If it weren't for all of the "Beware Of Rattle Snake" signs, I'd be trying to figure out how to live at Empire Ranch! I saw the historical landmark sign by the road a few weeks back and knew that when my parents were here visiting we would have to go back and explore Empire Ranch. It's located about ten miles outside of Sonoita, AZ, to the north, on route 83 which leads to Tucson through some of the most beautiful rolling hills one could hope to drive through. The ranch has an incredible history that is detailed on the walls of the still standing ranch house. There are nature paths and restrooms, essential for traveling with little ones, and is well worth the drive if you bring a picnic lunch and stay a bit. I already have Red River, starring John Wayne, in my NetFlix cue, as it was filmed at Empire Ranch and I'm dying to know what this beautiful property looked like in it's hay day. Check it out if you're local, just watch out for those rattlers!

(If the images in this post appear blurry, please click on the image itself, it will open in a new window and look a lot better!)

Every time my parents visit from New York we try to explore some place new. Last week we took them to Saguaro East National Park on the eastern side of Tucson. We arrived at around 3pm and stayed until sunset. You wouldn't think that in the middle of winter there would be much to photograph. In a few weeks everything will be in bloom, and in the middle of summer the monsoon storms will roll in from the mountains and create fantastic light and clouds. But right now everything is that dull brown characteristic of winter desert. Just makes you work that much harder to study the lay of the land. I think I have about fifty awesome macro shots from the day, it will be a miracle if I ever get to play with them and post them. The kids are just so busy and into everything these days. But here are a few that jumped out at me. The full moon rose that night as well. Of course, those busy kids had had enough of traveling, they were hungry and tired and sick of being in the car. I got to snap three or four shots off the side of the road as it crested the Rincon Mountains, and that was all.... This place is well worth the visit, bikers beware, there are some serious hill climbs should you choose to cycle the 8 mile loop!

Two weeks ago I had a very interesting collection of house guests. John Chua, Canon Photographer and owner of Ad Photo in the Philippines, and his lovely wife were in my living room reuniting with my father-in-law after 35 years of working together in Manila. Joe Cantrell, another talented photographer doing groundbreaking fractal artwork out of Portland Oregon, was driving through town on his way from Oklahoma to Portland. Joe was also part of the good ol' days in Manila. He was giving an impromptu macro workshop on my dining table floral centerpiece. The weekend was full of incredible, New York Times Best Seller quality stories of wartime, love, loss, and the future of digital photography and advocacy work. I bustled like a worker bee between the kitchen, the kids, and the camera trying to keep up with everyone.

Keeping up with everyone, and feeling the need to impress and spoil my guests, I arranged for a local pilot to fly John, his wife, and myself over Cochise County at sunset to capture some desert panoramas. It was an awesome idea in theory. I did not account for extreme air sickness. I did not account for succumbing to altitude sickness either. After 2 hours at 10,000ft elevation in a Cessna 182 with the window wide open I was freezing, vomiting severely, blindly sticking my camera out the window, and feeling a distinct urge to sleep. That would be from lack of oxygen. It's taken me over a week to recover, including a side trip to the hospital for fluids and treatment for the AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It was an experience I will never forget, and an experience I shall never repeat.

I do hope to find time to write more about this amazing weekend with these incredibly down to earth individuals who so lovingly encouraged me to continue my work and take on some new challenges. Until then I leave you with these captures (the changing quality of light amazes me- for being up there only two hours before sunset, the light changed the lay of the land so dramatically)...

Over one hundred years ago, this family had the grand idea to plant Angle Orchard in the shadow of Mount Graham in South Eastern Arizona. After spending four days at Lake Roper State Park, watching the clouds hang over the mountain range, the rain coming and going over the foothills but hardly touching our cabin hideaway, it seems to be the best place in all of Arizona to plant fruit trees. It was completely by accident that we stumbled onto the orchard. The day was going to be hot and windless and we headed up the mountain for some cooler temps, a change in scenery, and a picnic. Not 30 minutes away from our campground we saw the tiny sign for Angle Orchard, leading us down a single track dirt road, deep into what I'd call.... a valley? a ravine? I'm not sure what to call it, let's call it "heaven for apples". The trees grew abundant everywhere. My only regrets of the day was that we arrived when the sun was high, not great for picture taking. And it doesn't take but ten minutes to fill a bucket of apples when you have two enthusiastic helpers and a baby strapped in the bjorn. I would have liked to linger among the trees, I could have stayed for an hour with the kittens in the barn. The host was quite gracious, letting the boys explore to discover the apple polishing machinery, the kittens hidden away in the loft, the tractors, and samples of all the apples they could pick. The golden delicious are my favorite from the day, so crisp and sweet, easily the best and freshest apple I've ever tasted. A lovely unexpected adventure, the best kind.

