The Joshua Tree Trip

The Joshua Tree Trip, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

The Joshua Tree Trip

We drove through Yucca Valley last week and I was hypnotized by the Joshua Trees. Yesterday I got the chance to drive through the Joshua Tree National Park. Didn't get a chance to stop and look around too much because we had to get back before dark but it was enough to fall in love with the place. With a yearly pass, I'll be back when I have more time.

PS. Got a computer finally. Hopefully can get it up and running in the next couple of days

To Stand Above The Wreckage

To Stand Above The Wreckage, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

To Stand Above The Wreckage

Sometimes we have to step on the top wrung of a step ladder to look upon the wreckage that surrounds us to see how lucky we are. My 77 year old Mother in Law rolled her car the other day and walked away unhurt.

View on black ... and white.

Our Daily Challenge: Black And White

Where's Grover?

Where's Grover?, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Where's Grover?

I took this shot of Mr Stix for the Macro Anything challenge (I'm using a phone and that's about as macro as it gets) but when I saw the shot, my eyes went straight to the shadow of Grover from Sesame Street on the wall. It took me forever to figure out what it was. It's my shadow. So, I'm putting it in the Bizarre challenge (which is where most of my shots belong anyway)

View on Black or Grover will pop his shadow in all your photos

Cactus Butt

Cactus Butt, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Cactus Butt

If you accidentally sit on it, you have to buy it. Luckily it was cheap and I didn't sit all the way down.

View on black or I'll hide cactus on your chairs

for Our Daily Challenge: Macro Anything

Like Sand In An Hour Glass

Like Sand In An Hour Glass, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Like Sand In An Hour Glass

At least now I know to roll up the window when driving through blowing sand. There were sand drifts on the road ... and in my car.

View on black or get sand in your pants

Is Dork One Of The Seven Deadly Sins?

Is Dork One Of The Seven Deadly Sins?, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Is Dork One Of The Seven Deadly Sins?

I went to take a photo of Toby sleeping for "Sloth" because Fuego won't let me take his photo. Just as I went to snap the shot, Fuego pops up his head with this mad look on his face. Apparently I am not allowed to take a photo of ANY of the cats. Is Dork one of the deadly sins? If it is, I've got this one covered ( not me you goofs, the cat!)

View on black or Fuego will pop his head up in all your photos

for Our Daily Challenge: 7 Deadly Sins

Wild Dodo Chase

Wild Dodo Chase, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Wild Dodo Chase

Don't look at me that way. I didn't have a goose. Anyway, I told him to go fly to the top of San Jacinto Mountain. He Agreed after I convinced him it was only 400 feet tall (he's a Dodo, it wasn't that difficult).

PS. please don't mention how LARGE his rear end is. He's sensitive.

View on black or the Dodo will call you to come pick him up when he realizes he can't make it.

for Our Daily Challenge: Wild Goose Chase

Entrance Below

Entrance Below, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Entrance Below

It's kind of neat watching the bees fly up to the opening and crawl up into the flower. A couple of times, a second bee would try to crawl up into the flower. I heard tiny little swearing then one would fly out all mad.

View on black or I'll push you out of the flower

for Our Daily Challenge: At The Bottom

Focused

Focused, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Focused

Monday I started work at my new store. The manager is fantastic, he allowed my transfer even though he didn't really have any extra payroll for me. I did though, have to step down but I am not too worried about that because I know when an opening comes around, I'm there baby.

Monday was also the first day I wore my glasses since the end of December. That's right, CONTACTS! I decided it was time to try contacts for the first time. Only problem is I can't see close up at all with them on. I have to hold the phone out at arms length to make out anything at all. Takes about an hour to shoot a photo and type in half of what I want to say ( if I tried to put ALL I wanted to say, I would be too frustrated and would probably end up throwing my phone out the car window). So hopefully, soon I will get the money back that was stolen from me and go get a computer because I am going through photography withdrawal now.

View on black or I'll drive by and chuck my phone at you ... from a distance obviously so I can see you.

for Our Daily Challenge: Out Of Focus

Outside The Limits

Outside The Limits, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Outside The Limits

Well, it seems I am on the outside of my limits now. Although I call it good luck because we caught it so fast, we seem to be the victims of credit card fraud. Luckily our credit union was on the ball and they only got $500 before the card was shut off.

To make a bad day worse, we plugged in the computer for the first time yesterday, it farted once, belched and croaked. Even my evil glare wouldn't scare it into running. So it looks like it's still phone photos for me for the time being.

View on black or I'll snap your photo with my phone. (it has enough editing software on it to make you look scary)

Who Knew, Windmills Have A Speed Limit

Who Knew, Windmills Have A Speed Limit, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Who Knew, Windmills Have A Speed Limit

After passing the truck with the wind turbine motor on it, twice, we left highway 10 and got on highway 62 for a short bit and stopped in the middle of the Wind Farm and waited on the side of the road for the truck to come by. Apparently it had a dinner date somewhere else, it never came by. As we waited though, I noticed a 25 mph sign next to where we parked. I believe it's for the wind turbines. I hear if they go too fast, they could actually pick up the entire Coachella Valley and drop us in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

View on black or I'll drop rocks on you as we fly by (I've got plenty of rocks now too)

HSS

Is It A Giant Eye?

