Tulip time. Holland, Michigan. 4 May 2008.

Tulip time. Holland, Michigan. 4 May 2008.

Tulip time. Holland, Michigan. 4 May 2008.

Being on sabbatical means that I have time for some of the things that I enjoy but that otherwise end up being pretty low on my priority list. So instead of working last Sunday afternoon I got to go to Holland (Michigan) and photograph some of the millions of tulips in bloom. Holland, Michigan. 4 May 2008.

The city of Holland, Michigan, does tulips like no one else. There's a tulip festival, and (literally) millions of tulips in bloom. It's actually possible to avoid the crowds by parking on or near one of the "tulip lanes" and walking down the street. Holland, Michigan. 4 May 2008.

The surest sign that winter is over is this trillium that appears each year in the midst of the pachysandra in front of our house. Kalamazoo, Michigan. 4 May 2008.

The one day in London that was clear coincided nicely with the few hours we had to play. We took the opportunity to wander through Kensington Park, stopping to check out the Princess Diana memorial. London, England. 22 April 2008.

London was as much in bloom as Canterbury, and the small roads in the Kensington neighborhood were wonderful to wander through. London, England. 21 April 2008.

My maternal grandfather's name was Russell Hirst, so it was fun to see this antiques shop in Notting Hill. I was tempted by an antique fiddleback chasuble that they had, but the L450 pricetag slowed me down. London, England. 21 April 2008.

Canterbury in bloom-- the wall to the old city. Canterbury, England. 20 April 2008.

Tulips in Canterbury. Canterbury, England. 20 April 2008.

Everything was in bloom on a recent trip to the UK. This was taken not far from the Canterbury East train station. Canterbury, England. 20 April 2008.

Heliconius melpomene aglaope. Frederick Meijer Gardens. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 5 March 2008.

Do these things look fierce, or is it just my imagination? Frederick Meijer Garden. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 5 March 2008.

I was enjoying using my macro lens at Frederick Meijer Garden, and couldn't resist a few closeups of this wasp (Polistes gallicus). It was probably pretty stupid of me to get that close, given that I'm allergic to these guys! Grand Rapids, Michigan. 5 March 2008.

Heliconius hecalesia. Frederick Meijer Garden. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 5 March 2008.

The butterflies are back at Frederick Meijer Garden. It's a spectacular exhibit-- just when you think you've survived the 90o heat as long as you can stand it, you see something new and stay another hour! This butterfly is a Great Mormon-- Papilio memnon. Grand Rapids, Michigan. 5 March 2008.

Cholla Cactus Garden. Joshua Tree National Monument, California. 1 January 2008.

Cholla cactus
"skeleton." Joshua Tree National Monument. 1 January 2008.

Cholla Cactus Garden, Joshua Tree National Monument. 1 January 2008.

Cholla Cactus Garden, Joshua Tree National Monument. 1 January 2008.

The Santa Ana winds were quite strong on a visit to Imperial Sand Dunes National Recreation Area. While it was easy to imagine how the wind affects the movement of the dunes, it was also easy to get sand in anything and everything! Near Brawley, CA. 31 December 2007.

Arch Rock, Joshua Tree National Monument, California. 1 January 2008.

Christ in the Desert Monastery. Near Abiquiu, New Mexico. All Saints' Day, 2007.

This is the northern edge of the formation that creates Echo Amphitheater, just west of Ghost Ranch. Near Abiquiu, New Mexico. 2 November 2007.

The top edge of Echo Amphitheater, north of Abiquiu. 2 November 2007.

Along the Rio Chama even the brush creates interesting patterns. Near Abiquiu, New Mexico. 1 November 2007.

This rock was just outside my window at the guest house at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. With the late afternoon sun bringing out the color in it, it was quite spectacular. Abiquiu, New Mexico. 2 November 2007.

Last week I had the pleasure of spending a few days at the Monastery of Christ in the Desert again. I wanted to get there before dark, so didn't have a lot of time to stop and take photos. This was taken while driving past Ghost Ranch. It was a roll-down-the-window, hold-the-camera-up-and-shoot photo, done at 60 mph (that's why the bushes in the foreground have a little motion blur to them). Not recommended for heavy traffic (which there wasn't)! Abiquiu, New Mexico. 31 October 2007.

I've been rather busy lately, so haven't had a lot of time to post. I want to get another of the Sandhill Cranes in before I post a bunch of photos from New Mexico, where I am at the moment. Bellevue, Michigan. 21 October 2007.