass of wild tree branches
Tangled in my curls
Untamed by mans hands
But still gentle under yours

They say I had eyes like emeralds
That shone with a feral gleam
The wolves hungry stare
Haunting your every step
Could always find you in the dark

They say I had lips red and bright
Like blood newly spilt
Lips that curled like burning paper
Smiling with a knowing smirk
That could only belong to the wild

They say I had skin like ivory
Desired yet cold and hard
The prize that wasn’t what it seemed
So full of life yet unliving
An ivory statue for a child

They say you should have left me there
For nature to dispose of
That I belonged to the wild
And not a house to come home to
To leave me there at the crossroads

The wolves taught me to survive
But you taught me to love
The wild taught me to be cold
But you taught me there was more to life
Than the fight for life I always lived

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A New Year

Saturday, January 1st, 2011

This past year has been one of  progress and growth for me at least. I have learned so much in this year alone that it is astonishing to me; from photography, to my writing, to my schooling I feel I have grown. Instead of taking the time to look back on all the wonderful things that have happened this year I want t o take the time to move forward. People linger far to log in the past and as part of my growth I hope to live in the now instead of what has happened. I want to tell everyone to take advantage of the life you are given and don’t waste a second. Now is the time for growth, it does not matter if you are young or old, it is the time to grow. So soak up in your roots the wonderful memories of the past and spread out your branches with the growth of new memories and new life.

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