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Massey Monday: A Boy and His Dog

She was my dog. I needed company when we were living two time zones apart. I drove to that farm in the middle of nowhere Texas to buy her. He was so mad when I did. I house trained her. I let her fall asleep on my lap every night when I got home from work because she wouldn't relax otherwise. She was my best friend. I was her's. Then she and I moved back to California. He was so smitten over this energetic furball. Somehow she became his dog. But I can't be mad because the two of them together is just about the cutest thing imaginable. 

Thirsty Thursday: Roadside Sunset

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: La Marca Prosecco

Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. I'm knee-deep in editing a wedding we shot last weekend (yay!) so just one photo tonight. 

During my #desertpixelpedal trip I was trying to get from Moab to Zion ahead of a winter storm. I was getting close to the destination and part of me wanted to push through, but I could tell the sunset was shaping up nicely. The pre-frontal clouds were adding a lot of texture to the sky. So, I stopped. And here's what I got.

 Then I hopped back in the car and kept driving. 

It started snowing just as I was unpacking the car at the hotel in Hurricane. Perfect timing. So glad I took the time to stop. 

Thirsty Thursday: Rattlesnake Slot Canyon

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: 2007 Scheid Reserve Chardonnay 

Thirsty Thursday here again, time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. Busy time between work and other stuff here at Welliver Photography, so tonight's post is short and sweet. 

A few months back I headed to Page, AZ as part of my self-imposed #desertpixelpedaltrip. I needed a break from work, and when I get time off, I refuse to stay at home. So I went to check out the slot canyons in Arizona. I visited three slots while I was there. Below are a couple from my first slot--Rattlesnake Canyon. For the Antelope Slot Canyons, you have to have a Navajo guide take you; you can't go solo. I lucked out with the tour operator (Adventurous Antelope Canyon Tours) I chose and was the only person to sign up for the Wednesday morning tour. And, it just so happens that Adventurous Antelope is the only tour operator with access to Rattlesnake Slot Canyon, so I had the entire canyon to myself for about 45 minutes. I was lucky. 

Here are a couple shots from this slot. It wasn't a large canyon, and was relatively open, but it was my first taste of the slots. Bucket list location checked off. 

Click here to buy a print.

Click here to purchase a print. 

While I wasn't there at the best time of year for light filtering into the slots, it was still incredible. More to come from these canyons. 

Thirsty Thursday: Coppermine Road

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: 2013 Ancient Peaks Pinot Noir

Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. Sometimes the best weekend plans involve a road trip, so this week's story is from my recent road trip across the Desert Southwest. 

My first destination on that trip was Page, AZ with the main objectives of checking out Horseshoe Bend and the Antelope Slot Canyons. I arrived with a day to kill before my first canyon tour, and several hours to kill before the good light of sunset at Horseshoe Bend. So, I pulled out the trusty DeLorme Arizona Gazetteer to check out what was around. I noticed a geological feature on the map called "Hole in Rock" not far south of town on Coppermine Road. So off I went. 

I had no idea what this "Hole in the Rock" would look like, but I occasionally stopped to take other photos. There weren't a lot of rocks around to start. 

Eventually the desolate grassland-ish land transitioned to include more cedar trees, but still not a whole lot of rocks, which wasn't boding well for finding this "Hole in the Rock" place. 

Eventually I came to a T-intersection, signaling the end of Coppermine Road. I didn't find the "Hole in Rock" spot. Instead, I found myself in a dusty berg called "The Gap". A place large enough to have a post office, but not much else. 

I went north a bit on Highway 89. The road was dotted with Native American settlements under a towering red rock plateau. 

Eventually road construction forced me to turn around and re-trace my steps, back to The Gap, back up Coppermine Road, and past the unseen Hole in the Rock. But since I had no where to be, I stopped a few times to explore the details in the landscape. 

Just before I got back to Page, I found this vista. In the end, this vista meant I got to take some photos of rocks, which was the original objective. 

Get out there and find your own rocky landscape this weekend!

Thirsty Thursday: Backyard Guitars

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: Junipero G&T...now out of Junipero, time for a new gin to try!

Thirsty Thursday here again! Time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. Astute followers of this news outlet might remember that cool guitar featured in this week's Two Word Tuesday. Well, here's the rest of the story. 

We have some good friends who are getting married in about a month. A couple weeks ago the groom's sister hosted a wedding shower for the happy couple. The shower was really a thinly veiled excuse for us to all get together and drink a lot of wine. And somewhere along the way the guitars came out and we all sang along to familiar tunes in the bright California sun. 

And one in color because, well, strawberry. 

Get out there and enjoy some backyard music this weekend. 

Massey Monday: Shoes and Paws

Terry started taking photos like this when he takes Massey out for various activities and posts them to his Instagram account. So, when we were hiking the Yuba River Trail, I did the same with the regular camera.

The best part is the apparent torture inflicted on Massey was we make her sit patiently to compose the photo. The words "sit" and "patiently" are rarely used to describe the ball of energy.

Thirsty Thursday: After the Horseshoe Sunset

Rambler: Beth

Drink at Hand: 2011 Ancient Peaks Jackpot Syrah

Thirsty Thursday here again, time to pour something yummy and make those weekend plans. We definitely poured a yummy one tonight--perfect wine to go with a Chinese-spiced grilled ribeye. But, on to the photos...

You might remember that this week's Two-Word Tuesday's photo locale was Horseshoe Bend near Page, AZ. Well, after I shot that sunset, there was still a fair amount of light, so I started wandering with the camera. The crowd around the horseshoe overlook was a little much for me, and in my quest for solace and personal time, wandering away from the overlook just felt right. 

I soon found myself drawn to the lines and layers in the rocks, along with the little plants and bushes clinging to the harsh, sandstone surface. 

And then, suddenly it seemed, it was dark. The week I was out and about, Venus and Mars were very close together at twilight just after sunset. So, here's Venus and a barely discernible Mars. 

Hopefully I can find some more fun rocks to shoot this weekend.