We got around 2 feet of snow during our recent storm. The deer were out foraging for food, braving the elements.
We had baby and momma deers, along with a couple buck – one 4-pt, and one 5-point.
They are always a thrill to see, but particularly beautiful in the fresh fallen snow.
I try to do a BEST OF every year to review and capture my best shots of the year. I did a BEST OF Animals 2023 you can see here…. https://kritterspix.com/2024/01/20/best-of-animals-2023/
This year we went to number of old stand-by’s that we enjoyed, and a few new spots that may become new favorites. We got some wonderful sunsets and amazing Arizona scenery. It is always difficult to pick favorites, but I’ve tried to narrow down my favorites to the top 10 that resonated with me. For me these photos evoke a memory of beautiful space and time. That is the beauty of photography and art in general, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
2. We do not see a lot of cactus where we live, but were camping in Kofa Wilderness in southern AZ and found the light and glow on the mountain ranges to be magical.
3. Dogtown Lake is small lake outside of Williams, AZ. It offers wonderful views of the Bill Williams Mountain range and great reflections on the water. On this particular visit we were gifted with a wonderful early morning sunrise.
4. Carnero Lake has become one of our favorite spots. It’s quite small, and generally quiet – though not always. We enjoy hikes around the lake and the ducks and coots that find it home. I got a great kick out of these ducks ‘walking on water’ as they chased each other across the lake.
5. Just outside of Page, Glen Canyon is home to the Vermillion cliffs and Marble Canyon. The mighty Colorado River flows through stunning canyons with craggy ridges and cascading rapids. It’s a wonderland of hiking and exploring opportunities, with amazing views in a serene environment.
6. I am so humbled by the awesomeness of nature. We travel her backroads looking for gorgeous overlooks, and are always inspired by the diversity of our beautiful state and it’s many moods. While our monsoon season was very dry this past year, the few rain storms we did see brought in some fantastic skies, making me all the more thankful to be in a spot where we can enjoy the show and the view.
7. We frequent Green’s Peak outside of Show Low. We particularly enjoy it in the Fall when the aspens are bursting with golden hues. The landscape is so vast and broad it’s hard to capture. We enjoy the elk, antelope, and hawks that roam through the meadows and trees.
8. Green’s Peak is also home to a number of small lakes that are popular fishing holes for local fisherman. Of course we love the water and it’s reflections of the landscape along it’s shores. During the Fall it is particularly alluring with the changing colors and mirror glass still water.
9. We pass Lake Mary every time we go to Flagstaff. We don’t generally stop, as we are on our way to do something in Flagstaff. We often see fisherman or boaters enjoying a day at the Lake. On this particular occasion it was hard not to stop and capture this sprawling field of yellow daisies against this stunning sky. Sometimes you have to stop to smell the flowers and take in the view.
10. Whitehorse Lake is a recreational lake deep in the Kaibab National Forest. It offers kayak rentals, boat ramps, fishing opportunities, camping, and hiking. If you are lucky you might see osprey fishing, waterfowl or deer. On our visit we actually had an unusual encounter with a feral pig, which for me, was particularly thrilling.
There are two species of elephants: African & Asian elephants. Since we were in Thailand, we were keen to make sure it included seeing wild elephants.
(See posts here…https://kritterspix.com/2023/12/07/thailand-wildlife/, https://kritterspix.com/2023/12/06/chang-mai/, and https://kritterspaw.com/2023/12/06/bangkok-thailand/ )
There are thought to be around 7,000 elephants in Thailand. An estimated 4,000 are held in captivity as work horses or for tourism in sanctuaries, for riding, or ‘show horses, er, elephants’. Those in the wild are in jeopardy as a typical Asian elephant (smaller than it’s African cousin) weighs some 6,000 – 12,000 lbs and eats around 300 lbs of food & 50 gallons of water every day. A large male can consume twice that amount per day.
Urban sprawl has obliterated much of the elephants habitat. And due to their hefty diets, they can be nuisances to local farms and villagers, decimating crops as they look for food. The elephants find farmer’s rubber tree plantations, pineapple and banana crops, crucial to Thai people’s economic security, particularly tasty.
In 1999 Parks like Kui Buri National Park were established to help protect the wild elephant, and offset the increasing loss of income for the Thai people. The very same farmers loosing crops around the Park moonlight as expedition drivers for a growing tourism trade to take tourists via ‘jungle trucks’ into the park to see wild elephants roaming free in this 600 square mile expanse between Myanmar and Southwest of Hua Hin, Thailand. There are over 300 elephants living free in Kui Buri National Park.
