A Bristlecone Pine in California has been measured at 5,067 years of age. The oldest living organism on earth. This image of a small Bristlecone section was taken in Colorado. I estimated this tree to be about 2,326 years old...just kidding, I have no idea how old it was.

Tags:   bristlecone pine ancient tree 5,067 years old conservation protect the environment protect public lands protect wildlife rocky mountain bristlecone

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Joshua Tree National Park is, of course, known for the amazing plants that give it its name. But the park is also a rock climbing mecca and we found the rock formations to be fascinating and worth of a lot of attention. There may be other places with such intricate and unusual patterns and shapes, but I haven't experienced them. Almost perfectly formed spheres, rectangles, triangles and trapezoids make for some very cool settings.
By the way, I hit 2 million views on Flicker a few days ago. Thanks to all those who stopped by my Photo Stream to take a look.

Tags:   joshua tree national park joshua tree rocks jumbo rocks fascinating rock formations DailyNature-TNC13 DailyNature-TNC14

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This is a shot of a section of rock in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The section was about 6 inches by 8 inches. These shapes were made by deposits of very fine sand left behind after rainfall erodes the soft sandstone from above and flows over the rock. I think some of the shapes resemble creatures and some resemble mountains...
I don't do macros very well, but I had fun observing and taking shots of these fascinating sections of rock.

Tags:   nature's sand sculpure

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One of my great fortunes (so far) was to spend a day with James Page, a photography wizard and probably as close to a Renaissance man as I will ever be privileged to know. Sorry if that seems a bit overdone James, but it’s just how I see it.
For those of you who follow James’ work, he has a special photo subject. A 1939 Pontiac, well on its way to being an unrecognizable pile of rust on the grasslands of Saskatchewan, Canada. James has turned that relic into numerous works of photographic art. He introduced me and my wife to this miracle on the prairie, and I immediately knew what drew him to it.
As soon as he pointed out the “rust flowers” on the fender of the car, I was hooked. No kidding, this is a shot of a rust/paint pattern on the fender of a 1939 Pontiac! Make no mistake, there are other wonders that time and rust have etched into this marvelous old vehicle. Alien abduction, monsters, etc. But the rust flowers blew me away. And with only limited time and seriously limited skill, I snapped a few shots of one of the coolest abstracts I’ve ever seen.
Only once before have I posted an image in the midst of one of my journeys. Now it’s twice.
Thank you James! An unforgettable experience. I get the car thing.
For a magnified view, please click on the image and pan around. Even cooler that way.

Tags:   Audubon rust flowers james page, master 1939 pontiac rust flowers on the prairie

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A section of feathers on a Double Crested Cormorant. Everglades National Park.

Tags:   abstract feather abstract cormorant conservation protect the environment protect public lands protect wildlife

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