Lucky Photograph

Sometimes the photographer gets a really lucky shot!  I saw a large bird approaching a tree and was able to get an in-focus photo just as it landed.  When I looked at the photograph later, I saw that the bird was holding a mouse in its talons!

This White-tailed Kite just caught a mouse for dinner.

The bird book says that hawks are difficult to identify.  This bird turns out to be a White-tailed Kite which is common only along the California coast.  We are staying at El Chorro Regional Park, near San Luis Obispo, California, and are seeing a lot of different kinds of birds. 

I've posted photos of birds we've encountered on our travels here.  It's fun to photograph the birds, but there is some danger that we might become one of these.

Touring Monument Valley

Yesterday evening as the sun set behind a partially cloudy sky, sunbeams washed over the spectacular formations of Monument Valley, Utah.  Sometimes the rocks would be illuminated for less than a minute, but it gave an interesting variation to the most photographed landscape on Earth.

(Click on pictures to enlarge)

This morning Nancy got me up early enough to photograph the sunrise over Monument Valley as viewed from the campground.

View of Monument Valley from Goulding's Campground

After breakfast we took a Navajo-led tour of the valley and saw more of the formations there.

West Mitten Butte

Ear of the Wind

A Navajo horseman came to the end of the trail at John Ford's Point.  

Later he rode back to the parking area so tourists could pay $2 to get on the horse for a memorable photograph.  The tour guide joked that it costs a dollar to get on the horse and another dollar to get off.

Navajo Horseman at John Ford's Point

At one of the arches where we stopped there were some rock engravings depicting antelope.  The guide said that they were probably over 800 years old.

Sometimes it is difficult to see the rabbits, chickens, and other animals that the Navajo guide says are represented by the shapes in the rocks.  However, we did recognize this formation with its more modern interpretation: Snoopy on His Doghouse!

Jacey and Ken Discover a Large Desert Wasp

Jacey and I hiked part way up a large rock behind the RV park at Page, