Summer’s Two Gifts

Posted on August 9, 2013 by azgilstrap

A wise woman once said that relatives give you two gifts when they come to visit. One when they arrive, and one when they leave.

I feel the same way about what I consider to be the Metro Phoenix area’s summer period – when temperatures consistently rise above 100 degrees up to the period when temperatures consistently fall below 90 degrees. Forget the dates; it’s all about the heat. I love the sun and the warmth it radiates, but it can wear me out when temperatures are consistently rising above 110 degrees. As a result, I usually can’t wait for Arizona’s summer to both arrive and depart.

Those who live in Arizona’s higher elevation areas, obviously, may not feel the same way. I’ll write about that in an upcoming post.

Interestingly enough, many of the flowers (both wild and of the garden variety) that color our desert landscape appear to react very similarly to me. They tend to thrive in the spring, and eventually wilt as the mercury rises.

A sample of some of the wild- and garden-related flower photos I’ve been able to capture this year is featured below. The garden photos come from my garden.

Special thanks to my buddy Dave and his very cool Polaris Razor Jagged X for helping me with the wild flower images. Dave and his high-performance off-road vehicle (I jokingly call it a jalopy) got me to beautiful back country to which few get the opportunity to travel. Just click on one of the smaller individual photos below to view in slide show mode.

: Purple Gazanias

Note: The photoremedy mission is to encourage those fighting chronic pain and other afflictions to consider using photography as a powerful tool to move their focus away from the pain. In the process, we strive to enhance readers’ ability to see beauty and experience elevated joy in their lives. There are many gifts that can accompany health challenges; one of the greatest offerings is it frequently forces sufferers to set better priorities for their lives and assists them in seeing the world in new and more meaningful ways.

Savannah (Georgia) On My Mind

Posted on July 13, 2013 by azgilstrap

A side trip to Savannah was one of the highlights of our 2013 trip to visit my sister Kelley, brother-in-law Chris, and nephew Griffin in South Carolina.

Stephen Henkin has been quoted as saying “General Sherman spared it from the torch, Clint Eastwood filmed in it, and tourists by the millions flock there. People just love Savannah’s classic Old South look.” Sound like a near-perfect photoremedy recipe? You be the judge. The photos below offer a Savannah region sample. The primary featured subjects are Savannah itself, the Azalea Inn & Gardens, the fabled Bonaventure Cemetery, and nearby Tybee Island. Just click on any of the images below to view in slide show mode.

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Honoring Our Heroes

Posted on July 7, 2013 by azgilstrap

Today, thousands of Arizonans flocked to the streets, highways, and overpasses that lined the way home for the nineteen members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot Unit that lost their lives one week ago today near Yarnell, Arizona. They perished when a wicked wind suddenly changed directions, and ferociously fanned the flames of a massive wildfire. The way the wind changed was unprecedented; it left our home state heroes with no way out.

I cannot imagine a way that a community can repay such a sacrifice, but I was proud of my Grand Canyon State brothers and sisters. Many got out of their cars and endured 110+ degree temperatures.

Many cried, some waved flags, and others–like me–documented a scene they hope to never see again. The line of white hearses was just so incredibly long.

This blog highlights some of the ways that photography helps many move their minds away from focusing on chronic pain and other ailments. I was able to take pictures of today’s procession, but it offered no remedy. It simply provided an opportunity to reflect and to say ‘thank you’ to all Americans who selflessly dedicate themselves to efforts to protect others.

The Firefighter’s Pledge – “I promise concern for others. Willingness for those in need. I promise courage – courage to face and conquer my fears and courage to share and endure the ordeal of those who need me. I promise strength – strength of heart to bear whatever burdens might be placed upon me and strength of body to deliver safety to all those placed within my care. I promise the wisdom to lead, the compassion to comfort, and the love to serve unselfishly whenever I am called.” – Author unknown

Sunflower as High as an Elephant’s Eye

Posted on June 29, 2013 by azgilstrap

The legendary 1943 Broadway musical “Oklahoma” featured the magical Rodgers and Hammerstein hit song Oh What a Beautiful Morning, a tune later made famous by actor/singer Gordon MacRae when the play was adapted into a 1955 Academy Award winning movie.

