Death for All by RussellMcGuire

Let me tell you a story about the most dangerous, dreaded, feared creature in the desert. No, it’s not the rattlesnake or the tarantula. It’s not the giant fire ants or the wild javelina hogs. It is in fact much scary than that. The creature I am talking about is the Cylindropuntia bigelovii… the Teddy-Bear Cholla.

I know what you are saying, it has teddy-bear in its name so how can it be dangerous? Well, if it was up to me, it would be called the Grizzle Bear of Death Cholla.

I took a trip out to the Superstition Mountains the other day and had the misfortune of stepping on one of these. They are so sharp, that it actually went through my shoe and stuck me. Once they stick you, it is really hard to get them out. I ended up leaving the mountain with more puncture wounds in my feet and fingers than a pin cushion. So let this be a warning to all, do not mess with the Grizzle-Bear Cholla of Death, for it hurts!

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What’s the Point by Kyraly

Superstition Mountains near Phoenix

My first experience shooting the jumping cholla cactus and my first experience in extracting them from my leg. One was fun the other not so much.

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Consolation Prize by Pcoskun

Finally, a new image recently photographed in the scorching desert! I was lucky enough to join local photographer and storm chaser Mike Olbinski on a brief chase just south of Phoenix. Mike’s knowledge of storms and weather brought us back and forth to a small cell that we had photographed earlier in the day that produced a handful of lightning strikes and some pretty interesting atmospherics. The cell quickly fell apart and nothing really looked quite interesting. Mike was just about to call it a day when we met up with a few other storm chasers who were nearby. After a little consultation and just about calling it a day, we began to return just from where we came from. The cell seemed to reconstruct itself and began to drop some rain off in the distance. By the time we got back close enough it had come and gone once again. It was just about sunset when we found a spot just off the road to wait out and see if anything would materialize again. It never really built up again like we had seen earlier in the day, but we were still out in the desert under the beautiful skies that began to light up with pinks and oranges. It was one of the better sunsets I have seen of late, and quite a nice consolation prize for not getting much in the way of good storm images.

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My God, It’s Full of Stars! by RussellMcGuire

I had a chance to go out in the middle of nowhere and shoot some pictures of the Milky Way. Coming from Houston, I was amazed to be able to see that many stars. When I got out of my car, I looked up and thought I was dreaming. I had never seen a sky like that. The entire time I was out there, I kept thinking of the quote from 2001 A Space Odyssey, “The thing’s hollow — it goes on forever — and — oh my God! — it’s full of stars!”

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Arizona Sonoran Sunset by williamscoggin

An amazing Arizona Sky taken shortly after sunset north of Tucson,AZ in the Sonoran Desert.

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