The late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, patron of Thailand’s conservation movement, encouraged the protection of elephants and their habitat at Kui Buri’s Park establishment address in 1999. “Elephants should be in the forest,” King Bhumibol said; it is humans who “must ensure there is enough food for them” where they live, safeguard them, and keep them from invading plantations where conflicts arise. Today there are a number of National Parks throughout Thailand where one can hope to see wild elephants in addition to Kui Buri, like Khao Sok, Khao Yai, and Kaeng Krachen National Parks.
Unfortunately, it’s an ongoing struggle between elephants seeking food and villagers encroaching on their lands looking for income sources. Often villagers or elephants don’t survive the confrontations making it dangerous and difficult to coexist. While government assistance does help compensate for damaged crops, it can take years to re-establish.
Building fences with noise makers or rows of natural tamarind tree barriers to ward off the elephants has helped to keep the elephants in their own habitat and not venturing into villages. It’s a constant battle between man & beast, nature & commerce. For us it was enlightening to see these magnificent animals in the wild, to learn their plight, and meet many villagers who work hard to maintain and care for these wonderful animals.
We just got back from an AMAZING trip to Thailand. Before we left, our friends favorite question seemed to be ‘why Thailand?’. Once we got back, it turned to ‘what was your favorite thing?’
Across Thailand, the answer is clear: above all else, the people. The Thai people are the most kind, inviting, and generous people you want to know. We never met anyone we didn’t love (other than the occasion rude tourist from some other country).
Of course, I loved the food, all of it. And the people serving it. The floating markets were amazing, and I must admit definitely one of my favorite activities in Bangkok. We went to a number of them, and while they were all different, we enjoyed them all. We enjoyed them from walking along the boardwalk, and from a long boat floating past vendors from the water, which was definitely great fun. The raw ingredients were all so carefully and beautifully laid out, and the prepared food all so fresh and made with love.
Even the railroad market was fascinating. Here is a market that has been around since before the railroad was built in 1905 and the people refused to move the market. So, their goods are set up along the tracks and have to be moved, along with their awnings back out of the way 6 times a day when the train goes through. It’s become a touristy market to visit, but is still used by the locals who go to the market to buy goods. It is definitely something to see as the train slowly passes, if only momentarily and everyone gawks at the wonder of the whole thing.
While tuk tuks are touristy thing to do, and they work well for getting short distances as they are able to bypass the taxi’s, buses, and cars on the roads, weaving between traffic with the many scooters (a true Thai form of transportation), they can be more expensive. Boat travel is an important method of transportation, both for locals and tourists alike. If one works in the bustling parts of Bangkok, a public boat (of which there are many) can get you ‘across town’ fairly quickly, for very affordable rates.
We really enjoyed the klong, or canal, tours in the long boats where we were able to see more of the ‘backroads’ of Bangkok.
Finally, we were extremely fortunate to have great guides like, Yui, who showed us the way and educated us as we went. We enjoyed Bangkok and it was a great introduction to a long trip full of wonderful experiences and tastes.
See more Thailand exploits here… https://kritterspix.com/2023/12/06/chang-mai/
We decided to try a new area for Fall Colors, and found ourselves in the Springerville area in Northeast AZ.
Smoke lingered in the blue sky from a nearby fire adding to the ominous mood of fires past amidst new growth bursting in color outside of Greer, AZ.
While finding awesome scenery and enjoying our adventure through our beautiful state, we encountered more than we bargained for when our trailer spring broke.
In inspiring ingenuity, John used firewood to make a shim between the frame and the spring, tied up with chain, just to get us off the side of a dirt road and back to a better area to incorporate a more lasting field repair.
Once there, he was able to drop the axle, remove the broken spring, and re-install in the other direction, securing it with an allen wrench and bailing wire.
Fortunately, it held for the next hour and a half until we could get to a Home Depot to buy a 3-inch, 1/2″ bolt to make a more permanent repair to get us home.
While our leafing trip got interrupted, we embraced the adventure that awaits us, whatever it may bring.
We do the darnedest things!, as we have been told more than once. So why stop now.
We got a wild hair, and decided we had a paver stone pad that begged for some kind of artful adornment. After scratching our heads a bit, and pondering the self-made dilemma, we decided that special something should be a sundial.
Ok, I know, now I’ve got you scratching your head, but stay with me. This sundial would not only read time via shadows, but it would be a 6′ circle made from re-bar (thank you, Pat & Leonard). So we did a bit of astrophysics to calculate the longitude / latitude for our elevation to determine proper degree of alignment for the numbers, and appropriate angle and height of the gnomon (you know, that angled piece that projects the shadows).
We built a jig made up of spaced ‘bumpers’ to cold-form the 1/2″ rebar into a perfect 6′ circle. As we bent it around, the re-bar resisted, so we had to convince it to conform to our whim with a helper bar and inch-winch, putting ‘keeper’ bumpers on the outside to contain the re-bar.
