This week, Patti Moed asks us to start at the beginning of the alphabet and find subjects that begin with the letter A, or signs that contain the letter A, or objects that look like the letter A, or images that reflect non-visual cues like “alone”, or “afraid.” You can view her entire challenge post here.
I start with an image of two African Antelope. Well, this could be picked apart by saying those antelope are Oryx, but then I would counter with the fact that these are specimens in a section of a museum featuring African Animals. Ha!
My next image is a blossom out of my daughter’s front yard, an allium flower. While this plant is pretty much ornamental in the United States, there are many edible varieties found around the world. Though harmful to dogs and cats, allium is comparable to the onion, garlic, chive, and leek.
Over 1,000 miles (1600 km) south of the Hawaiian Islands is a remote atoll known as Tabuaeran. An atoll is an island created by a ring of coral with a lagoon in the center of the ring. In the image above, this view of the island is taken from a boat as it approached a dock on the lagoon. For a time, Fanning Island, the British name for Tabuaeran, was a regular stop on several cruise lines, but its distance from other popular cruise ports likely contributed to its removal from cruise itineraries.
From the Pacific Ocean, I move thousands of miles east to the Atlantic Ocean where surfers take advantage of the morning’s wave action on the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
In Scottsdale, Arizona, horse aficionados show off their beautiful Arabian horses. The breed is easily identifiable by their unusual shaped head. They got their breed name from their heritage. Bedouin tribes have traced their common history with these horses back to 3000 B.C.
Of course, as an active pilot, I couldn’t leave out Aviation, Here’s an image of the Blue Angels at an airshow. They average about 60 shows per year with two shows per location around the United States and two shows at one location in Canada.
El Arco, the natural arch at the end of the Baja California Peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California,) is showing cracks that foretell at some point that the arch will fall. It is a popular tourist attraction near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
For my final image, I feature the submarine Atlantis. This vessel holds about 40 tourists and a crew of three. The sub dives to a depth of around 100 feet (30 m) to give passengers a good long look at the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest coral reef system in the world.
Thanks to Patti for this week’s challenge. I am looking forward to seeing everyone else’s response to the letter ‘A’ challenge.
John Steiner
Flare Legend Adventures
Wow they are amazing images from around the world.Thanks for sharing
Thank you, and thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Excellent post and beautiful images. Thanks for the great descriptions of each one.
Thank you! I am happy you like my descriptions.
John, your photos this week just keep coming up brilliant. These are all remarkable 😀
Thank you. I really enjoy searching my catalog for appropriate images, and on older images, I like to reprocess using the tools I am now much more familiar in using.
Wow…now you have outdone yourself – at least in my eyes. Gorgeous images. The two surfers swirling in luminant green/blue are absolutely marvelous. Varied and perfect all of them.
Thank you! That is great praise! I truly enjoy finding photos that meet the theme of the challenge each week.
I know…and you are a master of it!
OK John, I need to know if you went aboard the sub? Just thinking about those close quarters gives me the willies!!! Loved your choices for this one, especially the antelopes – which if challenged you’re correct, they of course ARE animals! And of course the horses are gorgeous.
We did, I did. My wife and I found the views fascinating. It was truly an experience. I understand that the confines of the sub would be problematic for some, especially 100 feet under the surface.
Thanks, also for the privilege of your comments.
Kudos to the both of you John – I could never!
Amazing photos, John! Each one is outstanding. When we were in Seattle, the airshow was over, but when I went to the parking lot, I saw the pilot of a Blue Angel took off, nose pointing to the sky and shoot up with a bang!
It is always fun to see a fighter takeoff at full power! Thanks for your compliment.
You’re welcome, John!
The photo of the Blue Angels is impressive, especially when you think of the speed of the planes.
Thank you! I love taking those high speed photos. It’s the one advantage of having a real camera instead of a cell phone camera. >grin<
🙂 I have a real camera too, but my photos are not as sharp, it takes a bit of talent too!
Thank you for the compliment!
Bravo, John. Your collection is diverse, and as far as I can recall, you’ve picked words that no one has picked before! Bravo! Your images of the atoll, allium, antelope, and the Blue Angels are my favorites here. Great collection!
Thank you! That allium is one of my favorite flower images. It is from a plant in my daughter’s front yard.
Great photos John. Love the surfing, oryx-alope, Atlantis (done that, I think, Honolulu?), jets. Excellent.
Thanks. This Atlantis sub is at Cozumel but I suspect there are others in underwater tourist sites around the world.
Good choices for the challenge!
Thank you!
Wow, all of your photos are amazing, but the Oryx, or African Antelope photo is A1. Nicely done!
Thank you!!
Love the pictures!!
Thank you.