https://www.audballphotography.com/portfolio-2 daily 0.75 2018-06-27 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b1c2bbd352f539420e51dd2/1528572872004/DSC05806.jpg Desert Monoliths https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac03562fa731e972cf38/1530080119175/DSC05684.jpg Desert Monoliths - Raven Fun fact: a group of ravens is known as an “unkindness.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13abfe70a6ad796e9c4084/1528590311916/DSC05638.jpg Desert Monoliths - Claws This dead tree clawing the sky seemed to me a stark reminder of what it means to live in the desert. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac0203ce643a994bdc10/1528590428524/DSC05657.jpg Desert Monoliths - Shades of Grey Most photographers know it’s hard to capture the scale of the Grand Canyon, but it’s also incredibly difficult to convey the seemingly endless layers of light and shadow in the canyons too. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac06758d4674dd6da5ad/1528597592675/DSC05790.jpg Desert Monoliths - Golden Antelope The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac070e2e7280eebd7188/1528598217230/DSC05806.jpg Desert Monoliths - Purple Antelope The magical colors of the Navajo Sandstone are a result of minerals (i.e. hematite, goethite, and limonite) deposited in the quartz sand walls over the course of 190 million years. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac0c6d2a73dbd1f2ab82/1528598436976/DSC05909.jpg Desert Monoliths - Red Antelope I was awestruck here, in love with the otherworldly colors and shapes of these walls. These canyons are truly magical, and a testament to the power of nature. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac0c562fa731e972cf85/1528598574585/DSC05967.jpg Desert Monoliths - Meander The mighty Colorado once flowed where it wanted. And a meandering river, with its dramatic incisions, is a beautiful thing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13abfe88251b5f163a0d14/1528598834649/DSC05545.jpg Desert Monoliths - Lone Joshua As droughts become longer and more frequent due to climate change, young Joshua Trees at lower altitudes are dying off. By the end of the century, the Joshua tree population could shrink to just one tenth of its current size. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac11352f532067bcbbd9/1528599464521/DSC06050.jpg Desert Monoliths - Riding High A California condor’s 9 ft wingspan helps it soar for hours, at speeds up to 55 mph, as it searches for carrion. These massive birds can weight up to 26 lbs and live for 60 years. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac1188251b5f163a0e26/1528599639605/DSC06052.jpg Desert Monoliths - Condor Walls Most causes of condor death in the past 200 years have been due to human activities, leading to the bird’s near extinction. The last wild condor was captured in 1987; all 27 birds were kept at breeding facilities in LA and San Diego. As of 2016, the condor population reached 446 birds. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac17562fa731e972d02c/1528599804589/DSC06079.jpg Desert Monoliths - L'Appel du Vide The call of the void https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac1770a6ad796e9c41fc/1528600421449/DSC06094.jpg Desert Monoliths - Mukuntuweap President Taft originally named the area Mukuntuweap National Monument, but in 1918, the acting director of the NPS, Horace Albright, suggested renaming it Zion national Monument. Many believed that Spanish and Indigenous names would deter visitors, who wouldn’t come to a place whose name they couldn’t pronounce. https://www.audballphotography.com/portfolio-1 daily 0.75 2018-06-13 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b1c2b80f950b7c363a60f58/1528572811422/DSC01650.jpg Crown of the Continent https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54ca9758d46856003bc01/1528854643076/DSC01256.jpg Crown of the Continent - Onwards While I’m sure Grinnell Glacier Trail is beautiful on a sunny day, the mist and heavy drizzle in the woods was positively ethereal. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54cf81ae6cf4b30e84a57/1528589411347/DSC01262.jpg Crown of the Continent - Diamonds Grow on Trees The sparkling raindrops hanging heavy on naked branches reminded me of the diamond forest in The Twelve Dancing Princesses. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d02758d46856003c266/1528854858004/DSC01334.jpg Crown of the Continent - Colossi For scale, that little building is the five story Many Glacier Hotel, constructed by the Great Northern Railway in 1914-1915. It doesn’t look like it from here, but the hotel has over 200 guest rooms. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d15575d1f737f56eaae/1528589631053/DSC01344.jpg Crown of the Continent - Flower's Eye View You see a lot when you’re standing, but you miss a lot as well. And as fun as it is to get a bird’s eye view, it’s just as fun to lay in the grass and check things out from there. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d352b6a284549fa1975/1528854889639/DSC01350.jpg Crown of the Continent - Yellow Striped Road I love the juxtaposition of the human-made road and the nature-carved mountains. The road — linearity, designed for permanence, and created with a singular purpose. The mountains — constantly eroding, slowly changing, tall peaks and deep valleys, purely a byproduct of moving ice over geologic time. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5afa7973f950b7f4da2d72e6/1528589848043/DSC01877.jpg Crown of the Continent - Jaunts While the view from Hidden Lake trail was beautiful, the most exhilarating part was flopping onto the ground and sliding all the way back down. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d47f950b78091e372d8/1528589895679/DSC01650.jpg Crown of the Continent - Greater Than the Sum of its Parts The water was as still as Mt. Grinnell itself. I’m not a morning person, which means waking up at 4 am is not at the top of my “Thing’s I’d Willingly Do” list. But it’s on there, and scenes like this are why. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d6c1ae6cf4b30e852ae/1528855344737/DSC01656.jpg Crown of the Continent - Molten Silver and Gold The beautiful colors of sunrise reflected in Swiftcurrent Creek! The rapidly melting Grinnell Glacier is one of several sources of water for this creek and its source, Swiftcurrent Lake. It’s difficult to imagine what this will look like once the glaciers disappear. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d7388251b7f232ba837/1528590035628/DSC01973.jpg Crown of the Continent - Stone Bowl The Loop — an unassuming name for acres of ghostly, torched trees, steep, wooded mountainsides, and colorful alpine meadows, leading to Granite Park Chalet. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d791ae6cf4b30e853ab/1528590097621/DSC02052.jpg Crown of the Continent - I'm Melting As wonderful as the mountains were, you could also clearly see how much the glaciers had receded, an ominous reminder that glaciers wouldn’t stay in Glacier National Park for much longer. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d7f575d1f737f56f22c/1528590140014/DSC02069.jpg Crown of the Continent - That Which Divides Us The border between the US and Canada — not that this means much to the denizens of the mountains. I love this image for its aesthetics, for how it visually emphasizes the contrived, and how it shows how tenuous our control is in the grand scheme of things. https://www.audballphotography.com/new-index-1 daily 0.75 2018-06-13 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac1770a6ad796e9c41fc/1528600421449/DSC06094.jpg Wanderings - Mukuntuweap President Taft originally named the area Mukuntuweap National Monument, but in 1918, the acting director of the NPS, Horace Albright, suggested renaming it Zion national Monument. Many believed that Spanish and Indigenous names would deter visitors, who wouldn’t come to a place whose name they couldn’t pronounce. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac17562fa731e972d02c/1528599804589/DSC06079.jpg Wanderings - L'Appel du Vide The call of the void https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac1188251b5f163a0e26/1528599639605/DSC06052.jpg Wanderings - Condor Walls Most causes of condor death in the past 200 years have been due to human activities, leading to the bird’s near extinction. The last wild condor was captured in 1987; all 27 birds were kept at breeding facilities in LA and San Diego. As of 2016, the condor population reached 446 birds. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac11352f532067bcbbd9/1528599464521/DSC06050.jpg Wanderings - Riding High A California condor’s 9 ft wingspan helps it soar for hours, at speeds up to 55 mph, as it searches for carrion. These massive birds can weight up to 26 lbs and live for 60 years. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac0c562fa731e972cf85/1528598574585/DSC05967.jpg Wanderings - Meander The mighty Colorado once flowed where it wanted. And a meandering river, with its dramatic incisions, is a beautiful thing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac0c6d2a73dbd1f2ab82/1528598436976/DSC05909.jpg Wanderings - Red Antelope I was awestruck here, in love with the otherworldly colors and shapes of these walls. These canyons are truly magical, and a testament to the power of nature. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac070e2e7280eebd7188/1528598217230/DSC05806.jpg Wanderings - Purple Antelope The magical colors of the Navajo Sandstone are a result of minerals (i.e. hematite, goethite, and limonite) deposited in the quartz sand walls over the course of 190 million years. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac06758d4674dd6da5ad/1528597592675/DSC05790.jpg Wanderings - Golden Antelope The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through rocks'. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac03562fa731e972cf38/1530080119175/DSC05684.jpg Wanderings - Raven Fun fact: a group of ravens is known as an “unkindness.” https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13ac0203ce643a994bdc10/1528590428524/DSC05657.jpg Wanderings - Shades of Grey Most photographers know it’s hard to capture the scale of the Grand Canyon, but it’s also incredibly difficult to convey the seemingly endless layers of light and shadow in the canyons too. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13abfe70a6ad796e9c4084/1528590311916/DSC05638.jpg Wanderings - Claws This dead tree clawing the sky seemed to me a stark reminder of what it means to live in the desert. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af55b436d2a733614c14252/5b13abfe88251b5f163a0d14/1528598834649/DSC05545.jpg Wanderings - Lone Joshua As droughts become longer and more frequent due to climate change, young Joshua Trees at lower altitudes are dying off. By the end of the century, the Joshua tree population could shrink to just one tenth of its current size. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1db287352f5394200ea38e/1528739922975/DSC00517.jpg Wanderings - Cueva Ventana The hike up to Cueva Ventana took us through limestone passageways, past ancient Taíno petroglyphs, and finally out to this breathtaking view of the Río Grande de Arecibo valley. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c2170a6ad394e8f2d57/1530080752848/DSC00585.jpg Wanderings - Serenity A peaceful reminder of sunset in Aguadilla, right above Crash Boat Beach. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c1f1ae6cfcbab60128b/1530080721224/DSC00574.jpg Wanderings - Magnificent Frigatebird In Spanish, they are called Rabihorcado, meaning “forked tail”. The term Magnificent Frigatebird came from the French La Frégate — frigate or fast warship. English mariners called the bird Man-of-War. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c1a70a6ad394e8f2c2b/1530080694620/DSC00556.jpg Wanderings - Joyride The ocean has so many moods. While there was a storm brewing out on the open ocean, with stunning shards of lighting dancing among the cumulonimbus, the water was calm and gentle closer to shore. Perfect for a sunset ride. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c16352f539420e528e3/1529027279871/DSC00446.jpg Wanderings - Glory With the sun behind us, I got to see a beautiful glory and the shadow of our ultralight looking for all the world like a gigantic bird. Behind the mist is a limestone cliff with a very unassuming little hole, also known as Cueva Ventana. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c138a922ddcbe143886/1530080659614/DSC00433.jpg Wanderings - Sunrise in Arecibo Flying in an ultralight over the Río Grande de Arecibo valley was magical. At sunrise, the valley is painted gold, and flocks of white egrets take to the air below you, like tiny white sheep moving across a lush green meadow. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c10575d1f37d72303fd/1530080587040/DSC00418.jpg Wanderings - Coo This is the Capilla del Santo Cristo, and its resident flock of pigeons. Built in 1753, believers come to pray for health and healing. Inside hang all the tiny, silver milagros they bring, each in the shape of the petitioner’s ailing body part. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0d70a6ad394e8f2a73/1530080507189/DSC00409.jpg Wanderings - Old San Juan The original blue cobblestones (adoquines) of Old San Juan were cast from iron furnace slag. The slag was brought as ballast in the bottoms of Spanish merchant ships in the 1700s. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0a1ae6cfcbab600fd0/1528611848547/DSC00397.jpg Wanderings - El Morro The 16th c. citadel of Fuerte San Felipe del Morro was built to protect the citizens of colonial San Juan. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0a0e2e7242eda66ae8/1528739922976/DSC00349.jpg Wanderings - The Trail Less Trodden During one of the downpours, we got a little turned around and came upon a narrow, overgrown path. An eerie, heavy mist and deep quiet surrounded us as we walked forward, leaving us to wonder about what creature haunted this area — a trail that was both unsettling and beautiful. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c060e2e7242eda66ad0/1530080173540/DSC00345.jpg Wanderings - Coqui's Eye View El Yunque is the only tropic rainforest in the US National Forest System and the US Forest Service. There is also no wet or dry season in El Yunque — it rains year round. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0570a6ad394e8f29c1/1528615955900/DSC00280.jpg Wanderings - Highwire While an insect can only spin one type of silk, a spider can product up to seven types of silk, each with its own specific use cases. Dragline silk in particular is extremely strong — a given weight of spider silk is five times as strong as the same weight of steel. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c02758d46508abfe0fe/1528739922971/DSC00267.jpg Wanderings - Verde Given its position on the northeastern end of Puerto Rico, winds flying in from the Atlantic hit the mountains, and lead to an excess of rainfall — about 240 inches (6.1 m) per year. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c018a922ddcbe14360e/1528663823420/DSC00266.jpg Wanderings - Life in Miniature The rain touched absolutely everything in the forest, and left behind these tiny gems. Hydrogen bonds are a beautiful thing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2bfd758d46508abfdfd3/1528614674913/DSC00254.jpg Wanderings - Emerald Everything in El Yunque seemed ultra saturated and jewel bright, like this brilliant little spider. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2bfd575d1f37d72301c1/1528660510311/DSC00258.jpg Wanderings - Cazador With so many photos of them, can you tell I love these little hunters? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b13493e352f532067b49ba1/1527990604556/DSC00349.jpg Wanderings https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5afa7973f950b7f4da2d72e6/1528589848043/DSC01877.jpg Wanderings - Jaunts While the view from Hidden Lake trail was beautiful, the most exhilarating part was flopping onto the ground and sliding all the way back down. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d7f575d1f737f56f22c/1528590140014/DSC02069.jpg Wanderings - That Which Divides Us The border between the US and Canada — not that this means much to the denizens of the mountains. I love this image for its aesthetics, for how it visually emphasizes the contrived, and how it shows how tenuous our control is in the grand scheme of things. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d791ae6cf4b30e853ab/1528590097621/DSC02052.jpg Wanderings - I'm Melting As wonderful as the mountains were, you could also clearly see how much the glaciers had receded, an ominous reminder that glaciers wouldn’t stay in Glacier National Park for much longer. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d7388251b7f232ba837/1528590035628/DSC01973.jpg Wanderings - Stone Bowl The Loop — an unassuming name for acres of ghostly, torched trees, steep, wooded mountainsides, and colorful alpine meadows, leading to Granite Park Chalet. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d6c1ae6cf4b30e852ae/1528855344737/DSC01656.jpg Wanderings - Molten Silver and Gold The beautiful colors of sunrise reflected in Swiftcurrent Creek! The rapidly melting Grinnell Glacier is one of several sources of water for this creek and its source, Swiftcurrent Lake. It’s difficult to imagine what this will look like once the glaciers disappear. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d47f950b78091e372d8/1528589895679/DSC01650.jpg Wanderings - Greater Than the Sum of its Parts The water was as still as Mt. Grinnell itself. I’m not a morning person, which means waking up at 4 am is not at the top of my “Thing’s I’d Willingly Do” list. But it’s on there, and scenes like this are why. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d352b6a284549fa1975/1528854889639/DSC01350.jpg Wanderings - Yellow Striped Road I love the juxtaposition of the human-made road and the nature-carved mountains. The road — linearity, designed for permanence, and created with a singular purpose. The mountains — constantly eroding, slowly changing, tall peaks and deep valleys, purely a byproduct of moving ice over geologic time. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d15575d1f737f56eaae/1528589631053/DSC01344.jpg Wanderings - Flower's Eye View You see a lot when you’re standing, but you miss a lot as well. And as fun as it is to get a bird’s eye view, it’s just as fun to lay in the grass and check things out from there. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54d02758d46856003c266/1528854858004/DSC01334.jpg Wanderings - Colossi For scale, that little building is the five story Many Glacier Hotel, constructed by the Great Northern Railway in 1914-1915. It doesn’t look like it from here, but the hotel has over 200 guest rooms. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54cf81ae6cf4b30e84a57/1528589411347/DSC01262.jpg Wanderings - Diamonds Grow on Trees The sparkling raindrops hanging heavy on naked branches reminded me of the diamond forest in The Twelve Dancing Princesses. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54c94575d1f737f56e073/5af54ca9758d46856003bc01/1528854643076/DSC01256.jpg Wanderings - Onwards While I’m sure Grinnell Glacier Trail is beautiful on a sunny day, the mist and heavy drizzle in the woods was positively ethereal. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b13ad231ae6cfd591cf73d7/1528016174686/DSC01650.jpg Wanderings https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b13ad4488251b5f163a200a/1528016205904/DSC05806.jpg Wanderings https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b13aed0aa4a99a405199ed8/1528016606467/DSC00517.jpg Wanderings https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b20781903ce64a2ff07ff3d/1528854555973/DSC00574-4.jpg Wanderings https://www.audballphotography.com/portfolio-3 daily 0.75 2018-06-27 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b332df08a922dee48d4067c/1530080507189/ La Isla Del Encanto - Old San Juan The original blue cobblestones (adoquines) of Old San Juan were cast from iron furnace slag. The slag was brought as ballast in the bottoms of Spanish merchant ships in the 1700s. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0d70a6ad394e8f2a73/1530080507189/DSC00409.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Old San Juan The original blue cobblestones (adoquines) of Old San Juan were cast from iron furnace slag. The slag was brought as ballast in the bottoms of Spanish merchant ships in the 1700s. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0a1ae6cfcbab600fd0/1528611848547/DSC00397.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - El Morro The 16th c. citadel of Fuerte San Felipe del Morro was built to protect the citizens of colonial San Juan. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c10575d1f37d72303fd/1530080587040/DSC00418.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Coo This is the Capilla del Santo Cristo, and its resident flock of pigeons. Built in 1753, believers come to pray for health and healing. Inside hang all the tiny, silver milagros they bring, each in the shape of the petitioner’s ailing body part. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2bfd758d46508abfdfd3/1528614674913/DSC00254.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Emerald Everything in El Yunque seemed ultra saturated and jewel bright, like this brilliant little spider. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0570a6ad394e8f29c1/1528615955900/DSC00280.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Highwire While an insect can only spin one type of silk, a spider can product up to seven types of silk, each with its own specific use cases. Dragline silk in particular is extremely strong — a given weight of spider silk is five times as strong as the same weight of steel. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2bfd575d1f37d72301c1/1528660510311/DSC00258.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Cazador With so many photos of them, can you tell I love these little hunters? https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c018a922ddcbe14360e/1528663823420/DSC00266.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Life in Miniature The rain touched absolutely everything in the forest, and left behind these tiny gems. Hydrogen bonds are a beautiful thing. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c060e2e7242eda66ad0/1530080173540/DSC00345.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Coqui's Eye View El Yunque is the only tropic rainforest in the US National Forest System and the US Forest Service. There is also no wet or dry season in El Yunque — it rains year round. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b13493e352f532067b49ba1/1527990604556/DSC00349.jpg La Isla Del Encanto https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c02758d46508abfe0fe/1528739922971/DSC00267.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Verde Given its position on the northeastern end of Puerto Rico, winds flying in from the Atlantic hit the mountains, and lead to an excess of rainfall — about 240 inches (6.1 m) per year. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c0a0e2e7242eda66ae8/1528739922976/DSC00349.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - The Trail Less Trodden During one of the downpours, we got a little turned around and came upon a narrow, overgrown path. An eerie, heavy mist and deep quiet surrounded us as we walked forward, leaving us to wonder about what creature haunted this area — a trail that was both unsettling and beautiful. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c138a922ddcbe143886/1530080659614/DSC00433.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Sunrise in Arecibo Flying in an ultralight over the Río Grande de Arecibo valley was magical. At sunrise, the valley is painted gold, and flocks of white egrets take to the air below you, like tiny white sheep moving across a lush green meadow. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c16352f539420e528e3/1529027279871/DSC00446.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Glory With the sun behind us, I got to see a beautiful glory and the shadow of our ultralight looking for all the world like a gigantic bird. Behind the mist is a limestone cliff with a very unassuming little hole, also known as Cueva Ventana. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1db287352f5394200ea38e/1528739922975/DSC00517.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Cueva Ventana The hike up to Cueva Ventana took us through limestone passageways, past ancient Taíno petroglyphs, and finally out to this breathtaking view of the Río Grande de Arecibo valley. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c1a70a6ad394e8f2c2b/1530080694620/DSC00556.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Joyride The ocean has so many moods. While there was a storm brewing out on the open ocean, with stunning shards of lighting dancing among the cumulonimbus, the water was calm and gentle closer to shore. Perfect for a sunset ride. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c1f1ae6cfcbab60128b/1530080721224/DSC00574.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Magnificent Frigatebird In Spanish, they are called Rabihorcado, meaning “forked tail”. The term Magnificent Frigatebird came from the French La Frégate — frigate or fast warship. English mariners called the bird Man-of-War. https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b0de9b9f950b73551d0a880/5b1c2c2170a6ad394e8f2d57/1530080752848/DSC00585.jpg La Isla Del Encanto - Serenity A peaceful reminder of sunset in Aguadilla, right above Crash Boat Beach. https://www.audballphotography.com/kia-ora daily 0.75 2018-06-12 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b1f3274c07b08e2e11b4ddf/1528771188455/ Kia Ora https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5b1f32462b6a28e947344678/5b1f32698a922da5fc3f415b/1528771188455/DSC_0348.jpg Kia Ora https://www.audballphotography.com/about-1 daily 0.75 2020-06-12 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5af7f8c9aa4a99c18ca49e5c/1526200563892/DSC01891-2.jpg About https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b1e17dd352f5360aaa5d2c5/1528698847877/DSC02634-2.jpg About https://www.audballphotography.com/contact-1 daily 0.75 2018-06-12 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b1e13f7aa4a99d49eb619bc/1528697850918/DSC05684-4.jpg Contact https://www.audballphotography.com/shop daily 1.0 2018-06-09 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/t/5b1de51170a6ad652292d60a/1528685843891/DSC02634-2.jpg Prints https://www.audballphotography.com/shop/jaunts monthly 0.5 2018-06-12 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5ab988deec4eb7d8c276a9c7/5af54fb52b6a284549fa4797/5afbd4d22b6a28e917f87ced/1528781948027/DSC01877.jpg Prints - 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