Missing the US Southwest...

During the past 25 years there has never been such a long break between two US trips. It was in the late 1990s when Steffen and I started visiting the US, first separately and then as a couple from 2006 onwards. In most years we were there twice, but sometimes up to 3 times. So many memorable moments!
In 2019 we also visited the US Southwest, first during wintertime (Boot Arch in the Alabama Hills and Sedona in Winter) and then once again in early spring. That's when we revisited White Pocket after some heavy rains as well as the Coyote Buttes South and a few rather unknown Slot Canyons. But the "Painted Desert" with its colorful badlands and all those blooming desert wildflowers was without a doubt the highlight of our last trip.
It's been such a long time we longed to see and photograph these ephemeral plants. This time the odds were in our favor and there was enough precipitation in the wilderness around Hanksville during the winter months. Remembering those days now and looking at these images fills us with so much joy. Joy and hope! Yellow and purple wildflowers brightly blooming on arid barren land, showing resilience and bringing the desert back to life. Nature's small little wonders providing us with some very special moments.

Image data: April 2019; 1/100 s at f/16, ISO 200; Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM at 45 mm, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV