Gone to See American 2008 Road Trip. Driving from Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument to Bryce National Park.
Double Rainbow in Utah. While driving between Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument and Bryce National Park on Utah Highway 12 I saw a rainbow in my rear view mirror. I quickly pulled over just outside of Cannonville Utah and started taking some images. I was lucky that there was a dark background in the sky so I could begin to see the double rainbow. Before the rainbow was gone, many other cars pulled over to admire the view.
Double Rainbow in Utah. Image taken with a Nikon D3 camera and 14-24 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 200, 17 mm, f/16, 1/80 sec). Raw image reprocessed in 2019 with Capture One Pro. (David J Mathre)
For the past week I haven’t been outside much while working on several indoor projects. Today I did my walkabout with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. In burst mode, this camera sounds like a machine gun — but is able to focus and track moving targets. Good thing today because it was a bit windy out. I noticed that the Burma Water Gourd vine had produced several gourds. It probably is too late for these to develop into the 1 meter long gourds I saw while in Burma, and that my mother was able to grow in Florida. I was also surprised to see that I still have Strawberry plants that are flowering and producing more Strawberries this late in the season. There were lots and lots of Monarch butterflies in my wildflower meadows. They were feeding on Mexican Sunflower, Zinnia, and Marigold flowers. I also caught two Common Buckeye butterflies. I was surprised to see a Hummingbird Clearwing moth feeding on Larkspur and Lemon Mint flowers. There are still a couple of Bullfrogs in the almost dry pond. One stayed still long enough to get an image. Later in the afternoon a Doe spent some time just outside the fenced in wildflower garden. The Air Dancer Scarecrows appear to be working. Finally, while reviewing the images I found one of a backlit Cosmos flower with a Praying Mantis lurking. I admit I didn’t notice the Praying Mantis when I took the image, even though I have been looking for them for several weeks.
Burma Water Gourd. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)Burma Water Gourd. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)Strawberry flowers (and green strawberry). Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Common Buckeye butterfly on a Cosmos flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)Common Buckeye butterfly on a Marigold flower. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Kermit the Bullfrog in the nearly empty pond. Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery with the individual images in the following slideshow.
Backlit Cosmos Flower (with a Praying Mantis). Image taken with a Nikon D5 camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens. (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daily Electric Energy Used (51.1 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (49.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. Almost break-even with an overall net deficit of 1.9 kWh. Clear skies most of the day (with the Sycamore tree blocking the solar panels in the afternoon). The Geothermal HVAC system was only on for a short time (2.7 kWh) and the new indoor hydroponic systems running (8.7 kWh).
Daily walkabout with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. It is late summer and has been dry. The back pond is almost dry. A long frog hiding in the mud next to the pond.
Lone frog hiding in the mud near the nearly dry pond. Image taken with a Fuji X-T2 camera and 100-400 mm OIS lens. (David J Mathre)
Daily Electric Energy Used (50.9 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (31.7 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More clouds and still warm. The Geothermal HVAC used 7.3 kWh. Overall a net deficit of 19.2 kWh.
Daily walkabout with a Fuji X-H1 camera, 80 mm f/2.8 macro lens, and 1.4x teleconverter or a Nikon N1V3 camera and 70-300 VR lens. It is late summer an a lot of the wildflowers are fading so I took a series of images of the wildflowers that remain. There is a red flower that I originally thought was an Indian Paintbrush. The deer and/or rabbits really like it since most of the flowers are consumed soon after blooming. The stem and leaves are also red, so I really don’t know its identity. The deer left the Marigold and Lemon Mint flowers that the Bumblebees like. One type of Bumblebee is nearly twice the size of the other ones. After going nearly a week without seeing any butterflies, I was pleased to see a Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Skipper, and the new one for this year a Pipevine Swallowtail. The Goldfinch and other birds are busy feasting on the Sunflowers. Even though the pond in nearly empty, a few Bullfrogs remain.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery that contains the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery that contains the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery that contains the individual images in the following slideshow.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery that contains the individual images in the following slideshow.
Goldfinch feeding on Sunflowers. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)Kermit the Bullfrog. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V3 camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (DAVID J MATHRE)
Daily Electric Energy Used (50.4 kWh) from Sense and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (57.2 kWh) from SolSystems and Locus Energy. More sun but warmer again. The Geothermal HVAC used 10.7 kWh. Overall a net surplus of 6.8 kWh.
Weekly Electric Energy Used (311 kWh) and Daily Solar Electric Energy Produced (277 kWh) for a net deficit of 34 kWh. Several cloudy days last week.
Gone to See America 2008. Moab Utah Photography Workshop with Winston Hall. Day 0: Classic Cars in Moab.
I arrived in Moab a day early for a Photo Safari with Winston Hall. The parking lot at the motel where I was staying was filled with Vintage Chevrolet Club of America Classic Cars on tour across Utah and Arizona.
Click on the above image to access my PhotoShelter gallery containing the individual images in the slideshow.
(note – the last image in the slideshow has Silver Rhino II hiding in the background)
