I’d say that it’s indisputably true that the road between Phoenix and Tortilla Flat offers, almost exclusively, vistas messed up by power lines. But despite my whinging, Fish Creek Lookout has plenty of nice views unencumbered by power lines.
Both the far vistas . . .
And the near vistas, as well . . .
This past week I read that contemporary eyes are suffering from being too much focused on a computer screen and insufficiently on long views. When I look at your vistas, I feel much the way I might if I were holding the camera. I feel even better about the butterflies because the camera relays far more than my eyesight can nowadays. This leads me to wonder if my eyes get similar kinds of “exercise” from looking at the top photos as they would by staring out my window at the distant scenery. My eyes are more active as they seek the elements of an alien and fascinating landscape.
May I ask what is that intensely dark green cactus in the lower left among the landscapes that looks like an aspidistra?
Laurna – With respect to the cactus, you certainly may ask; I might even know. My reaction wass to call it an “aloe vera plant” – but I wondered also about “century plant.” So I asked Google for photos of both and it appears that it’s one plant: agave americana. With respect to rebalancing our vistas to give more time to the far ones, and to more time away from computer screens in general, that makes sense to me.