Zabriskie Point

Death Valley badlands

"The otherworldly badlands around you are deathly silent and still.  Yet this arid scene is often the result of the violent action of water and earthquakes."
(~sign on site)

Long ago, shimmering lakes filled the valley.  Silt washed into the lakes creating thick deposits of clay, yellow sandstone, and tan siltstone.  Flung into the lakes, hot mud, lava, and volcanic ash caused streaks of color.  This created the Furnace Creek Formation.  Seismic activity tilted the once level layers.  Rainstorms cause gullywashers that continue to carve out this strangely beautiful landscape. 

In July of this year, hubby and I began our visit to Death Valley here.  Unlike much of Death Valley which is at or below sea level, Zabriskie Point is 713 feet (217 meters) above sea level.

Borax, a combination of the element boron and various salts, has been mined here.  (The last of the mines closed in 2005.)  Borax can be found in laundry detergent, cosmetics, insulation in walls and roofs, fire extinguishers, ceramic dishes, and the glass in electronic touchpads.

looking down on the parking lot

LINKS:
mining in Death Valley, National Park Service
hikespeak 
National Parks Traveler  interesting!
The 20 MuleTeam borax brand spawned a radio show that later became a TV show.  Called Death Valley Days, it ran for many years.  Ronald Reagan appeared on this show!  (link includes a clip of this show but don't know if Reagan is in it.) 

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is  "Z."  Come visit others' submissions HERE  and join in the fun!  

PS:
uses of Borax:
"Borax is well known as an ingredient in high efficiency laundry detergents, but it's most important modern use is in the production of fiberglass and borosilicate glass. The element Boron has powerful abilities to stengthen, toughen and make fire-resistant glasses, metals, wood, and fibers. It is used in appoximately three hundred high-tech products. A few of its uses are as soldering flux, in welding rods, as preservatives for wood and fabric, as fire retardant, in insecticides, in pottery glaze, as antiseptics, in hybrid fuels, and in experimental fuel cells." ~from National Park Service site

photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved 

random Zs

ZESTY

Meet Tigra, my daughter's kitty.  lover of rubber bands, catnip, people food, exploring, anything that's a circle, birdie watching, and people, too!  She has an enthusiastic love of life!  Here she is-- still for 3 seconds while I quickly snap her picture with my phone.


ZIGZAGED

Mimic by D. W. Martin.  fabricated steel.  $10,750
on display in Krutch Park during the Dogwood Arts Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA


ZINGY

one of many flowers for sale at Finlay Market in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA



ZEALOUS zzzs

Oliver never was a lap kitty, till...we purchased new chairs for our library (more on that someday).  Now it's funny how he'll jump up on the chair and even onto my lap probably because there's not much room for his chunky mus-coo-lar body between me and the arm of the chair.

LINKS:
D. W. Martin 
Dogwood Arts --Art in Public Places
Krutch Park 
Findlay Market 

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "Z." Thus ends our study of the alphabet for this round!  Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  
Good news!   Our wonderful teacher, Ms. Jenny has committed to another round!  The Alphabe-Thursday community is a great one.  Thank you, Ms. Jenny!

photos by me  © 2014   all rights reserved

zealous zzzs

There's a lot of SnooZZing that goes on around here!  Here's Oliver smooshed up against the back of the couch.

The sun puddles are sometimes seriously sunny!

aaah...

sleeping with favorite toys

No position goes untried.

Aaahhh...to snooZZZe like a cat!

See Oliver's recent stint as a SNOOZERVISOR.

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "Z." Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun! 




photos by me  © 2013   all rights reserved
(The first 3 are iPhone photos.)

Zion

a few random photos from Zion National Park, Utah, USA

entering the Park along Zion's signature red road

near the beginning of the trail to Angels Landing

Emerald Pool

LINKS:
Zion  @ Utah. com
Zion National Park Service
National Geographic 
previous Zion post with photos and links 
Angels Landing:
my post with photos and information about this spectacular hike 
more views and information on Angels Landing


Z, the last letter of the alphabet!  I've posted every letter this round!

Alphabe-Thursday, hosted by Ms Jenny, is so much fun!  This week our letter is "Z." Come visit others' submissions HERE and join in the fun!  Next week we begin again!  with the letter A. 


photos by me © 2010 all rights reserved

ZOOM!

I've walked out on my deck a few times the past couple of days, and whoosh! something zooms by!  What IS that??!
 
Oh I see!  It's a bird!  Where indeed is it coming from?  After several of these zestful zoomings, I decide to search the deck for a bird's nest, and I almost miss it.  There it is!  in a pot of parsley, oh so camouflaged.

Why are there 5 eggs in the nest and one out?  I have no idea.  (Yes, I CAN count.  There really are 5!)

(I will no longer traumatize this bird trying to get a better photo.)

I spent some time searching online and this is what I think the bird is --a Carolina wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus).  It has the markings, the slightly buff-colored chest, and the downward curved beak.

I found information about them fascinating.

a few facts:

► A Carolina wren pair mates for life.

► live in open woodland or brushy suburbia. 

► stay together on their territory year round.

► mostly forage the ground for insects and move around together.  They do climb vines and trees poking around for insects.

► DIET:  mostly insects and spiders; occasionally eat lizards, frogs, and snakes. They also consume a small amount of plant matter, such as fruit pulp and seeds from bayberry, sweetgum, or poison ivy.

► NESTING:  female and male build their nest together, sometimes making more than one before choosing the perfect one.  The nest itself is usually cup shaped, domed and with a side entrance.  The nest is loosely constructed of a great variety of materials such as bark strips, dried grasses, dead leaves, pine needles, hair, feathers, straw, shed snakeskin, paper, plastic, or string.  Nest material may be added after incubation has begun. 
Carolina wrens usually build their nest about 3-6 feet off the ground in cavities.  Near homes they make use of a variety of cavity-like spaces, such as pots and boots.

► sounds:  Only the male sings with a repertoire of about 15 different songs.  Both male and female have many different calls.  Hear it!  (Scroll down to "calls" and click on the ►)

LINK:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds  --I found this site to be the most helpful.

I'm linking up with my favorite teacher, Ms Jenny Matlock!  See others' completed homework assignments HERE.  Come join in!  This week our letter is "Z."  I am proud to say that I posted for every letter this round!  A new round starts next week!  Letter A.  So get your thinking caps on!  

 

photos by me © 2011  all rights reserved

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