As my time here in Arizona draws to a close I've been looking back on what I have experienced through my camera lens in the past 18 months. Trying to select ten images is tough, like trying to pick a favorite child.
#10 Beech Staggerwing at Coolidge- Coolidge holds a monthly fly-in breakfast during the cooler months of the year. The local Lion's Club comes to cook breakfast and it is a total mystery what kinds of aircraft will show up. General Aviation was not a strong point with me when I moved here, but repeated Saturdays spent there wondering what the heck was THAT has helped bring me up to speed.
#9 Snow in the Mountains- Walking out the front door of the building our church meets in (The Rock of Sahuarita) is a glorious view of the Santa Rita mountains, and when the snow levels come down far enough it blankets them and everything goes quiet. No better place to be early on a Sunday morning.
#8 UAE Desert Viper- Tucson Int'l. Airport is a place where I've seen many things for the first time but one of the most impressive was the United Arab Emirates F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Vipers. Start with an already capable and deadly aircraft and add every odd lump and bump and you get an idea of what they look like, an F-16 on Steroids. They've returned to the UAE and no longer rip open the skies in the Old Pueblo but they are certainly not forgotten.
#7 Saguaro Trails- I have a huge Saguaro cactus in my backyard. Estimates by people "in the know" figure it started growing about the time the US was suffering through the Civil War. Combine this with the incredible night skies, thanks in large part to light regulations, and you can get an idea about how my brain started to think about how to combine them into a single image. I did, and I love it.
#6 Astronauts- Williams-Gateway Airport (formerly Williams AFB) has an FBO (fixed base operator) that has a military contract to provide services to military / gov't aircraft passing through in need of gas or crew rest, mayhaps even lunch. One of those agencies utilizing this contract is NASA and they often ferry shuttle pilots back and forth. I think they're going to go THAT way.
#5 Grand Canyon- No tour in Arizona would be complete without a trip to the Big Ditch. Colors, topography and snow all combined to show us unforgettable vistas at one of America's most iconic National Park.
#4 Pima Air & Space Museum- "Nothing beats like the heart of a volunteer" and one of my most memorable volunteer opportunities occurred at PASM where I served as a Tram driver giving narrated tours to visitors, as a collections worker cataloging images and artifacts as well as helping out with their Special Events department. I have heard about what visitors did "back in the day" and had them educate me on all manner of topics. I was fortunate enough to help install exhibits and dress mannequins in flight gear (not easy!). I have also learned volumes from fellow volunteers and staff members. It was a great time.
#3 Hummingbirds- Nuff' said.
#2 Barry Goldwater Bomb and Gunnery Range- Before you go to war you have to train for war. If you are to obliterate targets with airplane built around a big honking gun in war, you have to practice with your airplane built around a big honking gun and that is why there is a Barry Goldwater Bomb & Gunnery Range. A-10s and F-16s screaming down the chute to let loose, well... hell. Glad they're on our side.
#1 Storm in a Moment- Ever wondered what a thunder storm would look like if it happened all at once? Here's a typical Arizona monsoon storm compressed from over an hour into one single image. Purple and blues in the sky result from single lightning bolts changing the clouds and rain different colors. Streaks along the road are cars returning home during the event. Image created using 27 different lightning images.
So I've come full-circle. I was born here (at Davis-Monthan no less) and many many years later I'm back here and just like before I leaving. Will there be a third time? Who knows.
#10 Beech Staggerwing at Coolidge- Coolidge holds a monthly fly-in breakfast during the cooler months of the year. The local Lion's Club comes to cook breakfast and it is a total mystery what kinds of aircraft will show up. General Aviation was not a strong point with me when I moved here, but repeated Saturdays spent there wondering what the heck was THAT has helped bring me up to speed.
#9 Snow in the Mountains- Walking out the front door of the building our church meets in (The Rock of Sahuarita) is a glorious view of the Santa Rita mountains, and when the snow levels come down far enough it blankets them and everything goes quiet. No better place to be early on a Sunday morning.
#8 UAE Desert Viper- Tucson Int'l. Airport is a place where I've seen many things for the first time but one of the most impressive was the United Arab Emirates F-16E/F Block 60 Desert Vipers. Start with an already capable and deadly aircraft and add every odd lump and bump and you get an idea of what they look like, an F-16 on Steroids. They've returned to the UAE and no longer rip open the skies in the Old Pueblo but they are certainly not forgotten.
#7 Saguaro Trails- I have a huge Saguaro cactus in my backyard. Estimates by people "in the know" figure it started growing about the time the US was suffering through the Civil War. Combine this with the incredible night skies, thanks in large part to light regulations, and you can get an idea about how my brain started to think about how to combine them into a single image. I did, and I love it.
#6 Astronauts- Williams-Gateway Airport (formerly Williams AFB) has an FBO (fixed base operator) that has a military contract to provide services to military / gov't aircraft passing through in need of gas or crew rest, mayhaps even lunch. One of those agencies utilizing this contract is NASA and they often ferry shuttle pilots back and forth. I think they're going to go THAT way.
#5 Grand Canyon- No tour in Arizona would be complete without a trip to the Big Ditch. Colors, topography and snow all combined to show us unforgettable vistas at one of America's most iconic National Park.
#4 Pima Air & Space Museum- "Nothing beats like the heart of a volunteer" and one of my most memorable volunteer opportunities occurred at PASM where I served as a Tram driver giving narrated tours to visitors, as a collections worker cataloging images and artifacts as well as helping out with their Special Events department. I have heard about what visitors did "back in the day" and had them educate me on all manner of topics. I was fortunate enough to help install exhibits and dress mannequins in flight gear (not easy!). I have also learned volumes from fellow volunteers and staff members. It was a great time.
#3 Hummingbirds- Nuff' said.
#2 Barry Goldwater Bomb and Gunnery Range- Before you go to war you have to train for war. If you are to obliterate targets with airplane built around a big honking gun in war, you have to practice with your airplane built around a big honking gun and that is why there is a Barry Goldwater Bomb & Gunnery Range. A-10s and F-16s screaming down the chute to let loose, well... hell. Glad they're on our side.
#1 Storm in a Moment- Ever wondered what a thunder storm would look like if it happened all at once? Here's a typical Arizona monsoon storm compressed from over an hour into one single image. Purple and blues in the sky result from single lightning bolts changing the clouds and rain different colors. Streaks along the road are cars returning home during the event. Image created using 27 different lightning images.
So I've come full-circle. I was born here (at Davis-Monthan no less) and many many years later I'm back here and just like before I leaving. Will there be a third time? Who knows.
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