by kritterspaw

Dr. Seuss Trees

When we went out to take photos after a recent snowstorm, I couldn’t help but think of our forests weighed down by wet heavy snow, as ‘Grinch trees’. You know, the Dr. Seuss animated classic with white cascading trees.

As we pulled off the road, fearful of getting stuck in deep snow drifts, we reveled in the blue sky the morning after our heavy snowfall. By afternoon, as the sun came out, the snow was gone, much to the relief of the burdened trees.

For more photos from our recent storm and it’s inhabitants that enjoy it, check out my post here… https://kritterspix.com/2023/01/03/let-there-be-snow/

by kritterspaw

Best of …. Landscapes 2022

It has been an amazing year full of record camping trips throughout the year. It felt as if we camped out more in 2022 than we were home… and we LOVED it. What’s not to like – rolling out of bed to stunning overlooks, amazing sunrises and sunsets, and exploring the great outdoors we so adore. Suffice it to say, I have a lot of material to choose from for my ‘Best Of’ this year. So in no particular order are some of my favorite landscapes from the year. Feel free to weigh in on your personal favorite.

Four Peaks all aglow at sunrise over Roosevelt Lake.

Sandhill cranes takeoff at sunrise at Whitewater Draw in Southern AZ.

Sunrise over Alamo Lake

Sunset over Toroweap, part of Grand Canyon North Rim

Sunset at Tucson Mountain Park

Sunset at Dogtown Lake outside of Williams, AZ

Sunset at Kaibab Lake

Luna lake at sunset

Fall colors along Haigler Creek

Maple fall overlooks Haigler Creek

We got a lot of ‘dud’ skies. That’s becoming part of photography for us. But we were also gifted with some stunning sunset / sunrises and magnificent overlooks. We did a lot of lakes this year as the water makes for great reflections and attracts eagle and osprey. For my Best Of … Animals 2022 check out my post here …. https://kritterspix.com/2022/12/29/best-of-animals-2022/

by kritterspaw

Like a little kid

Kids love snow. There is something just fun and adventurous about sliding down slopes, making snowmen, and snowball fights.

I know our pup, Trek, enjoyed her first snow.

So animals aren’t any different. Particularly the baby animals. They are just as nuts for it.

We’ve seen baby deer, elk, and now big horn sheep go crazy for the snow. We were fortunate enough to be able to watch this amazing herd playing in the snow.

We felt very privileged to witness their fun. You can literally see the joy on their faces.

If you enjoyed these photos, you can see more of this ‘shoot’ here.. https://kritterspix.com/2022/12/15/practice-makes-better/

by kritterspaw

Dead Horse Ranch State Park

Dead Horse Ranch State Park is conveniently located outside of Cottonwood, AZ and offers the public an abundance of reasons to go. With 423 acres, the park hosts a number of scenic hiking & bicycling trails through willow and cottonwood forests, past 3 lagoons, and along the Verde river. The environment provides habitat for mammals (deer, javelina, rabbit, etc.), reptiles, amphibians, and over 200 species of birds. We even saw our first AZ river otter that had come in for some fishing.

The animals aren’t the only ones fishing. The park is popular among fisherman trying to snag a trout of their own.

It’s a great place to contemplate, watch the sunrise or set, enjoy the ducks bobbing for supper, or partake in one’s own picnic. Dead Horse has campsites for RV’s or tents, and cabins for rental. It’s close to the freeway (I-17 / SR-260), and a hidden oasis for wildlife watchers, and outdoorsman alike.

We learned a lot on our visit, and found all the people walking around the pathways to be friendly and kind. We’ll definitely be back for more.

by kritterspaw

Fall has fallen

It’s an early fall here in Northern AZ. Generally I don’t think of fall colors until later in October, but it seems our recent cold snap has induced bright colors and piles of fallen leaves.

Red, yellows, and oranges contrast with varying shades of green with great enthusiasm and happiness.

Fall must be one of my favorite seasons, as the colorful outbursts just seem to smile upon its recipient. We’ll have to get out more to enjoy what might be left of this vivid season and it’s brilliant hues.

by kritterspaw

California Cruising

Our Oregon coast trip took us through California on our way home. You can check out our Oregon pix here… https://kritterspix.com/2022/09/30/oregon-coast/

It is stunning to see the diversity of the California coast. The Northern end dives inland into massive redwoods lining the roads. The gigantic ancient trees are impressive to see as they cast a dark shade across the road even in the daylight. The dark roads were narrow with constant twists & turns that made them challenging and stressful to drive, while trying to enjoy the scenery along the way.

As we continued down the coast we moved from forest and trees to ocean with rocks littering the landscape as far as the eye could see.

North of San Fransisco there are wineries galore through Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, and Santa Ynez valleys just to name a few.

As we got past San Francisco / Oakland area our landscape changed to agricultural. We stopped at Gilroy for some of their famed garlic, and Salinas, known as the ‘Salad bowl of the world’ for fruit & nuts – something CA is known for.

It was fascinating to see the change in landscape along the long coast, as we made our way.

by kritterspaw

Monsoon Horizon

July / August is our typical monsoon season. Storm clouds on the horizon bring great skies, wonderful sunrise and sunsets, and lush grass.

The lush grass brings out the animals happily feeding on the tender greens.

Nature takes care of its own as newborns are born around June to take advantage of the ample food and water to quickly nurture them to adolescent before the harsh winters are upon them.

It’s a beautiful season and great time to get out and enjoy its many blessings.

by kritterspaw

A-1 Lake

July / August is the perfect time of year to enjoy our lakes and rivers. The weather in Northern AZ is as good as it gets, and the water location yield great fishing and wonderful views.

We have hit over a dozen lakes this year, continuing the trend we decided to check out A-1 Lake outside of Pinetop-Lakeside.

The lakes not only offer great views, but amazing wildlife. This time of year is also full of baby animals of all types.

Early morning hours sometimes gift us with wonderful skies, great light, and early birds.

We love to see the innocence of youth in its beautiful environment.

by kritterspaw

Kaibab Lake

Kaibab Lake, just outside of Williams is a popular lake for fishing and camping.

It’s got terrific views and great fishing.

With its proximity to Williams (Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon just 60 miles to the North), it is a popular spot for tourists.. During the summer / spring months flowers blooming along its shores. It is stocked by the AZ Game & Fish twice a month during the season, where trout, bass, sun fish, crappie and catfish are often caught.