leaving

(A plane flies into the sunset over St Maarten.)

I'm linking up with a favorite meme.  Come join this awesome meme SkyWatch Friday and link up!  SkyWatch Friday is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.

photos by me © 2012  all rights reserved

Zion Beauty: Views from Angels Landing

In a past post, I showed you photos from my Angels Landing hike in Zion National Park in August of 2010.  Here are some of the beautiful views from that hike.

The path beckons....I'm drawn in.  What's around the bend?

Walter's Wiggles--looking up from near the top.  I love the play of light in this photo.

Walter’s Wiggles, named after the first superintendent of Zion, are a series of 21 tight switchbacks carved into the face of the rock cliff in 1926. This trail remains one of the park’s most spectacular construction wonders.  

"In 1985....Walter's Wiggles was resurfaced with 88 cubic yards of concrete, and the concrete for this job was hauled onto the site by helicopter. This took 258 flights. WHEW!" *

a view from Walter's Wiggles.  Zion is a veritable botanic wonderland.  Almost 800 species of plants abound in the park--from desert flora to mossy gardens, flowers, and trees.

Sandstone cliffs of golds, oranges, and rust contrast with the deep green of flora and the azure sky.

Scout Lookout

at the top!

LINKS:

* NPS FAQ Zion's hiking trails 
Angels Landing  my blog post 11/4/2011 with links
Zion  my blog post 10/13/2011 with links

I'm so happy Ms Jenny has decided to do another round of Alphabe-Thursday! This is such a fun meme!  Thank you, Ms Jenny!  Come and join in the fun!  You will be charmed and even enlightened in a delightful way!  See more entries HERE. This week our letter is "B."  (B is for Beauty!)

I'm also participating in SkyWatch Friday, another fun meme with lovely photographs from all over the world!  SkyWatch Friday is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.


photos by me © 2010 

Zion

Zion National Park in Utah, USA, is one of the most beautiful places on Earth!

I love the rock formations, the colors, and textures!  red, gray, yellow, orangey-brown rock, green foliage, deep azure sky, puffy white clouds.  Zion is part of an area known as the Grand Staircase which once was a great desert basin which became covered by a sea.

LINKS:

Desert Delights Splendid Little Stars post 

Zion National Park geology

Zion National Park US Park Service

Wildflowers in Yellow Splendid Little Stars post

HIKES in Zion National Park 

I've done my homework this week and am therefore participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.  Come and join in the fun!  You will be charmed and even enlightened in a delightful way!  See more entries HERE. This week our letter is "Z."

I'm also linking up with SkyWatch Friday. Come join this awesome meme SkyWatch Friday and link up!  SkyWatch Friday is hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.

photos by me ©  2010

Z Cloud

While traveling in Utah last August, we saw this marvelous, unique Z cloud!

a zestfully zooming cloud!

Come join in the fun at Jenny Matlock's Alphabe-Thursday.  You will be enlightened, charmed, and have some plain ole fun!  See more entries HERE.  This week our letter is "Z."  

 I'm also linking up with SkyWatch Friday hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.  Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe. 

photos by me © 2010

Desert Delights

In which we explore several disparate but decidedly delightful desert displays.   Come!  Let the dreamy dance of the desert muse begin!

Sonoran desert

decorated by prickles

conserves its beauty

desert dwelling birds

fly high into prickles

create domiciles

ancient rock towers

above the verdant valley

to glorious sky

photo #1 & #2 Desert Botanical Garden, Phoenix, Arizona   LINK

photo #3  Zion National Park, Utah   LINK

This is a fun weekly meme, under the direction of Jenny Matlock.  This week, our letter is "D."  Come and join HERE.  Here is Ms. Matlock's submission.

If you click this link, you will discover so many creative takes on this letter.  There are about 85 as of this writing.  Now go visit! 

This post is also for SkyWatch Friday hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.  Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe. 

photos by me © 2009 & 2010
haiku by me © 2010

Breaking through: SkyWatch Friday

 Sun trying to break through the rain clouds in Grand Canyon National Park, August

This post is for SkyWatch Friday hosted by Wren, fishing guy, Sylvia, Klaus, and Sandy.  Come join us in this awesome meme, link up, and meet folks from all over the globe. 

photo by me © 2010