Pollen Attack

The palo verde trees are in bloom and gorgeous. Pollen is not my friend, but the things that produce the pollen sure are awesome. Also, my dad came across some emu eggs. "Emu," you say? Yeah, you got it - those giant birds. Well, they're crazy cool! Way cooler than the decorative ostrich egg many people have.

::

::

::

Or-Kid

Cactus Blossom

Cactus will occasionally make some of the most wonderful things.

::

Figgy Pudding

Life gets tough, and never seems to be very fun when lots of things come your way. Nature always provides a sense of calm when life gets a little out of hand. Also, those leaves are from the fig tree, Kendle. :)

::

Oil Rig

Oil lamps are just fun. Also, they happen to make really good mailbox toppers if people are looking for your house [assuming you have a flat-topped mailbox like I do]. At any rate, they're a fun decorative touch to an otherwise simple function in a backyard, aka FHE.

Season Confusion

My mom is growing an amaryllis right now. I'ts crazy short, but is easily the cutest little amaryllis I've ever seen. And it's not even Christmas! Haha.

Prommin' It

View via limo. :)

Bliss

Fridays make the world a little better, don't they?

::

Duly Noted

Another desk moment, brought to you by homework.

Past/Present/Future

It would be really really hard to find someone who is more nostalgic than I am. For serious. I think a big reason why I don't want to get old and married is because things right now are so fun - we have such a neat group of friends with such a cool dynamic. Granted, I don't really comprehend the upsides to marriage and eternal companionship because I've never participated in either, so my opinion is probably not the best one to be listening to. Regardless, I love me some nostalgia.

From the Desk of...

I was at my desk doing homework when I thought to blog. I present Abstracts from the Desk.

::

Oh Snap!

The snapdragons have exploded! They are looking all types of crazy good, and after waiting for six months it's about dang time!

::

::

::

Pick-Me-Up Flowers

Our trip to Tempe to run Pat's Run also corresponded with my grandma having a surgery. We spent the weekend with her. These were her get better flowers, both of which are variations on mums.

::

::

::

Pat Tillman

Have you ever been a part of something bigger than yourself? Bigger than your family and friends? I was a part of something bigger than me yesterday. I was just one person in 30,000 that participated in Pat’s Run in Tempe, Arizona.

Pat’s Run benefitted the Pat Tillman Foundation, which helps veterans and their families continue their education, which presumably leads to better lives. The foundation was created in honor of Pat Tillman, an Arizona Cardinal football player who was killed in action during a tour of duty in the Middle East for the military. He chose to be part of something bigger to help this country – his foundation continues his dream of doing good and serving others.

Originally, I signed up for the run in an effort to get in shape. I set myself goals to be able to run the 4.2 mile race. I didn’t think much about what my race-fee went towards. It didn’t matter, because this was a deadline that I was determined to beat. I knew I was going to help others, but my effort of helping others was helping me help myself… if that makes any sense. I was getting in shape, getting better at running, enjoying the physical exercise, etc.

Race day was Saturday, April 17, 2010. Of the five or six years that this run has been in existence, this year’s was the biggest, with 30,000 participants (not all of which were actually registered). We began, and the marathon runners finished in 20 minutes or so, long before a lot of the pack had even started. It takes a long time to get 30,000 people in motion and in the same direction! At any rate, we got moving.

At about the half way point, I really started thinking about this whole racing thing… this was more than just getting in shape. I hadn’t really known it before, but after seeing all of the people united in one thing and hearing about why this race meant so much to some of these people, I could see that I was one tiny piece in something much bigger than myself. A lot of it had to do with the fact that there was a sea (and I’m talking a monstrous amount) of people running and joining together for this, but I also thought about the good that I was helping to spread. In the big picture, I really meant nothing. I helped to enrich the lives of others, which helps enrich this country, which helps enrich everyone in America.

I’ll never know what comes of my $35 that it cost to sign up for the race, but what’s irreplaceable is my personal sense of accomplishment and the knowledge that I helped be a part of something that is more important than me, my efforts to get in shape, and the trivial life I lead.

I got a shirt and a sweet id number to pin on it, so those were definitely added bonuses!

::

::

On the Road Again

The highway occasionally yields something awesome.

Dimension

Ripped Up

Remember when I painted? For the first time? Well, it wasn't very pretty. It was super fun, but really goofy (it's [here] if you really want to see it). Well, I have had this idea for a long time to change it up. It isn't done, and I have a few ideas to finish it up, but the jist of it is that it's covered in newspaper rippings. I'll let you know when it's done.

Inspiration's Power

A while ago I took a picture that I positively loved. It's this one actually:

Well, I loved it so much it inspired me to redo my set of Converse photos in black and white. Here's today's experiment!

::

::

::

::

::

::

::

Fireworks

Things move on but nature is always there and always has something to amaze you. I love that those orange things look like fireworks.

::

Pressure Points

I don't have much to say. Sundays are nice until after church, when other responsibilities are looming. Occasionally, very much like today, tomorrow's responsibilities that freak me out are added to some church responsibilities that are consuming valuable time. Good things, don't get me wrong. But I have issues prioritizing and then get a little bit stressed out. Some neat art is helpful though.

Ocean Influence

I never was interested in plants when I was younger. Now, I talk about plants all the time with my expert horticulturist father. I even thought about landscape architecture/design for college, but that didn't look very feasible at UA. Anyway, behold the coral aloe, known for is coral colored edges. I love it.

Take That

Dear Kendle,

I told you I wasn't a heartless egg smasher. As evidence of my claim, see the ugly dove babies. Also, enjoy my other artistic photos.

Love from,
Zac

::

::

Call Me Honey

I know you're sick of hearing it, but everything is gorgeous right now. Springtime has easily replaced any other season that may have been my favorite... Although I'm not sure I ever really had a favorite because they each offer such different opportunities. From here on out though, spring takes the cake simply because of the new green leaves, opening flowers, color everywhere, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. This is Mexican honeysuckle. Cool, eh? I thought so too.

Boom

The flower beds have exploded! The sweet peas are everywhere. Same with the poppies, though I didn't photograph those today.

I hadn't seen that yellow cactus flower before - I kind of freaked out. I took a bunch of pictures, but these were the only exciting ones. Still, it is such a neat plant!

::

::

::

::