Shadow play

So what does a granny do if the younger folk are off on a potentially strenuous hike and she's left holding the bag with the picnic goodies? Well, first she photographs the lake (Goldwater, in this case) and canoes, then leaves from different trees. Then it hits her: among the interesting sights around her perch are the shadows of individual trees.

Now that the hot, sunshiny weather is back for a few days, each tree is rooted in its own shadow pool, reminding me of my early childhood in Phoenix, where, of course, I went barefoot. One of the most important imperatives was that the wise kid hopped from shady spot to shady spot; these were islands of relative coolness in the midst of hot, burning dirt.

The character of the shadow varies according to type of tree. At the top of this picture is a Ponderosa pine shadow which is lacy. Beneath it, a little oak's much more solid, darker shade.

Linking Up: Prescott Style, Prescott Daily Photo, and Foolsewoode are all showing pictures from the July 4 parade. I should also mention Jarart's closeup pix from the rodeo. Karoliina has been to the top of Spruce Mountain, where the ladybugs are congregating. (There's nothing more wondrous strange than the sight of thousands of ladybugs, everywhere. Happens at mountain tops this time of year.)