Echoes of the Southwest

 These photos were taken this January on South Mountain in Phoenix AZ. I used a filter on my lens to see if it reduces the harsh sun rays. I think the photos turned out great.

I took my new camera out to Kiwanis Park in Tempe, Arizona. I got a Panasonic Lumix for Christmas and could not wait to take it out. I played with the settings and timer to get different effects. I wanted myself in some of the pictures too. So far, so good. Kiwanis Park sits on 125 acres and was acquired in 1972 with a 50% grant from the Bureau of Recreation. The city of Tempe was doing an open space study and picked that location for the park. This study ended in 1969. The park gets its name after the Kiwanis Club who donated money to develop the park.

There is a hidden gem in Chandler AZ called the Veterans Oasis Park. It sits on 113 acres and uses 78 acres for groundwater recharge and wetlands. The park is also functions as a home for an assortment of Sonoran Desert plants and wildlife critters. On the land you will also find the City’s Environmental Education Center. The Veterans Oasis Park provides horse trails, walking trails, pavilions, playground, restrooms and a large lake for fishing. For those who are interested, they also offer a Solar System Walk where you can trek to the moon and back. It is a self-guided tour on paths around the lake. They have signs along the way indicating the sun, planets and other cosmic objects. For each foot you walk it signifies 1.5 million miles which is like you basically walked to the moon and back. Sharon and I did not realize that this place existed until she looked up “interesting places to visit in Chandler”. This place popped up. Since we love photographing the Riparian, we kn...