I got a photo of an osprey perched in a tree in the foreground of Mt. Baboquivari, didn’t see much at Aguirre Lake, got lucky and got killer pictures of rare Chiricahua Frogs during a walk around Cienega Nature Trail and looked for hummingbirds to no avail. Then I saw a long line of ant-like creatures marching like lemmings do to the cliff, but these guys were going up steam under the water in Aravaca Creek.  Many were washed back down stream when they lost their footing, but the line was never ending, so obviously they weren’t quitters!  That’s perseverance!
    Then I returned to one of the hundreds of camp sites where there was not another camper in sight in this southern Arizona/Mexican border area in Buenos Aires NWR (www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/arizona/buenosaires/) south west of Tucson. My kind of place. It was mid March, warm, the sun was shining brightly and I was immersed in a natural area. I was looking for something lei’d back to do. Rolling over rocks had always been a plan B in reserve to pass some time. It fit my slow, relaxing, ACB sipping afternoon, while the flavors of my dinner, beans with peppers, onions & tomato blended after cooking them for a while. I’d thought of seeing what’s hidden under rocks in the everglades where I sometimes see little lime green frogs. I wonder if they’re under a rock in the heat of the day? There’s so much to see there in the American Jungle, land of panthers, bears and alligators, without the effort of looking under rocks that I’ve never done it though.
    Under a rock is a whole different environment which is conducive to critters not seen scampering around in bright sun light. There it’s cool, damp and the crevices in the rocks make great hiding, protective, and nesting places. Lizards are what I’m looking for, but anything out of the ordinary will delight me!  It’s inspired by a little striped lizard I discovered yesterday, when I found an old horse blanket in the dust of Sonora Desert. I hoped the blanket could be a souvenir, but as I shook it, it was just too dirty to salvage. When I discarded it I saw the lizard.  Its antics will be the subject of an article some other day. I have a pry bar that’s about two feet long to turn the rocks and probe the dirt. That will also keep my hands away from biters, stingers or any critter who may be disturbed and want to fight back. The tiniest spiders come after and challenge me when I have to swat them because they’re in my living space.Those and snakes are aggressive. Here in their space I won’t want to harm them. I’ve never seen the big animals like alligators, big cats or bears be aggressive.  I’m not sure how those sensational TV shows get those films. I suspect they are staged, setup or phonied somehow. I rarely see alligators move, bears and big cats may take a long look at me then go the other way.
    On the north rim of the Grand Canyon at Toroweap I’m always careful to keep my fingers from going under rocks as I navigate along the edge. I know that’s a favorite spot for rattle snakes. I don’t want to tangle with one of those. I did get to eat one last year in Big Bend N.P., Tx., after I saw it get run over by a ding bat motorist.  That was the first time I ate road kill!  Here near campsite #75 on a dirt road that leads toward Sasabe, Mx. off Prong Horn Drive there’s lots of rocks along the edge to roll over in this land where the Prong Horned Antelopes roam and play.
    I continued this passtime at Organ Pipes Cactus N.M, Az, where the rocks were hiding scorpions, under the rocks at Cibola NWR, Az. was nasty daddy long legs and at Toroweap were beatles with ancient descendants.  At each place I also found centipedes that appeared to have large pincers on their head and tail. I kept my fingers clear of them.
    Photos were always a challenge because the light was so bright and the critters were running for their lives. I solved the light problem by letting my shadow cover the area and used this photographic technique. I took a light reading with the camera before rolling the rock, chose a fast shutter speed (1/250 or more) and left the camera select the lens opening (Fstop).  Plus I used a flash diffuser and adjusted the contrast and lightened the dark areas with photoshop on some photos. Check your LCD screen to determine if all of what you want is in focus. If too large an Fstop was selected only the center will be sharp (Depth of Field is too shallow).
    See more of my photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/o.c.fotoguy2009. Here in Ocean City I photograph weddings and families on the beach or other events. You can contact me at o.c.fotoguy@aol.com or 410-289-7339 and check out my webpage at http://photosasyouwantthem.biz/. Have computer questions? Ask Natoshia O.C.’s Staples Sales Manager. She has the answers!