While we were away, Spring came creeping into ‘my’ woods… 
It seems a bit reluctant this year, but not this trailing flower!
The salmonberry are the first of a procession of berries to provide bear (and people) food. While the bears wait for the salmonberries to ripen, skunk cabbage does the trick…We’ve had our first bear visitor of the season already. There was a great big one up a tree out back today! 
–Salmonberry blossom–
–Bleeding Hearts–
Lots of wild strawberries are blooming on the side of Scout Mountain. I have yet to be there in time to find a ripe berry though…
If you look close, even the lichen are dressing up for spring with their little red caps.
These pretty blue ‘weeds’ attempt to take over the park grass every year at this time making clouds of blue in amongst the green. I liked them so much I transplanted some to our lawn!
And with these bright little faces of dandelion & daisy, I bid you a happy springtime!
Month: April 2009
Hoodoo Land!
Like a fantastic sculpture garden Bryce Canyon displays God’s handiwork like no other place on earth.
You have to see it in person to begin to take it in. And better yet, take a trail down into the canyon, to the floor from which these massive columns rise.
Though most of our walk was warm and the trail bone dry, this slot canyon scarcely sees the sun so the going was thick with clinging clay mud alternating with muddy sheets of ice…
Do you see the two natural bridges?
And now we’re back up to the top…
This is definitely not the sort of territory you’d want to be exploring in the dark. The edges of the rim trail are just a slip away from disaster…
We wrapped up our visit to Bryce Canyon with a picnic lunch before hitting the road for our long drive north. It is with reluctance we leave these sunny climes…but there are miles to go before we sleep (hoping to log 8-10 hours yet today)…
Farewell to Hoodoo Land…
What a sight to see!
We’re torn between covering miles and taking in sights. Couldn’t pass up the Grand Canyon…
We arrived in time to catch the sun’s rays setting on the canyon.
…and then tucked in for a shivery night.
Goodnight moon.
Temperatures fell below freezing and we wished we had spent a little extra and plugged in our heater!
In the morning we took a little hike down into the canyon to a favorite point–‘Oooh, Ahhh Point’ it’s called. Most of the other hikers were headed for the bottom of the canyon, an overnight venture. We were just in it for the views and a little exercise after so much sitting…
This little squirrel almost appears to be afraid of heights ( :
If you look closely you can see the trail zagging back and forth down the canyon wall…
This tower was the last sight to see. It was built in the 30’s as an overlook of the canyon. You can climb to the top up a spiral staircase. I love peeking out all the little windows. Today it was thronged with so many visitors speaking so many languages that the tower of Babel seems a fitting name …
And always, at every sightseeing spot, there are curios and souvenirs to buy… These sheep caught my eye. They’re a product of the Navajo nation. I’ll let the picture be my souvenir…
And that was a sampling of the sights we saw this day. I’ll quit with this one–a plaque mounted on a studio wall overlooking the canyon. And I add an ‘AMEN’.
–Linda