One has but to step outside and gaze at the stars for the imagination to run wild, dreaming of the far-away mysteries shrouded by darkness and separated by infinity.  The milky way, beneath a moonless sky undisrupted by light pollution, can be literally jaw-dropping to those who take the time for appreciation.  Lightning storms and rainbows are equally-exceptional displays of Mother Nature’s many faces!  The desert, with her occasionally-brutal monsoon storms and miles upon miles of exposed canyons, grasslands, and mountains, offers a truly unique experience for any weather aficionado.  After sun has set, these experiences are far more wondrous when unhindered by human light.  Aside from acting as an eyesore, light pollution is a monumental problem for migrating birds, hatchling turtles, and a slew of other creatures who rely on the moon to orient.  Measures as small as using downward-pointing, lower-wattage street lights in place of ostentatious ones that shine in all directions go a long way to offset the light-pollution epidemic!

Sonoran Sky

Light is everything, both in relevance to photography and day-to-day life. When searching the word "light," the first result is: "the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible."
We most often apply this word to an object that produces visible light, or that which allows our eyes to perceive the beautiful world around us. This word also, however, has a powerful metaphorical meaning. Light illuminates physical shadows as well as the pain many of us carry beneath the surface, from every past event we have not yet reconciled. When we introduce light (awareness) to the darkness of confusion, jealousy, rage, etc, we can dis-identify from the toxic feeling and become observers. We can watch the feelings come and go without being swept away by them. You are not your pain.
These pictures represent how quickly a scene can change based exclusively on a slight shift in light. They were taken just a few days ago as a storm gently graced Saguaro National Park with her life-sustaining moisture.

Storm Clouds

Clouds engulf the sky and there is a powerful energy in the air as the winds intensify, drawing in the storm. Saguaro NP West, AZ.
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Rainbow at Sunset

June is known for being one of the driest months in the Sonoran Desert, so when a freak storm lands in the middle of the month, it's cause for celebration. Celebrate is just what the sky seemed to be doing as the dramatic sunset met with a double rainbow in the storm's wake. Saguaro NP West, AZ.
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Lunar Eclipse

Relatively early in the 2019 full moon lunar eclipse, the subject is just beginning to disappear from view. Photo taken in Tucson, AZ
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Bolts of Lightning

Few weather spectacles are quite as spectacular as a lightning storm in the wide, open desert. Monsoon season is not only joyously greeted by the wildlife and plants, many a storm chaser gets caught up in the mania of our dramatic weather.
Saguaro National Park West, AZ, USA.
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The Eclipsing Moon

Just before the moon had fully eclipsed, the glow from the remaining sliver overwhelmed the rest of it with intense light reflected from our sun. Tucson, AZ
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