"Sunrise, Ear of the Wind"...

Ear of the Wind is a 134-foot-tall arch located in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park.
I like how sunrise strongly divided the landscape visually and adds more depth to the photograph.
The reason you don’t see any pictures from the other side of the arch is that it isn’t visible; the arch opens upward, which is why it is called an ear.

Monument Valley used to be submerged in an ancient sea. After millions of years of sediment being deposited, tectonic forces pushed these layers up. Erosion via wind, water, ice, gravity, and other forces of nature slowly chipped away at the rock. This is how Ear of the Wind was formed in DeChelly sandstone; the soft interior rock was eroded, leaving just the hard exterior rock.

Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, Arizona.
Photo # IM7_0371-377bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Navajo County"...

The sun peeks through the snow storm clouds to give light to this mountain range.
It was actually snowing while I was photographing this scene. The wind was gusting so much, I had to keep one hand above the lens to keep the snow from the lens. The tree trunk (far right), being used as a fence post, stood out to me in the landscape.

Kayenta is the only "township" existing under the laws of the Navajo Nation.
Kayenta, Arizona.
Photo # IM7aa_0058-64bbwg.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Personalities"...

Can waterfalls have personalities?  One may argue this when looking at this group of waterfalls.  Each one seems to have its own flow, behavior, noise, and brightness.

Cornelius Falls creek, Heber Springs, Arkansas.
Photo # K04_6962m1cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"The Sound of Silence"...

For some, nature's sounds are quiet sounds. The sound of water can be so peaceful that it tends to go silent.
Cornelius Falls is a nice waterfall that is approx. 40 feet high. This is a peaceful place since the hike here is a little challenging to get to, so it keeps some of the footprints lesser. Like most waterfalls in Arkansas, the water level varies during the wet season, so the experience can vary as well.

Heber Springs, Arkansas.
Photo # K04_6942-47h3bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Between Storms"...

I found myself mesmerized by the small white clouds that seemed to be floating on their own. To the right, there were rain and sleet storms that had passed earlier. To the left is a snow storm coming. You can see snow-capped mountains in the background.

The back highways, somewhere near the Colorado and Arizona borders.
Photo # K04_5516-39bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"The Open Range"...

A snow storm approaches (from the left) as wild/range horses graze.  The white horse, presumably the alpha, chases another keeping others in line. He would occasionally stop and look directly at me.

Near Arizona/Colorado border.
Photo # K04_5451cbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Canyon Souls"...

One thing I discovered while exploring not only these Lower Antelope Canyons but also much of Monument Valley, is that there are faces personified in almost everything I see. Even as I viewed this scene through my viewfinder, I could see multiple faces extending from the canyon walls.  Again, the colors that dance from these walls are amazing.

Lower Antelope Canyon, AZ.
Photo # K04_3208ac.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Soft Textures"...

The light can be so amazing in the slot canyons. This photograph shows how soft and textured the light can be on the stone as the light bounces through the canyon.

Lower Antelope Canyon, AZ
Photo # K04_3522.
(c) Kelly Shipp

 

 

"Sleeping Dragon"...

A natural formation eroded in sandstone, located in the far south-east area of Monument Valley, is known as the "Sleeping Dragon".
Starting at the far right of this photograph, you see the body of the dragon, and if you follow the body, to the left, as you near the center of the photograph, you'll see a dip and narrowing through the neck, and the head is near center ending with the nose.

Sleeping Dragon Butte, Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, AZ.
Photo # IM7_1065-74bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"The Turning Point"...

Half-way during my 4-mile desert hike, I paused to view the north side of the East Mitten Butte and take a break.  It was an extremely windy day where the wind was blowing over 20mph from the east-to-west direction (left-to-right in this photograph). What worried me was the rain storm, from the East, being carried by this front. At the time, I estimated that it was going to run into me before I finished the 4-mile hike.  What I didn't know is that the wind was already changing direction, to the North. While resting, I decided to take a long-exposure photograph of my view.  Soon afterwards, as I continued my hike, I then realized that I was walking against the wind - it indeed had changed to the North, moving the threatening rain around my return path. I was so happy and relieved that I wasn't going to walk into that storm.
What surprised me about this photograph is that it accurately shows the change in the wind direction. You can see on the left-hand side of the photograph how intent the wind was moving left-to-right, but the right side began to move more south-to-north, almost mid-point over the monument.

Being over 1,000 feet high, the summit of East Mitten Butte is 6,226 feet in elevation.
East Mitten Butte, Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, AZ.
Photo # K04_4989-5037hdrbw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Snow Clouds and Horses"...

Traveling the back highways of Colorado, it was easy to run into snow storms in the high passes. If you look closely, near lower-center of the photograph, you can see three wild/range horses.

Ute Mountain Reservation, Colorado.
Photo # IM7_2398bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp

"Sun breaks on Monument Valley floor"...

You can see the dramatic mix of clouds and sky in this photograph. I braved the 4-mile desert hike in sustained 20 mph winds, gusting to 40 mph, all while praying the rain wouldn't reach me during the hike. Over a mile into the hike, the sun broke through the clouds and provided a wonderful, dramatic view of the East Mitten Butte.
Being over 1,000 feet high, the summit of East Mitten Butte is 6,226 feet in elevation. The rocks of the valley are mostly sedimentary, dating from between the Permian to the mid-Jurassic.

East Mitten Butte, Navajo Nation Reservation, Monument Valley, AZ.
Photo # IM7_1526-36bw.
(c) Kelly Shipp