Cogs 'n Wheels

About an hours drive from my house is what appears on the surface to be an old western town. But in reality it is a recreated set of buildings designed to be used as movie sets in in the late '40s. Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and a cast of others used this location for a myriad of movies and TV shows. Named after the musical group, "Sons of the Pioneers", Pioneer Town even has it's own zip code and post office. There's a bowling alley, several saloons, a church and assorted other stores and private residences. I spotted this old rusted printing press and loved the combination of all the colors of rust and the geometrical shapes.

"Cogs 'n Wheels" © Kathy Dunham 2008

Shoe Tree

It's the holiday weekend and I decided to do a little driving to check out the landscape in this part of California. I've seen a lot of the state but there are parts of the desert I still haven't been to. I know, gas prices are high but this is business for me. An artist needs to search out new subject matter and get inspired. In a wide spot of the road called Amboy, 48 miles north of Twentynine Palms, is a gas station, and what used to be a motel. But a humorous spot is the "Shoe Tree". I don't know how it got started or why people keep throwing shoes up in the tree tops but they do. And most of them look new. There were even slippers in the tree. Further down the road was the "Jockey Short Tree" but I couldn't find a safe place to pull over to take a picture. Maybe next time.

"Shoe Tree" © Kathy Dunham 2008

Early Condominiums

Canyon de Chelly is a favorite spot of mine and its unique history adds to the charm. This is Antelope House, so named after the nearby petroglyphs on the canyon walls depicting antelopes. This was home to the ancient Anazasi. No one knows exactly why or when they left but what remains offers us a small window into their lives. These ruins are a marvelous wonder of architecture considering what building materials were available at the time.

"Antelope House" © Kathy Dunham 2008

See the Bug?

How many times have you taken a picture only to realize there's something else in the frame you hadn't counted on? I think we've all done it, sometimes with funny results e.g., a light pole coming out the top of your head. But this time I wanted to capture the green bug on the green bud but knew he wouldn't show unless I found something in the background that would do the job for me. Luckily, there were some red oriental poppies behind the roses and voir la (there you see). So appropriate since this is bug was in France.

"See the Bug?" © Kathy Dunham 2008

Too Old to Eat

I love artichokes and enjoy them whenever I can. I spotted this "Over the Hill" version at the L.A. County Arboretum and loved the contrast of the red and green.

"Too Old to Eat" © Kathy Dunham 2008

Pink Bubbles

If you're ever in Barcelona you have to spend time walking Las Ramblas. It's the Spanish counterpart of the Champs Elysees in Paris. A wonderful place to stroll, you'll find newsstands, flower and bird vendors, outdoor restaurants and mimes. Lots of mimes. Throw some coins in their tip bucket and they'll come to life. It's great entertainment day or night.

"Pink Bubbles' © Kathy Dunham 2008

Reflections

I spotted this shot in Victoria, B.C. several years ago and at first I wasn't sure what I was looking at. Once I realized what it was I thought it was pretty cool.



"Reflections" © Kathy Dunham 2008