More Snow

Shot with Olympus E-500, in Monotone mode. Cropped out the extra sky.

Afternoon Sun

Afternoon Sun, Gray Sky and some snow on the ground. Doney Volcanic Cinders.

Took this shot from the taller of the 2 cinders.

B&Ws Winter

More snow to come

Old Barn #1

Old Barn #2

Standing By

Ski break

Arizona Snow Bowl - time to go is during the week days. Weekends were packed, and now it's wide open space. I like the wide space they have here.

Not crowded at all. It is a work day after all.

Wide open area, really nice. The snow was really nice, not icy at all. I think they received around 80 inches of snow in 1 week.

A view of the Kendrick Peaks.

No, I didn't ski. Just came up here to take some pictures after I got off from work.

Storm Cloud

Shot from Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix, 7th floor, facing north.

I was certain we will get a deluge, but no, it just scattered before it reached us. But looking at it hovering over the mountain range, it's very a very dramatic view.

It's been awhile

It has been a busy year so far, so I haven't set foot in Grand Canyon for some time now. With new visitor this week, we took a short trip to GC, not at the same time with President Obama, can you imagine the crowd/traffic/backup?

Luckily, it wasn't too hot, nice cool breeze, but our visitors (from Florida) were having major issue with low humidity, have to deal with the usual dry skin, and occassional nose bleed (no, not because of the altitude).

We went to the East Rim, and didn't venture any further than Moran Point. I was surprised at the amount of people at the park on a Wednesday. Seems like majority of the visitors were from other countries.

Sunset Crater

From the East side of the crater. Another super clear day, but I'd trade it for some nice rain......

AZ Sunset - San Francisco Peaks

We passed by several cyclists driving up to the peaks. They have to be in very good shape. I am sure the ride down is exhilarating on a bike.!

The smoke from the recent forest fire is still lingering in the area, but gives it a nice misty effect.

After sunset.

Eerie glow.


I don't know why, but we have been here for 3 years now, and we just came up here to the San Francisco peaks/Snow Bowl to view the sunset for the first time. I didn't realize up here at the parking lot near the green slopes is a perfect spot for sunset. If you are near the area, you have to check it out.

Monsoon Season

Rain Cloud from the Sky - Near Phoenix.

Saguaro and the Cloud - I17 heading north.

Building Momentum - I17 Heading North.

July is the beginning of the raining season, also called monsoon season. Before I moved here, I thought the term monsoon is reserved for raining season in India/Bangladesh area, but it's also used here. It's really nice not have to water the lawn, and just rely on the rain to soak the yard.

Lake Tahoe

Ponderosa Pines and the Lake.

Still have snow on the mountain range.

Rocky Shoreline.

Kayak and Relaxation.

Business trip to Reno. Finished my work early enough that I took a drive down to Lake Tahoe.

What a place. A combination of mountainous terrain, and the water offered by the lake, on top of that, great weather, and skiing in the Winter. No wonder people like to congregate here, and drive up the real estate value (I saw a half acre lot on the lake for $5 million, ouch).

Ivy - Sedona

Still working on my Sepia/Monotone conversion.

Scottsdale Shops

Wine Bar - space is now for rent..

This one is actually near historic old town.

The Fountain.

Taken near 5th Avenue Scottsdale. This is a nice little area for walks, browsing. Featuring shops, gardens, galleries, and restaurants. There are a lot of empty stores here, blame it on recession, but I see many of the similar shops are here, that probably doesn't help.

Sedona through 179A

North on 179.

Bell Rock.

The road from Phoenix to Sedona (179A) has been under construction for some time now. Closer to Sedona, it's still a little chaotic. But from town of Oak Creek all the way to Chapel Road, the road has been completed, and it is a nice, flat, quite road now. Closer to town, it changes to 4 lane traffic. Also along the way, larger parking lots for scenic stops are now available, makes it easier to off and back onto 179.

This is quite a dilemma for residents of Sedona, as better road could mean more tourists traffic, but the old 2 lane road was really bad, as congestion on 179 during Summer months makes it difficult for everyone to get around town.