Is It A Giant Eye?, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Is It A Giant Eye?

As we passed this the other morning we (meaning me) thought it was a giant septic tank. I quickly snapped a photo (the one before this). As we quickly started to pass it, I realized I was wrong. It obviously was some kind of space rover. Then I thought it was some kind of new mobile home. It wasn't until we completely passed it that I realized it was the motor to one of the wind turbines. I was so involved with trying to figure out what it was that I forgot to take any more photos besides the first one. I quickly yelled, piercing the silence, PULL OVER! Apparently I was pretty loud, five cars all pulled over. As the truck carrying the turbine passed, we got back on the freeway, I hung my head out the window like a drooling dog and snapped some more photos with my phones camera.

View on black or I'll sneak up behind you and yell PULL OVER

Oversized

Oversized, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Oversized

The POD carrying most of our belongings arrived this morning. Ironically it was raining when we packed it and it's raining now. Who knew moving to the desert would be so cold and wet.

Saturday will be the first night we spend here. Up till now, we have been getting up between 4 and 5 am and driving the 60 mile one way trip. Yesterday, as we drove out here, we came across this truck. I thought it was a giant septic tank (don't judge me). I was wrong. It's actually the motor to a wind turbine (that provides the power for me to see when I'm using the bathroom, so I wasn't that far off).

I Got A Rock

I Got A Rock, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

I Got A Rock

I think Charlie Brown is our mailman. I opened the mailbox for the first time today, I got a rock. It's not a bill, so I am happy.

View on black or I'll throw my mail at you

Good Morning Desert Hot Springs

Good Morning Desert Hot Springs, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Good Morning Desert Hot Springs | a photo by HBMike2000

I'm Melting In The Sun

I'm Melting In The Sun, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

This is what they call the life.

Well, there were problems with the move. The other 3/4 of our belongings are in a POD (a big moving container) and got delayed because we moved outside the 50 mile free delivery. Now they had to drop it off at another facility first then deliver it, charging us $920. It should be here tomorrow.
We have TV now but no internet, still waiting on the call for them to confirm a friday instillation.
In the meantime, I haven't used my camera since the first week of November and have completely forgot how to use it. I was told not to worry, that it was like riding a bike and I will remember everything when I pick it up again to use it. So naturally I blew the dust off the bike, which is here, and rode it. I got to the end of the driveway, a bug flew in my mouth, I gagged, crashed and cussed at the bug which somehow survived. So I am hoping the camera is not like riding a bike.

But the Little Purple Monster has been riding in my car this whole time and he is at least moved in. I'm happy.

View on black or I'll chuck a bug at you

for
Our Daily Challenge: Long Shadows

Was That You Or The Ten Thousand Cows Outside The Window?

Was That You Or The Ten Thousand Cows Outside The Window?, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

I've had to pass this twice daily for the last couple of weeks as I go back and forth from my temporary home in Canyon Lake to my new home in Desert Hot Springs. I attempted to count how many cows there are but usually give up around three as that's about the time I accidentally make eye contact with one and feel self conscious about staring at them.

Just a little drivers tip for you, when driving through Cow Country, do NOT roll up all the windows in the car UNLESS you close the vents too. Nobody want cow farts trapped in a car with no place to go, trust me.

View on black or I'll post the next version as a Smell-A-Photo

for Our Daily Challenge: Something You Dislike

Apparently There Is Some Confusion On My Gender

Apparently There Is Some Confusion On My Gender, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.

Todays Challenge was Pink. How ironic. The cost of moving has left me beyond the poor house and some wonderful people have been generous enough to help us out. We needed sheets for our bed and a good friend says no problem, they have an extra set they never use. I say cool. She goes down her hall to the closet and rustles around for a few minutes and pops out some sheets. Pink. She is after all a girl. My mind races with an excuse not to take them. Can't come up with one. She already knows I need them and I don't want to seem ungrateful so I put on my best "Grateful" face and now I have pink sheets.

I also have no pajamas. I don't wear them. But when you are staying with your mother-in-law and you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night they come in handy. I now peek out the door to make sure I don't run into her again in my underwear. To solve the problem, she offered me a set of her pajamas she never wears. Lets just forget for a moment that they are Grandma Pajamas and head straight for the fact that they are bright pink. I'm not sure she was TOTALLY serious because she kept snickering as she tried to pass them off to me. I DID decline the pajamas. I told her the cats would beat me up. She seemed to buy it as she took the bright pink Grandma pajamas away, snickering the whole time.

Then the challenge of pink comes along for today and I can't find anything pink. That is till my other half just asked me if I wanted a Starburst. I said sure, so he hands me one. You got it, it was pink.

So I think I am just going to eat this pink Starburst, go to my mother-in-laws and tell her I'll take her pink grandma pajamas and then I am going to go to sleep in my pink sheets. Hopefully my cats won't be to rough on me.

View on black or I'll girl slap you.


PS this photo was taken in Palm Springs, Not Arizona. I can't fix the location on my phone.

for
Our Daily Challenge: Pink

It's Down The Hall And To The Left

It's Down The Hall And To The Left, a photo by hbmike2000 (please see profile) on Flickr.