By Ted Grussing Beyond Flagstaff going north there is a beautiful volcanic field with all total something in the vicinity of 600 volcanic cones. To the NE there is Roden Crater the art project of James Turrell and you can learn more about him and his art at: http://jamesturrell.com. I took this shot from about five miles east of Roden Crater looking NW towards Marble and the Grand Canyons from about 8500’ msl. The channel on the right beginning just below image center is the Little Colorado and Grand Falls on my right and a little behind me. The Grand…
Author: Contributor
By Ted Grussing … we are blessed with this incredible gift … the moment … it is all we have … no more are promised or guaranteed … just this very precious moment of the present, and it is that too. I took this shot of the bloom on an Argentine Giant Cactus a few days ago, and thanks to Eric who joined me on part of the walk as he provided the shade I needed to get this bloom out of the direct sunlight. The bloom has passed its prime, its purpose fulfilled and as it slides from the…
By Ted Grussing As I continue my quest to delete thousands of images I find neat shots I had forgotten about. Normally I just go through the shots I took during the day and select one and sometimes two to send out with the nightly missive and the rest languish in obscurity until rediscovered or deleted. In case it is not obvious my passion is action wildlife, followed by aerial and floral … composites are way up there too but because of the time it takes to do a good one I have not been getting them done at the…
… I am a sucker for shots of my motorglider in action and on Sunday my friend Al Comello took this shot of me taking off on R21 at Sedona. This is the best shot yet of the new paint job … sent it out to a few friends earlier today and need an image I really like tonight so here it is.
By Dr. Marta AdelsmanLife Coach in Communication and Consciousnesswww.DrMartaCoach.com(April 25, 2014) On my shelf sits a children’s book that I used to read to my three sons when they were small. It’s entitled There’s No Such Thing As a Dragon by Jack Kent. In the story, Billy Bixby awakens one morning to find a kitten-size dragon in his room. His mother convinces him there is no such thing as a dragon, so Billy stops paying attention to it. As he ignores it, it grows larger and larger, eventually wreaking havoc on the Bixby house and in the neighborhood.
Sedona AZ (April 24, 2014) – In 2009, the Congress passed the Stimulus Bill that approved 3.4 billion dollars for the Smart Grid and smart meters. This funding encouraged public utilities across the United States to begin installing smart meters. It was hoped that this action would help balance the demands for electricity across the national grid. Over the last few years, Arizona Public Service (APS) has been installing over one million smart meters throughout the state. The only areas yet to receive smart meters are parts of northern Arizona.
By Ted Grussing … so it seems as this Western Scrub Jay launches from his perch towards a cage filled with homemade suet and left his wings tucked tightly in … for the moment at least. He did eventually un-fold them and take a few beats before settling in on a new perch with a beak filled with suet. Anyhow, it was a very fun shot. I only had about a two and a half inch depth of field on the shot shooting with a 560mm lens (400mm plus 1.4 extender) and think that was likely the cause of the…
By Cliff Hamilton Sedona AZ (April 23, 2014) – Planning your summer vacation? You also need to plan ahead if you want to vote in Sedona’s next city election, especially if you’re an independent voter. That election is August 26 and it will be much different than past city elections.
By Ted Grussing …and the bird. The Scott’s Oriole was named in honor of General Winfield Scott who was born in 1786 and passed in 1866 … Darius N. Couch who named this bird was born in 1822 and was also a General Officer in the Union Army during the American Civil war. He was also a naturalist and I imagine today he would be called a “Birder” Not sure about Scott, but perhaps he was one too. Later it was discovered that the Oriole had been previously described by Bonaparte, but the name “Scott’s” Oriole stuck. Also interesting to…
ARS 41-563.02 Non-Compliance, 4-22-14 Special City Council Mtg. Agenda Item 3a By Jean Jenks, Sedona Resident(April 22, 2014) Hello Mayor Adams and Councilors, I. According to Arizona Revised Statute 41-563.02, Elections for expenditures in excess of expenditure limitation: “Arguments for the proposed excess expenditures shall be prepared by the governing board. Arguments against the proposed excess expenditures shall be provided by those in opposition.”
By Ted Grussing … but then they all are and glad I am here to enjoy them … and you to share them with. This image is one of my favorites of the Sedona area because the various rock formations are pretty well lined up and looking right up the canyons (Oak Creek and Munds) and the San Francisco Peaks appearing just above them. It was a good day up there and a nice little rain cell on the right portion of the image. It moved in and came across the field shortly after I landed. Altitude was around 7,000’…
Concern For People Living with Mental Illness By Barbara Mayer I have dedicated further editions of this column to the concept of Kwan Yin – or any other caring figure in belief systems around the planet who stand for and call for the Spirit of Compassion as One Who Hears The Cries Of The World. Yet this column features one group of society whose cries are either never heard or who are quietly dismissed because of the sociological bias against those who suffer from various degrees or modes of mental illness.
By Ted Grussing … and this White Crowned Sparrow was taking a bath – with exuberance and water was flying everywhere! I stopped on my walk and visited with a friend who’s backyard is like Nirvana for wildlife in the area … and of course I had my camera along.
By Ted Grussing … it is into the weekend again … with a few wing beats this Great Blue Heron flew the length of one of the ponds before settling in to do a little fishing. I stopped by the ponds on the way back from Cottonwood late this afternoon; a quick stop at Wildflower to pick up a salad and eat some of the bread samples while I waited for them to make my large vanilla latte … that is about the only bread I eat anymore and I figure since it is out there as a sample it…
It was a day filled with work on computers, visiting with friends, walks and a zip day for photos … a very good day! I took this shot Sunday at Filoli Gardens and although there are a lot of photos of other flowers I took, this rose is kinda special … at least I like it and that makes it special … to me. Hope you enjoy it too. The bloom is likely gone and faded by now … human life on a shorter timeline … hopefully we as humans will also display beauty during our tenure and leave memories…