RenelHolton.com

Textures in Las Vegas

Renel — Wed, 22 May 2013 11:30:21 +0000

One of the things I love about Las Vegas is that every hotel and casino try to out do each other in terms of uniqueness. The contrasting architecture creates beautiful textures.

Roulette

Renel — Mon, 20 May 2013 11:30:34 +0000

Grand Canyon Guano Point

Renel — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:30:40 +0000

Grand Canyon Guano Point at the west rim

Bow & Arrow

Renel — Thu, 09 May 2013 11:30:23 +0000

FDR Memorial Waterfall

Renel — Wed, 01 May 2013 11:30:23 +0000

Waterfalls at Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial (Washington, DC)

Grand Canyon Eagle Point

Renel — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:30:18 +0000

This was the perfect view of Eagle Point at the west rim of the Grand Canyon. Now I understand why hikers and rock climbers get such a trill after reaching the top of a climb. I wish everyone has a chance to visit the Grand Canyon at least once in their lifetime. I felt a sense of peace and calm.

Eagle Point at the Grand Canyon West Rim

Hoover Dam Reservoir

Renel — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:30:32 +0000

The white line on the rock is the result of the 1983 Colorado River floods when the water level was at it’s highest.

Reservoir at Hoover Dam

Joshua Tree

Renel — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:30:06 +0000

There were thousands of these Joshua trees on the way to the Grand Canyon. It’s really a beautiful and serene experience traveling through the desert.

Joshua Tree in the Mojave Desert

via Wikipedia:

“This monocotyledonous tree is native to southwestern North America in the states of California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, where it is confined mostly to the Mojave Desert between 400 and 1,800 meters (1,300 and 5,900 ft) elevation. It thrives in the open grasslands of Queen Valley and Lost Horse Valley in Joshua Tree National Park. A dense Joshua tree forest also exists in Mojave National Preserve, in the area of Cima Dome.

The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree’s unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer. Ranchers and miners who were contemporary with the Mormon immigrants also took advantage of the Joshua tree, using the trunks and branches as fencing and for fuel for ore-processing steam engines.

Joshua trees are fast growers for the desert; new seedlings may grow at an average rate of 7.6 cm (3.0 in) per year in their first ten years, then only grow about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) per year thereafter. The trunk of a Joshua tree is made of thousands of small fibers and lacks annual growth rings, making it difficult to determine the tree’s age. This tree has a top-heavy branch system, but also has what has been described as a “deep and extensive” root system, with roots possibly reaching up to 11 m (36 ft) away. If it survives the rigors of the desert it can live for hundreds of years with some specimens surviving up to a thousand years. The tallest trees reach about 15 m (49 ft). New plants can grow from seed, but in some populations, new stems grow from underground rhizomes that spread out around the Joshua tree.”

Japanese Dancers

Renel — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:30:23 +0000

Cherry Blossoms

Renel — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:00:53 +0000

It’s cherry blossom season!

Compass

Renel — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:00:36 +0000

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Renel — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 12:00:57 +0000

Last year I got caught up in the Washington Nationals Natitude as they clinched the AL East division. Today is MLB Opening Day with Stephen Strasburg on the mound against the Miami Marlins. The real question is will Teddy put together consecutive wins in the President’s race.

I grabbed the shot below during a tour of the ballpark.

View of Nationals Park from the press box.

Walking on the Dock

Renel — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:30:06 +0000

Yards Park Bridge

Renel — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:30:54 +0000

Red Door

Renel — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:30:09 +0000