Tucson Splendor in the Ordinary
August 24, 2007
Post Tags: AF-S-DX-VR-Zoom-Nikkor-55-200mm-f/4-5.6-G-IF-ED-Lens , barrel_cactus , butterfly , hibiscus , nikkor , Tucson-Photos , yellow_flowers
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I’ve written a couple of times about photography. If you have read this blog regularly you know I like to include images with each post. Images not just for image sake but images which help tell a story.
I thought I would be writing this early this morning, but as is often the case in life what I planned and the events that actually transpired were. . . lets say less than ideal. It was to be a day of writing with limited interruptions. It turned out to be a day of interruptions with limited time for writing.
However, I’ve never been one to let an interruption get in the way of taking a couple of photos along the way. I stepped outside this morning to water the hibiscus when I saw a butterfly zoom past for the bush of yellow flowers just to the west of the front entry. I finished watering and grabbed my camera. I didn’t get a very good shot of the butterfly, but did manage to get a picture of a bee mugging for the camera. And some nice shots of yellow flowers.
Then on one of the first errands of the day my eye kept being distracted by the barrel cactus where are everywhere in full bloom. The colors of these blooms are from orange to yellow and pink, and red, not a deep red like a rose but definitely red. This particular errand demanded that I not stop and get right home before the bubbles all disappeared from the soda. Once delivered I made a quick exit and was back along that same stretch of road where I saw the most blooms in close proximity to each other and the road.
I parked and in 10 steps was in the desert. Snapping pictures of trees, and more butterflies, of course barrel cactus in bloom as well. I justified this short break from writing as “a moment of inspiration to bolster the creative processes” (an excuse to go take pictures).
I no sooner arrived home than the UPS truck arrived with a package. In that package was a new AF-S DX VR Zoom-Nikkor 55-200mm f/4-5.6 G IF-ED Lens. I barely got the package opened and the lens on the camera when the next errand beckoned from the other room. “It is time to pick up World Traveler for lunch” We don’t call her World Traveler, it is her pen name. When I reference her it is as “World Traveler”.
What could I do? I grabbed the camera and headed to school. After all it was a zoom lens with image stabilization there should be something I could take picture of while waiting. Clouds, the American Flag waving in a slight breeze, the Arizona State Flag waving beside. The dark skies friendly parking lot lighting, a tree, another tree, all became subjects for the new lens.
Once home and back the computer to “write” and see the pictures I had just taken. WOW I was impressed with the clarity of these images at full zoom without a tripod. I was just settling in with fingers on the keyboard when “the voice” said, “I need you to go help . . . ” Grab the camera, put the memory chip back inside. An hour later the errand accomplished I almost headed back to the office when a thunderstorm called me. Hard to time lightening. I got a lot of images of gray skies. But one time I managed to get an aftershock strike, not the main one, my finger was too slow for that one, but the next one on the first’s heels was smack dab in the middle of my shot.
Two more errands and a computer emergency and I was back . . . “Come and Eat!”
Supper finished and I still hadn’t written more than ten words. And here I am. I look back at today and the images that were recorded of things we see everyday along the road, in the school parking lot, in our own yard. When we take time to look and see our surroundings there really is splendor in the ordinary.
I hope you had a great day even if it was interrupted. I hope tomorrow you can find splendor in your ordinary. Here is what I saw.