(Im toting my new Canon 5D Mark II, with the 24-70mm 2.8, and aside from sharpening for the web, these are straight out of the camera. Even the apple picture two down, I'm still trying to figure out what happened there...)

It's Day 3 of being back on my bike. I put it into storage when I moved to Korea 7 years ago and my sweet husband dug it out and had it tuned up for my birthday. So right now, every spare moment I can muster, between 0500 and 0800 while everyone is asleep and no one needs Mommy, you'll find me hitting the hills around Sierra Vista. Not a moment goes by when I am not seeing the world as though through my lens, so I was thrilled when the father of my most recent family shoot asked me to get a few images of him on his bike. I knew just the place, I knew right where I wanted to capture the shots; I didn't know it was going to rain, for the first time in months, of course, and I didn't know he'd be so damn fast! I suppose I could have told him to slow down a little, but it was more fun to tell him "Just take it from the top again Shane." The top of the hill, that is. Enjoy this sneak peek!

Last week my husband and I decided on a whim that it would be a fine idea to take a four year old climber, and a two year old follower, to see the largest whole in the earth, The Grand Canyon. According to Tom Tom, it takes 6 hours and forty minutes to reach Williams, AZ. Factor in a toilet trained preschooler, a newborn who loves to eat, and two children in diapers, and you have won yourself a 12 hour journey. We stayed the night at the Grand Canyon Railroad Hotel, right at the Depot where the train was to depart on Saturday morning. (Be sure to call for your tickets and get the military discount, which is substantial!) After mis-reading the alarm clock, I found myself showered and dressed at 06:00; I grabbed my camera and snuck out the door before any of the boys realized I was awake. The next 45 minutes were possibly
the most divine of the entire trip. I meandered through the quaint little town of Williams all by myself, sharing the streets with one lone Japanese tourist, also out with his Canon; we exchanged several knowing smiles over the gorgeous morning sunshine. The train excursion itself was memorable; comfortable, peaceful, we were treated to a continental breakfast with our First Class tickets. The two hour trip passed quickly and we found ourselves gazing at the view of the Grand Canyon at high noon... NOT ideal for photography what so ever, which would explain my over the top post processing of otherwise totally drab pictures of a dramatic landscape. Seriously, from 12-3pm, on a clear blue sky day, my timing could not have been worse. By 1pm, after a lousy lunch of bratwurst and ham and cheese on white bread (if you have room in your day pack you should definitely pack your lunch to allow you more time to explore the South Rim) we had The Baby asleep in the stroller, The Bundle asleep in the Bjorn, and The Boy's enthusiasm was seriously dwindling. There is no picture of the entire family together in front of the Canyon, though I did make sure nine other families went home with such an image by offering to snap the shots for strangers. Thinking that they would sleep on the ride back to Williams, we booked Coach seats for the southbound train. No such luck, we found ourselves trying to entertain two very bouncy little ones while I tried to feed a very hungry Bundle. We were treated to two musicians on the train, with oldies such as "Route 66" and some Tim McGraw. Finally, right before our arrival back at Williams, the train was robbed by bandits, who in my opinion passed by the kiddos much too quickly in favor of the Japanese tourists in our car who were eagerly waving their money with the joy of women at a "Thunder Down Under" event... Train travel is by far the best way to travel with children. You can feed them, walk them, relieve them, let them sleep, all while sitting comfortably, gazing out the window. I wish I could say the same for the 14 hour car ride home...

I AM HONORED, ELATED, no, CRAZY EXCITED!! to announce that the city of Bisbee, Arizona, has been selected as one of the 20 US cities featured in the I Heart Faces Walk Across America Photo Walk! And yours truly is going to be leading this very fun morning! I've got some really cool ideas that will ONLY be seen on our walk, trust me, we live in the Wild West afterall... You don't need to be a pro to join the fun, you just need a camera and some enthusiasm and leave the rest to me! Read on!

CLICK HERE to register for the Bisbee, AZ, I Heart Faces Photo Walk Across America!





To see the other 19 locations where you can participate in this event, CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW: