Traveling west...

"In Balance" A spectacular sunset at Balancing Rock in Arches National Park.

"Peyto Lake" Riding through Banff N.P. by bicycle, we arrived at Peyto Lake mid-afternoon. Just after setting up for this shot a busload of Japanese tourists encircled my position wondering just what I could be shooting when it seemed everyone else with a camera was facing in the opposite direction. I was happy to have come away with this unique perspective on the tall pines, sheer mountain slopes and beautiful turquoise waters of Peyto Lake.

"Solitary Rider" I pulled off the road just long enough to get this shot of my wife, Karen, as she sped to the bottom of a long downhill run on Day 4 of our 6-day Backroads Cycling trip through the Canadian Rockies. This image, for me, captured perfectly the majesty and isolation we felt each day as we explored Banff National Park on two wheels.

"Walls of Stone" The stone and mortar walls of The Spruce Tree House, Mesa Verde N.P., have remained standing through centuries of exposure to natural and man-made destructive forces.

"Original Condition" Came across this "quintessential american scene" outside the Cow Canyon Trading Post in Bluff, Utah on the drive back to Moab. What a beauty!

"Spruce Tree House" Construction of this ancient community of Ancestral Puebloans dates back to between A.D. 1211- 1278. The enclave's opening, standing some 89' high and 216' in width, makes "The Spruce Tree House" the third largest cliff dwelling in Mesa Verde N.P. For more information on this facinating site visit: http://www.nps.gov/meve/historyculture/cd_spruce_tree_house.htm

"Resting Place" A marker rests in a sea of bluebonnets protected from the grazing cattle by a simple wire fence. Small ancestral burial grounds, like this one in the Texas Hill Country, get blanketed each spring by colorful wildflowers that paint the grounds with a little bit of heaven.

"Bluebonnets & Barbed Wire" Driving through the Texas Hill Country, we stopped at an unmarked crossroads with an abundance of wildflowers trailing off in every direction. The old fence post and rusting barbed wire played well against the emerging bluebonnets, in a scene that is replicated every spring over thousands of miles of Texas backroads and millions of decaying fence posts.

"Moab Silhouette" With the late afternoon sun at my back I set up to shoot this cascading waterfall just outside Moab, Utah. When I realized there was no way to avoid my shadow being in the shot, I decided to go with the hand that I was dealt! Hence, the silhouette self-portrait!

"Morning Dew" Early morning dew clings to the petals of this cluster of wildflowers outside an abandoned school house in the Texas.

"Schoolyard Blues" A playground swing hangs motionless outside a long-closed school house in the Hill Country of Texas. Now, knee-deep bluebonnets have claimed the abandoned grounds for a more peaceful purpose.

"Wait For It..." The sun just broke through gathering, low-hanging clouds just long enough to wash over Balanced Rock in Arches National Park; luckily, we listened to Jeff and patiently waited for this golden moment to happen. Mostly, we were mentally back at the motel in Moab thinking about how that ice-cold cold beer would taste! Visit: http://www.nps.gov/arch/

"Point of View" The spectacular view through Delicate Arch, located in Arches National Park, Moab, Utah; is quite amazing in late Spring, when the still snow-capped peaks of the La Sal Mountains in the distance offer visitors a dramatic contrast to the late afternoon's fiery red glow of the sun baked sandstone arch. For more information on Arches N.P. visit: http://www.nps.gov/arch/

"Harley 3:16" I came around the corner in Taos, NM and there he was, Jesus, staring up at me from the gas tank of this chromed out Harley. The star bursts painted in the celestial heavens around Jesus' head were fixed in place by the original artist; the one in the middle of his brow, however, was actually the sun's reflection. I didn't catch the unfortunate placement until after I was back to Atlanta.

"5 Over 4" This home on the Santa Clara Pueblo, located about an hour's drive outside Santa Fe, NM; may redefine many a Realtor's architectural description: "5 over 4, traditional" For more information, visit: http://www.indianpueblo.org/19pueblos/santaclara.html or http://www.newmexico.org/native_america/pueblos/santa_clara.php

"Azul de Taos" Located across from the famed San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos, NM, a simple timber and adobe home presents a vivid blue window to the world to welcome friendly spirits or ward off evil ones, depending on who you might ask.

"Beyond" Sunrise at Mesa Arch. The magical light of each new day reflects the very essence of life and rebirth, provoking discussion of what may lie "Beyond" our existence.

"Pop!" Red is just one of those colors in nature that just "refuse to be ignored". This flowering cactus, found roadside driving through the Hill Country of Texas, seemed to be doing it's best "Fatal Attraction" impersonation.

"Blessed" A single pure white bloom stands tall against the high grass at the base of Enchanted Rock, in the Hill Country of Texas.

"Pride" Bold, yet tissue-thin, white lace pedals paired with a stunning yellow core seem to call out "Here I Am" in a prideful visual voice.

"Life Preserver" The phrase 'Life Preserver' may be interpreted many ways, only one of which involves a flotation device.

"Bluebonnets in High Grass"

"Early Evening Blues"

"Red Carpet"

"Moon by Fire's Blight"

"Wild At Heart" One of the thousands of varieties of wildflowers found along the backroads of Texas each Spring, the fairly thick stem and short spiky leaves contrast dramatically with the delicate presentation of this flower's tissue-paper thin canopy.

"Risen"

"Cactus Blossom" Found this beauty hidden deep in the crevas between two boulders while hiking around Enchanted Rock, located near Fredricksberg, Texas. Not until we were on our way back to the cars and came across a rattlesnake sleeping in the shade of a bush did I even think of what I may have easily encountered between those rock up on the hillside.

"Snow White"

"Fields of Blue" The Texas state flower blankets the Hill Country far and wide during their annual bloomfest. Wildflowers can literally cover thousands of square miles of open fields across the state, matched in their density and diversity by the clicking throngs of avid nature photographers. For more information, visit:

"Recovery..."

"Up Slope"

"Near and Far"

"Canmore"