Even though the play and movie soundtracks predate me by a number of years, they were still popular when I was a youngster. Some of the movie’s most famous song lyrics–“the corn is as high as an elephant’s eye”–keep coming to mind, ironically, when I step into my backyard this summer. That’s because a sunflower seed I tossed into the garden outside our master bedroom window in February has now grown into a plant that is roughly as high as an elephant’s eye.

Oddly enough, I planted the seed in an attempt to bring a bit of Kansas (the Sunflower State) to Arizona. Because of our family’s Kansas roots, most of the Arizona Gilstraps love sunflowers. The cover photo of our travel book, Being Amanda in Europe, even featured Amanda and a bushel of sunflowers.

I just didn’t anticipate this spectacularly beautiful annual would grow so exceptionally well in the Sororan Desert. Our sunflower plant is now roughly eight feet tall. If it keeps thriving, we’ll look for it to provide ongoing photoremedy, and even PhotoArt, opportunities.

PhotoArt by Greg

Note: The photoremedy mission is to encourage those fighting chronic pain and other afflictions to consider using photography as a powerful tool to move their focus away from the pain. In the process, we strive to enhance readers’ ability to see beauty and experience elevated joy in their lives. There are many gifts that can accompany health challenges; one of the greatest offerings is it frequently forces sufferers to set better priorities for their lives and assists them in seeing the world in new and more meaningful ways.

Butterfly Wonderland

Posted on June 18, 2013 by azgilstrap

Having our Grandson Emmett all to ourselves for a few hours last week proved to be a great opportunity to check out one of Arizona’s newest attractions – Scottsdale’s Butterfly Wonderland.

Butterfly Wonderland features America’s largest butterfly atrium. Butterflies from farmers–as far away as Costa Rica, Malaysia, Ecuador, Thailand and the Philippines–appear to be living the good life inside the 10,000 square foot facility.

The holometabolous insects are quite friendly. In fact some of them appeared to be quite interested in “dating” Mary, or at least her talking her out of her shirt!

Photo by Mary Gilstrap

A specially-edited 3D version of “Flight of the Butterflies” is a can’t miss part of the experience. I must admit I had a hard time following the narration because the 3D butterflyeffects were so captivating I had to keep turning to Mary and Emmett to say, “That is so cool!”

After the movie, 17-month old Emmett was enthralled the minute we hit the conservatory. It captured his attention for good reason. The butterflies were everywhere!

It didn’t take long for Emmett to decide he was ready to move on. Fortunately, he found other wonders to capture his attention.

That gave me just a bit more time to enjoy some fabulous photoremedy.

All in all, it was a great outing. We hope to be back soon. Perhaps next time we will be able to bring both of the grand kids. I cannot promise it will be twice as much fun, but at least there will be twice as many tiny toes!

Plunging Back to Earth

Posted on May 21, 2013 by azgilstrap

The opportunity to shoot a few photos of the picturesque Atlantic Ocean had me incredibly excited as we headed to South Carolina’s Folly Beach during our recent trip to the East Coast. Although it was a bit chilly, it was as beautiful as I imagined.

My sister, Kelley, and my wife, Mary, were brave enough to test the water. Kelley’s husband, Chris, then treated me to some of the most glorious photoremedy I have experienced. Chris showed me that by tossing tiny cheese crackers in the air one could lure shore birds to within arm’s reach.

As Chris threw the crackers to the birds, I snapped away rather joyfully.

Since the birds never seemed to get their fill, Chris soon tired of the activity and handed the crackers off to me. I tossed the crackers directly overhead with one hand and maneuvered my Canon with the other.

It was truly magical. At times, it almost seemed as if I was flying in formation with the birds.

My heart soared with my new found friends. When I ran out of crackers, I joyfully returned to my travel party. That’s when I noticed that while I was smiling, they were all laughing hysterically. My heart plunged back to earth as I realized I must have done something rather stupid. My family, my trusted friends, were clearly laughing at me and not with me. I thought to myself, “That’s odd what the heck did I do this time?” As it turns out, it wasn’t what I did as much as what was done TO me.

Damn birds crapped all over me.

Photo by Kelley Kimery

This only took a little wind out of my sails. When it comes to getting a few good photos and lots of photoremedy, I say it’s worth putting up with other’s crap!

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Category Archives: Travel