It was definitely a learning experience as the re-bar let loose a couple time. John has the bruises to add insult to injury. The 3rd time was the charm, making it easier for the inside 5’2″ rebar inner circle. By the time we bent the 2nd circle we started putting straps around the circle such that we could safely flip it to weld the opposite side, hoping for no more ‘un-furling of the re-bar’ incidents.
With the rings bent, welded, and ground, we were ready to undertake the roman numerals. We cut and ground the 16- I’s, and built a jig for the angled X’s and V’s.
Then welded them together, and ground them.
Using a protractor, a string and our calculations we measured the angles for placement of our clock face roman numerals – 11 am and 1 pm at 8.64 degrees, 10 am and 2pm at 18.13 degrees, etc. Then we individually welded our numbers into position.
For added strength we welded 5 re-bar support struts from the center to the OD of the inside ring, one of which the gnomon will mount on.
After a lot of welding and grinding, we are looking toward the embellishment phase. The clock face will be powder coated a brick red color, so to make it pop we decide to add a removable adornment at the bottom. It will be mounted on bands, adding strength to the bottom of the sundial, and tying the bottom rings together. So that it can be removed to be painted another color (black) we have to get creative on a method to remove.
We individually cut, bent and ground 1/4″ bar stock to make letters spelling out ‘HAPPY JACK’.
Individual letters are cut, ground and formed to shape.
To tie the letters together we attach them to a wire to hold them in place and make them removable, adding washers to bolt to the bands on the clock face.
Are you staying with me? Whew! I know.
Aside from the clock itself, some of the most pondering came from trying to figure out how to make the HAPPY JACK and gnomon removable, and seamlessly elegant without clap trap.
Finally we get to the gnomon part and speeding that process along, we cut the gnomon with a plasma cutter and weld it to re-bar, attaching metal tabs to the clock face and bottom of the gnomon.
And wa-la, a conversation piece is born.
We had it powder coated at Arizona Powdercoat (on Washington / 202 in Phoenix), who have always done a fabulous job for us, and it pops… and tells time, in it’s own artful ancient way.
For a high level history of the sundial check out my post here … https://wordpress.com/post/kritterspix.com/4441
The more photos I take, the more I learn the nuisances that make a difference in a successful image.
Capturing the environment can be key to conveying the sense of place.
Capturing gesture conveys the character and mood of the subject.
Conveying mood isn’t just for animals. Clouds, light, and smoke are all great vehicles to highlight the scene where otherwise it could just be boring and unidimensional.
Whether it’s wildlife or landscapes, stop to see the light, the nuisances, and continue to learn.
The Coues (pronounced ‘cooz’) white-tail deer roam Arizona and New Mexico and are less common than the common mule deer, which can be found throughout western North America. They can be distinguished by their tight compact antlers, smaller ears, and ‘colored’ tail (as opposed to mule deers white rump with black tip tail).
When they are alarmed they run, revealing the underside of their snowy white tail, hence, white-tail.
The males are typically around 125 lbs, while the females are about 80 lbs. They graze southeast Arizona in elevations of 4,000 ‘ – 10,000 ‘.
They are a frequent visitor and often encountered in the forests around Mogollon Rim and the White Mountains.
They were first described by Army physician and naturalist Dr. Elliot Coues stationed at Ft. Whipple in 1865.
You wouldn’t think it, but Arizona hosts 128 lakes and 5 major rivers. Many know of the big popular lakes like Lake Powell, Havasu, Lake Pleasant, Apache and Roosevelt lakes. But there are a lot more obscure lakes throughout Arizona.
Some are not much more than dry mud holes during the summer season, but can be flush with water after heavy snowfall or a particularly productive monsoon seasons.
The lakes offer popular fishing spots, boating and water sports opportunities, and make for beautiful respites from the heat of Phoenix.
We love them for their photogenic nature, reflections, and gorgeous sunrise and sunsets.
I am sometimes asked what my favorite season is. I often like to reply, ‘Winter’, for the unique vantage point and photographs I get when the animals wander through the fresh fallen snow.
But, I’d be remiss in not admitting my love for baby season. Dependent on the animal, new borns are generally between May and August. We find (and look for) them all over Arizona during those summer months. Sometimes we are lucky enough to successfully find, and capture some magical moments with wildlife.
See more big horn sheep pix here… https://kritterspix.com/2023/08/22/big-horn-sheep/
Whether it’s in the forest, the canyons, or the waterways, animals can be found anywhere we look.
I admit to getting very lucky to see and capture the animals we encounter. Truth be told though, we spend a lot of time in the wild looking for just such opportunities.
We’ll go back to places we have seen particular animals in the past, with mixed level of success. They are wild animals after all, emphasis on the ‘wild’ part.
But then, luck does favor the prepared.
kritterspaw 