An Arizona Sunset for my Birthday

It's your birthday, so what do you do?  Go out for a nice dinner?  Cake and ice cream?  Shopping?  Nah.  I do what any AZ photog would do...run to the desert and start shooting pictures.

I arrived at Lost Dutchman Park just slightly before sunset.  I was meeting a fellow photog, Chikku for the evening's shoot.  While waiting for Chikku I snapped off a few setting sun shots.  The golden hour was afoot so the shutter was clicking.  

What I was really hoping for were storms to roll in.  The forecast had a small chance so maybe I could get my lighting shot that I have been wanting all summer long.  That would be a sweet birthday present!

With the sun disappearing and the moon on the rise it was time to prepare for those long exposure shots.  I figured if the storms didn't make it then I had a full moon to shoot.  As luck would have it, the clouds rolled in and blanked the moon.  So I had no moon and no storms.  Mother Nature is stingy with the gift giving.  What she did give me was a decent setting sun.

Thank you Mother.

Setting sun seen from Lost Dutchman Park

Slug Bug

"Slug Bug", my 7 year old yells out.  "I wanted that one" screams my 2 year old.  Yes, my kids have learned the ancient game of seeing a VW bug and crying out "slug bug".  So now the game is a foot every time we get in the truck. What I find amazing (for now) is how they immediately start playing the game once we are underway.  I always seem to forget until the first bug is found.  And then I'm quickly reminded of being behind 0-1.

These silly games keep me young as I join in on the fun.  I even find myself yelling "slug bug" when driving alone.  But more importantly these silly games remind me of how time is passing by with my children.  Before long this game will pass as many others have.  My daughter will hit the teenage years and my wife and I will cease to exist. 

My 2 year old still wrestles with me on the bed.  He loves to do a flying leap and land flat on top of me.  Not too many of these matches left.  Before long he'll be into other things.  Hopefully good old Dad will still be a part of those things like basketball, baseball, and bike riding.  

So the next time you see a bug go ahead and say it, you'll be glad you did.