Good Times

Last night Justin and I went on a little hike before we headed over to hear No Little Kindness. We went to Eaton Canyon, the lower part, the same place we went to with a few friends on Sunday. On Sunday we went right at sunset, we were trekking through the tall grass with no worries, some were even wearing sandals; we left with plenty of stickers in our shoes and bug bites.



Last night Justin and I did the same hike... accept this time, half way through our walk Justin freaks out because I nearly stepped on a snake... luckily it wasn't a rattler, but nonetheless, cool! I am little bit oblivious when it comes to seeing-things-while-walking. But Justin on the other hand, he has an eagle eye! Which is ironic, because in our relationship, I am the detail-oriented person, and Justin... not so much.



After seeing that snake, we decide its about time to head out of the tall grass. I look down, determining to be vigilant, keeping a close eye out, focusing, and then:

Justin: "holy sh*t!!"
Amanda: "What! What's wrong?" ... "hello! What are you freaking out about!?"
Justin: "You just walked over a F-in rattle snake! Didn't you see it?!"
Amanda: "What! I am going to run back to the trail, ok!?"
Justin: "NO!"



Needless to say, under pressure, we crack. But we made it out in one piece, barely.
Eaton Canyon is so full of life! A lot of those being bugs, but we also saw a rabbit, and some really neat birds. Here are the creatures that stood still long enough for us to take a photo:





PS - Got to give credit where credit is due: Justin took most of these photos.

Joshua Tree

Who knew the desert was so full of life?

I LOVE Joshua Tree: Climbing the boulders made me feel adventurous. Watching my husband climb the steep rocks made me nervous, but strangely proud. The sun is powerful, burning my skin! But the golden light makes me feel alive and inspired. There were so many plants and life that I wanted to search and find each kind; they were so textured, I felt like I had to touch each one to know it.

And the friends, they completed the experience, you guys are wonderful and a true joy to be around.











Thanks for having a birthday Caitlin, and for choosing this way to celebrate.

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day. Here's to the Earth that our God created in His wisdom and intricacy. It is a speck in the infinite universe. It hold us, it sustains us, it contains life, it feeds us. And the Earth has been entrusted to us, we use it and take from it, but we try to do so in sustainable ways, in conscious of each other, our health, the animals, and future generations. Here's to you, Earth!

From something I read today, ways to make a difference, no matter how small:

• Take the bus or train, or ride your bike
• Plant a tree or garden
• Compost
• Stop using plastic water bottles
• Don't use plastic grocery bags
  
• Find new uses for old things -Up-cycle
• Use green cleaners
• Pass on paper towels
• Spend more time outdoors

Our avocado tree... going strong.

April: "A Faerie Tale Told"

April's Photo Trade was a little bit of a challenge, it was entitled: "A Faerie Tale Told"

I chose Alice in Wonderland - I think mainly because I was re-reading the book recently, and I love it. My photos aren't literal, just small tidbits taken from the story - and in my style of photographing nature... So, I made it fit.


"All in the golden afternoon
Full leisurely we glide..."


"...she was considering in her own mind
(as well as she could, for the hot day made
her feel very sleepy and stupid),
whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain
would be worth the trouble of getting up
and picking the daisies..."



"...There was a large mushroom growing near her,
about the same height as herself;
when she had looked under it, and on both sides of it,
and behind it, it occurred to her that she might as well
look and see what was on top of it."

Sunday Evening

It was a hot one, but the evening was just right...







About the last post, I am going ahead with it, I should be sending out an email soon, thank you for the responses! =)

March: Green

I recently joined a photo exchange group. Every month we are given another person/address and we send them a photo based on the monthly theme - and we receive one in return. It's really quite fun - and it inspires me to get out there and take photos. This month's theme was "green", and I couldn't pick just one, so I did a series (above).

I am considering starting my own photo exchange community. So I am going throw this out there ... anyone interested in being a part of it? (No photography experience needed.) I want to do something similar where you send someone your monthly themed photo and I want to host a site where the photos for each month are shown. And I am possibly thinking too far ahead, but if this happens I would eventually want to print a book with everyone's photo over the months. Basically, I want to create an creative outlet, I want people to be inspired, have fun. Anyone?