Astonishing Photos of Our Planet on Google+ from +Incredible Planet Earth

Dongchuan Red Land, China - +Incredible Planet Earth, Google+

Through some astonishing photographs posted on Google+ - most notably daily by +Incredible Planet Earth - I have been discovering new wonders on this fabulous planet we all share.

The photo above of Dongchuan Red Land in a little known area south west of Kunming, capital city of Yunnan Province, China, reveals an extraordinary landscape, little visited by tourists. There are more stunning photographs and information about the area on a blog post by Impact Lab, called The Breathtaking Beauty of Lexiaguo, China.

Antelope Valley, Arizona - +Incredible Planet Earth, Google+

This photograph of a striking shaft of sunlight in caves in Antelope Valley, Arizona prompted a comment by one friend of "Beam me up, Scotty" - and indeed it does seem as if teleportation might just have occurred, or be about to.

Earth's oceans glistening in the sun, as seen from space - +Incredible Planet Earth

The beauty of this photograph of Earth's oceans glistening in the sun, as seen from space, speaks for itself. It was also posted on Google+ by +Incredible Planet Earth - whose name is entirely fitting.

Maelstrom at Kauai, Hawaii - Patrick Smith Photography.

This magnificent photograph of a maelstrom at Kauai, Hawaii, is the work of Patrick Smith Photography. A maelstrom is a very powerful whirlpool or tidal vortex.

If any of the other photographers who made these pictures would like to contact me and be credited for their work, please email me at tranquilbuddha@gmail.com or tranquilbuddha@sina.cn.

I would be happy to give credit and I am grateful to all of you for offering such eye-opening, mind-opening, transcendent views of our planet.

We should caress Planet Earth every day and treat it like the best lover we've ever had. It gives us life, it gives us everything - and our tendency is just to take and take and take...and to take it for granted.

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The High Tower Apartments and The Long Goodbye

Photograph by Dwayne Moser. This beautiful apartment complex in Los Angeles is called the Hightower or High Tower Complex (the High Tower name refers to the central elevator, I believe), and was designed in 1935-1936 by architect Carl Kay - and made famous in 1973 by my favorite film, Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (see Why I Love Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye ). Although Altman used the building as Philip Marlowe's apartment in his somewhat post-modern Long Goodbye (the film plays with references to Old Hollywood and opens and closes with the song, Hooray For Hollywood ), the building has another direct connection to Raymond Chandler. It was apparently the inspiration for Chandler in his book, The High Window (the first Chandler novel I ever read), in which Chandler describes the residence of Philip Marlowe as being on the cliffs above High Tower Drive in a building with a fancy elevator tower. (Thanks to the Society of Architectural Historians Southern...

Andrew Hale and Sade

Sade in concert in San Jose. All concert photos Copyright © 2011 Alexander Chow-Stuart. On Thursday evening, we saw our longtime friend Andrew Hale perform with Sade at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, in one of the most beautifully conceived and produced concert performances I have ever seen. Sade is a rare musician, in that she and the band only write, record and tour every eight to ten years, so that in a very real sense you can measure your life by her. The band's music is always fresh and always newly conceived - for their previous album, Lovers Rock , they stripped everything down musically to a minimalist sound and banished the saxophone that had been so much a part of Sade's heavily soul- and jazz-influenced style. The latest album, Soldier of Love , released in 2010, is one of the most tender, moving collections of songs yet, from the astonishingly beautiful Morning Bird , which features exquisite keyboards from Andrew, to the soulful, retro, r...

Rainbow Pools Swimming Hole, Yosemite, and Priest Station, Groveland

Photograph copyright 2012 Alexander Chow-Stuart. Yesterday we had a fabulous time at the Rainbow Pools swimming hole, just outside the northern end of Yosemite, 15 miles east of Groveland on the 120. As swimming holes go, it's a beauty - with a large pool to swim in, cascading water and high rocks to jump off (see above). Photograph copyright 2012 Alexander Chow-Stuart. Our almost eight year old son and three year old daughter, and the friends we were with, all loved it. Our son spent over an hour swimming across the pool and back again several times. We didn't have time yesterday, but there's also a hike of about one and a half miles to a spectacular waterfall where the south and middle fork of the Tuolumne River meet. If you're in or around Yosemite and want a refreshing break, Rainbow Pools and Falls come highly recommended! And thanks to our good friend, Steve Anker, at Priest Station Cafe , 16756 Old Priest Grade in Groveland, for recommen...

Alexander Stuart

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