• Desert stone houses on a rocky hillside with a "For Rent" sign, trash bins by the street, and a yellow railroad crossing symbol on a white fence.
    Desert

    Symmetry

    I was out in the Mojave Desert to visit the Western America Railroad Museum in Barstow, California. It was early morning and the museum wasn’t open yet, so to kill some time I took a drive around the city and came across these desert stone houses on a rocky hillside.

  • Doheny Beach Sand Fencing
    Beach

    Dune Fencing

    Dune fencing (or sand fencing) creates a subtle but important boundary between the ocean’s shifting energy and the fragile sand‑dune habitat trying to re‑establish itself along the shoreline. The fences catch blowing sand and help rebuild low dunes that once formed naturally, giving native plants a foothold and reducing the scouring effect of wind and foot traffic. Even though they look simple, these structures are part of a broader effort to protect coastal ecosystems that have been worn down by storms, rising tides, and decades of heavy recreation. Around Southern California’s Doheny State Beach, the fencing also guides visitors toward designated paths, keeping the most sensitive areas from being trampled…

  • Old Burn, New Growth
    Mountains

    Old Burn, New Growth

    The Kaibab Plateau carries a quiet, layered story where old burn scars and new growth sit side by side, shaping a landscape that feels both wounded and resilient. After past wildfires swept through its high‑elevation forests, the charred trunks of ponderosa pines and spruces became stark reminders of how fire resets an ecosystem. Those blackened silhouettes still stand in many places, creating a dramatic contrast against the plateau’s wide sky. Fire ecology here is complex, and the plateau shows how disturbance opens space for sunlight, nutrients, and the next generation of life. Amid the remnants of those burns, new growth pushes upward with surprising force. Aspen clones send up bright…

  • Carlsbad Beach Lifeguard Station 34
    Beach

    Lifeguard Station 34

    Around Station 34, the beach shifts with tides, seasons, and the steady movement of sand, creating a backdrop that is always in motion. Early mornings often bring soft light and a sense of stillness, while afternoons fill with families, board‑carrying locals, and the layered sounds of coastal life. The lifeguard presence adds a subtle structure to all of this, shaping how people move through the water and how the beach community forms around shared space.

  • View from South Carlsbad State Beach Campground
    Beach

    Camping at the Beach

    “Camping is nature’s way of promoting the motel business. ”― Dave Barry There was a time when I enjoyed camping. I’d go all the time. But sometime in the last few years I seem to have aged out of camping. I still love the idea of camping but my body has developed quite a dislike for it and makes me pay dearly when ever I do it. So I don’t go camping anymore. That’s life. But when I did . . . Camping at South Carlsbad State Beach feels like checking into a cliff‑top resort where the ocean is your alarm clock, the breeze is your personal stylist, and the…