Blessed by the crescent

In the pre-dawn light, the landscape around was ethereal. Long rows of bright yellow daffodils stretched to the horizon, culminating in bare birch trees. A low-lying fog hovered above the horizon, lending a mystical aura to the pastoral scene.

I sleepily dawdled outside from the warm confines of my car into the crisp cold atmosphere. I had left home at a time when most of the city was still sleeping, or recovering from shenanigans of a Friday night. But that meant I had this scene entirely to myself. But misery deserves company, and hence I pinged Chris Gering Photo to join me there.

While waiting for the sun to rise up, I found the crescent moon waiting above the field with a tinge of pink morning glow hovering above the horizon.

Skagit Valley

WA USA

Wildflower Season

The longer days of warm sunlight and the rising temperatures of spring leads to the remarkable transformation that is the vast California wildflower display. Tiny seeds in the rolling hills, meadows and open grasslands all over the golden state await for the right conditions before sprouting with early spring shoots and young buds that lead to colorful displays of wildflowers every year like clockwork. Colors range the specturm, from the vibrant orange state flower (the California Poppy) to the bright yellow of the Coreopses and the blues of the Gilias and baby blue eyes.

I long for the days when I would go hunting for wildflowers during its month-long migration northward, and where I would sense joy in seeing nature come alive in a grand spectacle for the birds and insects that pollinate the tiny plants. Here is one such memory from the Antelope Valley Poppy preserve from a bloom a couple of years ago

And if you want to ensure that future generations get to see this amazing spectacle, please give these hardy plants a little space and lots of care when you go to admire them.

Antelope Valley Poppy Preserve

CA USA

Leading Away

Death valley. The name conjures up an image of a vast desolate wasteland where life struggles to survive, where time stops ticking, and where the no one in their right mind would want to visit. And it may have certainly kept that image were it not for the contrivances of modern civilization: paved roads and automobiles that zoom across the desert landscape in a matter of hours.

While one can still plenty of peace and quiet in this park, trying to do so at sunset time along the dunes is probably an exercise in futility; throngs of tourist scramble all over this sandy center of the park hoping to find their perfect spot.

As the last light crept through the clouds, I had to make do with dunes already imprinted by the footsteps of a previous passerby.

Death Valley National Park

CA USA

Land of diverse landscapes

I am excited to be going back to the dry deserts of Death Valley National Park after over 7 years. While the name conjures images of isolation and desolation, this place is anything but. It is a tumultuous landscape interspersed by dry salt lakes and towering mountains, where the sinuous curves of smooth sand dunes stand side by side with colorful jagged rock formations. It is a place where sunrises are magical, sunsets are spectacular, and where the night sky is sublime.

Looking at photos from a trip years past brought back many nostalgic memories of scurrying along dusty back roads and hiking in jaw-dropping terrain. This one is from a hike to Zabriskie point early one winter morning.

Death Valley National Park

CA USA

Down but not out

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.

It has been a tumultuous week in the world with two major mass shooting incidents in either corners of the world, New Zealand and Netherlands.

New Zealand has been one of my favorite countries to travel to. To have such a tragedy befall it, especially in Christchurch which has already seen so much pain, is disheartening.

But if I know anything, it is that the Kiwis have some of the strongest hearts and minds. And while their spirits might be down momentarily, I am sure they'll rise up to the occasion, coming together as a community and society, unifying in their collective wisdom. I do wish the best for them, and hope they emerge stronger than before.

They may be down, but their spring will come again.

Lake Tekapo

Canterbury New Zealand

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Dawn on the Jailoo

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I stepped out from the warmth of the dark yurt to a freezing cold outside. In the gentle pre-dawn light, I spotted the beautiful rolling hills covered with a thin crust of overnight snow. A cold fog was flowing down from the heavens along the smooth contours of the surrounding hillscape. High above, the sky was aglow with a bright pink, while down below, horses and cattle gently grazed on the fresh summer grass.

This is life on the jailoo, a harsh, silent and beautiful landscape in the heart of the Tien Shan mountains of Kyrgyzstan.

Songkol

Kyrgyzstan

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The Wildflower Season

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The vibrant spring greens of California are an annual occurrence, turning the rust brown to a delightful shade of emerald green, post the unpredictable rainfall that quenches the thirst of the parched golden state. But it is the accompanying wildflower blooms that brigthen the rolling green hills with shades of pastel colors; bright yellows, oranges, pings and whites dominate the sun-drenched landscapes, growing along winding highways, gentle valleys and lush green meadows.

The next wildflower season is upon us. Happy hunting photographers, and don't trample on the delicate blooms; they are needed for the future wildflower seasons.

Pacheco State Park

CA USA

The High Point

The high point on the landscape was a tall sandstone butte towering above the desert environs; the deep red twilight clouds amplified the ochre sandstone, turning it into a shade of vibrant pink. As I watched, the deep reds slowly turned to dark shades of twilight, signalling the end of a beautiful day in Monument Valley Tribal Park in the Southwest of USA

From the mystic slot canyons in Page, through the windy roads that twisted their way through the colorful desert terrain of northern Arizona, the entire trip was a feast for the visual senses, with the scenery and colors changing every mile. I can't wait to return to this colorful corner of the country this year.

Monument Valley Tribal Park

UT USA

Abode of the mountains

"Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world"

The warm afternoon sun was shining brightly over a remote village nestled of Arslanbob in the southern reaches of the mountains country of Kyrgyzstan. The jagged snow-capped peaks of the Krebet Babash-ata mountain range rose from behind the foothills, anchoring the beauty of the alpine village. Fresh montane breeze flowing down from the mountains was a soothing relief after the hard climb to get here.

This remote village at the heart of the largest naturally occurring walnut forest was perhaps one of the most picturesque and relaxing villages I have every stayed in. Time and people proceeded slowly, and with surroundings like this, I don't blame them. While I didn't stay in this place for long, I got to experience a slice of this peaceful life.

Arslanbob

Jalal-abad, Kyrgyzstan

In the Delta

I was standing on the edge of the boardwalk, peering onto the waters of the delta. An amalgam of clouds, remnants of a late afternoon thunderstorm, caught the last rays of sunlight, glowing bright pink while awaiting twilight. A few shorebirds and waterfowl were making last calls on the delta before heading to their nests. The air was filled with their sounds: a squak here, a scree there, and the resounding drone of crickets all over.

The San Joquin delta is a spectacular place in California, coming alive in the spring, with fresh wetlands, flocks of migratory birds and jaw-dropping sunsets. This place is truly a treasure to be preserved for the future. And while I had the chance to visit it a few times, in no other visit did the sky put such a spectacular show like this one.

San Luis NWR

CA USA