I spent six days in the desert with my dad, Bruce Rampleburg, Don Gannon, Michael Martin Murphey and five guests. The weather was fantastic and the desert was just about to burst forth will spring flowers. So showed up early and I tried to capture their beauty with the camera. The desert has a big sky and it can be very breath taking when a storm has worked through. We did get a little sprinkle on Friday, March 19th that freshened up the sky and made for some wonderful shots.
The flight patterns for the planes coming into Pheonix were right through the park. In almost all of my timed night exposures I have a light streaking through the sky.
Desert woodpecker called a Gila, they live in Saguaro Cacti.
Dad did not want me go anywhere alone in the desert, so I had a big iron on my hip. It actually was a 22, six shot pistol which would kill a snake or put your eye out!
This little guy I think is a Mockingbird chick. I thought he hid quite well in the cacti.
Michael Martin Murphey at the fire with some of the guests.
A barrel cactus, sometimes pointy things can be beautiful. When they don't poke you!
Buckhorn Cholla, all different varieties. Jumping Cholla is the worst!
This is the scene that greeted me Tuesday morning. Dad had picked me up at the airport at 10:00pm and we had to stop at the Devil's Store so we didn't get into camp until 1:00am, 3:00am Minnesota time. Coyotes were howling right by the tent and I was just about to record them and Don Gannon yelled out, "Aaa, shutup!" They never said another word. Don's got the power!
All the guests sitting by the campfire listening to dad, Michael and Bruce sing.
