Into The Sun

Pointing a camera at the sun is one of those things that one should not do. Life is filled with stuff that like that. Things that we know we aren't supposed to do, but try anyway and make it work.

This image, taken in Saguaro National Park this afternoon, works out pretty good once a Photoshop filter is applied and there is some digital fiddling with the photo. I like the way the cactus plants stand tall, as if they are defying the sun to set. The western hills figure into the picture, but don't really have much to say about anything. They are the backdrop to the drama between the stubborn saguaros and the ever powerful sun.

Still, it all works. The sun gets its say. The saguaros hang out to see another day. The hills hold firm, even if the camera is pointed into the sun.

More Signal Hill

Here's one of the stone and cement fireplaces at the Signal Hill picnic area in the Tucson Mountain Section of  Saguaro National Park near Tucson. This one has an arched opening and the rounded cement work that is characteristic of most of the structures in the area. Ed and I thought of Aunt Mary's flat beef outdoor recipe and thought of how good that would be to cook on this fireplace.

There is a really big stone picnic table near the arch fireplace. The long top rests on three stone pedestals. You could easily seat 12-14 people around this table. Notice the bench at the end of the table. The Civilian Conservation Corps guys thought of everything. Their work makes this a fun and historic place to visit in Saguaro National Park.

Stone lined trails and stair steps link the picnic area and Signal Hill. The petroglyphs are etched on rough boulders near the top of the hill. The ancient art can be viewed from various places along the trail.

A telephoto lens brings the petroglyphs closer. The swirl and human forms are often seen repeated in artwork along the freeways in Tucson and other cities in the southwest.

Copyright 2013
Wanda Hayes Eichler