A very excited neighbor boy brought this to me one day and wanted to know if I wanted to shoot it. I went inside and got a good macro lens and started to set up next to a nearby boulder. The young man coaxed the mantis from the carrying stick onto the boulder and I began getting ready. To my surprise, it made a very nice pose, turned its head to face me, and just sat there patiently while I took readings and captured this shot.

closeup of a tortoise emerging as desert temperatures become more tolerable just before sunset in Arizona

peeking through the trees toward Horseshoe Lake mostly covered with lily-pads and blooms

It is slow and tiresome hiking through miles of these steep rows of sandstone walls. it's a very beautiful location, speckled with small trees and interesting formations, but relentless with it's heat and giant maze-like features. most of my time is used climbing up & down (and winding to & fro) than actual forward progress (if forward is even a possible direction).

a cool place to hang out (if you're a seal or if you like a lot of ice in your water)

Indiana wetlands

vertical blade-like mounds of sandstone in eastern Utah

Ka'anapali Beach is famous for it's gentle shallow waters and beautiful sunsets.