Yellow Dahlias

What could be more heartwarming than a bouquet of bright yellow dahlias?  OK, a good glass of wine maybe.  I wish it was possible to grow theses beauties here in the desert but alas, it just gets too hot.  And with temps around 112 this time of year they wouldn't survive very long.  But a quick drive to the Getty Museum in LA and I can get my fill of a wide variety of dahlias.

"Yellow Dahlias"      © Kathy Dunham 2011

Wes' Peony

Living in the desert does have some drawbacks.  For an avid gardner it's not being able to grow cool weather plants and those that require more humidity.  But the benefits are pretty neat.  Year round sun (almost) and some pretty unusual plants.  Guess one can't have it all.

"Wes' Peony"     © Kathy Dunham 2011

Tonight's Moonrise

Moonrise in the desert is constantly changing.  One month it might be orange, another blue.  But the desert landscape always adds drama.

"Tonight's Moonrise"      © Kathy Dunham 2011

Desert Sunset

Tonight's sunset was gorgeous.  The pinks against the blue sky made a spectacular show for those of us here in the desert.  Just one of the many reasons we live here.


"Desert Sunset"     © Kathy Dunham 2011

Full Moon Over the Desert

I was invited to a friend's house this evening to photograph the full moon rising over the desert floor.  The house is situated a way up from the desert floor giving us a good view.  The only problem was the cold wind.  It was really blowing from a storm front that was on it's way out of our valley.  We had fun trying different settings and on a whim I took one of the moon over the infinity pool in the yard.  I wasn't expecting to get the star like quality of the moon but I thought it made for an interesting shot.

"Full Moon Over the Desert"      © Kathy Dunham 2010

Desert Storm

I usually don't get up early, but this morning there was a wonderful lightening show and I sat on the patio enjoying the spectacle.  We don't get a lot of super storms here in the desert but this is the best time of year if it's going to happen.   I felt fortunate to capture some of what I saw this morning.

"Desert Storm"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Desert Moonrise

It's a full moon tonight and the clouds were billowing in the east just at the moon was coming up.  Perfect timing.  The rose of the sunset created a nice backdrop for the moon.

"Desert Moonrise"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

Pink Primrose

The light was right and these delicate primroses, which were beginning to take over the garden, begged to be captured.  The weather is getting hot here in the desert and these gentle flowers will soon be gone, wilted away in the heat of the day.

"Pink Primrose"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

I Love Spring!!

Desert Dandelions and Sand Verbena make wonderful companions.  And when the desert is in full bloom these two stars can be found sprinkled in the landscape.

"I Love Spring!!"    © Kathy Dunham 2010

Morning Fog

Fog is not a weather phenomenon that we see in the desert.  Let's face it, no humidity.  But it rained all day yesterday, another phenomenon we normally don't see.  And this morning the valley was covered with a thick blanket of fog.  At first I couldn't believe my eyes.  And by the time I grabbed my camera it had lifted partially but I was able to capture the sunrise through the trees and fog.

"Morning Fog"     © Kathy Dunham 2010

November in the Desert

We don't always get spectacular sunsets in our desert but tonight it was a real knock out. 


"November in the Desert"    © Kathy Dunham 2009

Evening Rays

One good sunset deserves another. We do get some super sunsets here in the desert.

"Evening Rays" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Hot Colors of Summer

It's starting to warm up here in the desert and this Mexican Bird of Paradise is showing off in all it's glory. A hardy, heat loving plant, it blooms prolifically in the summer adding vibrant color to the landscape.

"Hot Colors of Summer" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Desert Sunrise

One of the benefits of living in the desert are the beautiful sunrises. I'm normally not an early riser, but as I was watching the morning news on the local station, they showed a shot of the rising sun so I grabbed my camera and rushed to the patio and grabbed this shot. I can thank Channel 6 News for the heads up.

"Desert Sunrise" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Box Canyon

Even though we have about 200 golf courses in our area there are still parts of the nearby desert that are dry and desolate. Box Canyon is one of these areas.

"Box Canyon" © Kathy Dunham 2009

Snow in the Desert

Remember, I promised you more snow? It rained all day yesterday and it was cold. That meant we should have snow. And I wasn't disappointed. This morning I awoke to a sunny day and snow on all the mountains surrounding the Coachella Valley. This is a view from my driveway. Looking southwest. I felt I could reach out and touch the hills it was so clear. By this afternoon a lot of the snow had melted but what a sight we had this morning.

"Snow in the Desert" © Kathy Dunham 2008