How I Feel About Nature

All photos  by Alex Munoz
Alex Munoz is an accomplished photographer and this is his second posting at Old Naturalist.  His first post was titled Raw Beauty Unleashed and was published in Dec. 2017. Alex Munoz is from my home town of Fillmore California. Alex currently lives in Prescott Valley, Arizona.
Note: Click on each photo to see it full screen.

For as long as I can remember,
Nature has been
A source of solace, inspiration, adventure and delight.
A home, a teacher, a companion.

I’m just happy to capture what I see. I go out with my friends for the simple purpose of taking photos and nothing else. At 77  years of age, I have taken some great photos  and I and wonder why I like them so much.  That’s why, I began carrying my camera more, seeing more opportunities to take a photo.

Granite Dells

Granite Dells
The Granite Dells is a geological feature near Prescott AZ. The rocks consist of bedrock and large boulders of granite. The granite has been dated  to be 1.4 billion years old. Erosion has caused the rocks to have an unusual rounded appearance.

The changing water levels over time has created interesting patterns on the rocks.

Rock design and Reflection

Watson Lake level 2012

Watson and Willow Lakes are reservoirs that were build in the early 1900’s. The area is used by sportsman for fishing,  paddling, climbing and camping.

Riparian Preserve
Riparian plant communities are found along edges of rivers and wetlands. Watson Woods Riparian Preserve is 126 acres. The area was once  a 1,000 acre  of riparian  forest consisting of cottonwood and willow trees. Concerned citizens were able to protected this land which  has now become an oasis for wildlife and humans alike.

Cattail Reflection

Great Egret

Red-tail Hawk

Pictographs at Devil’s Bridge
I am not a archaeologist, but I was there to photograph these pictographs shown  below at Devil’s Bridge where you may see rock art in red sandstone. These symbols have lasted, while those people who made them  have not. I travel extensively, visiting sites, it does require permits and a fee.

Devil’s Bridge

Granite Mountain Alligator Juniper Tree
Granite Mountain is outside of Prescott, AZ and if you hike to the top of it, you’ll find one of the oldest alligator juniper trees of its kind. It is thought to be over 2,000 years old. This juniper has been designated as an Arizona Champion Tree.

In 2013, the tree was saved from a wildfire by an elite group of wild land firefighters called the “Granite Mountain Hot Shots”. A week after the juniper was saved, all but one of the crew were killed by another fire in the area.

View from the top of Granite Mountain (7,000 ft high). Photo by Alex Munoz

Bark on the alligator juniper

Desert Wildflowers
In the spring,there can be all kinds of blooms out here. These are stunning landscapes to visit anytime of the year.While you may be able to enjoy wildflowers from the roadsides, finding the truly impressive displays usually requires some degree of hiking and off road vehicles. These photos were taken in the lower areas of Arizona deserts.

Spring Cactus bloom

Ocotillos live up to a hundred years and get to be 20 feet tall. They usually bloom after a rainstorm

Alex Munoz beneath a huge cottonwood that is said to be 1000 years old