Watch Your Step at Mesa Arch!

We 'discovered' a new arch at Canyonlands this year.  Of course it had always been there, but we drove by in the past never giving it a thought.

But watch you step, because there is s shear drop on if you step through the Arch!

Don't Play with Matches!

A Sad find on our recent trip to Moab. But first a view of happier days for the recently restored (2008) Dewey Bridge opened in 1916:

An unsupervised child playing with matches is all it takes to destroy our history! 

 I think B&W adds to the grim scene.

(Half of Bodie, California met a similar fate in the 1930's. At that time it was a totally intact 19th Century mining (ghost)town with a few remaining residents.)

Iron Fens

Came across this sign for Iron Fens along Geneva Creek, near South Park in Colorado. Not having a clue as to what Iron Fens were, I took photos anyway. Turns out

Iron fens area a phenomenon unique to Colorado. There are eight iron fens documented in Colorado, and no other known occurrences in the world.

A fen is an area of peat-forming wetlands that receives nutrients usually from upslope mineral soils and groundwater movement. Fens differ from bogs in that bogs are acidic, not alkaline, and bogs are fed by rain water, while Fens are fed by ground water.

Moose

Saw this Moose along Geneva Creek, near Guanella Pass, Colorado. The area has been turned into a bog by beaver dams, making it ideal habitat for this lone Moose.

Gardening Continues.......

Trying something new this year, Potatoes.  We'll see how well they grow in containers:

And  here transplanted:

And Happy:

This Year's Crops

Time to show how our 'urban farming' project is fairing.  First, I've all but given up starting seeds in January in my Living Room.  From now on I'll just buy plants from my organic farmers.  They have hoop houses and can start in Jan-Feb.  I want me living space back.

One easy 'crop' for beginners are the baby mixed grrens.  Mine will be eady to eat in about another 10 days:

Dead Horse Point 5

... more dead trees and red rocks.

Dead Horse Point 4

Its pretty hard to take a bad picture up here. The mesa at Dead Horse Point is surrounded with incredible vistas and twisted tortured enhanced interrogationed trees for a sense of scale.

Slickrock and LaSals

A pretty iconic image of the red slick rock combined with the snowy LaSal mountains. The contrast between the two, always strikes me.

Dead Horse Point 3

Another realization of the Gooseneck along the Colorado river at Dead Horse Point taken later afternoon.

Mesa Arch

This is the Mesa Arch, in Islands in the Sky district of Canyon lands. Typically its photographed at sunrise to capture the sun inside of the opening. Instead we've captured a wonderful view of the snow capped LaSal mountains.

Dead Horse Point 2

A view slightly to the east of the previous one, catching the glow of the setting sun.

Dead Horse Point

A famous view of the Gooseneck of the colorado river, looking south into Canyon Lands from Dead Horse Point, near sunset. That's the muddy Colorado river looping around the rock buttress. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the colors turn to pastels.

Recycle?

Recently these cycle rental stations have appeared around town........

And I have seen a few people riding them......

Typically Boulder

Heading South along the colorado River

Heading south toward Moab along the Colorado river on HWY 128, the valley opens up to a panorama of red rock with the snow capped LaSal mountains in the background.

Sentinels

This must be an Art installation...........in the creek.

Irony......

Moonrise over Slickrock

Here's a nice moonrise and sunset glow along the stretch of the Colorado river North East of Moab along HWY 128.

Soaring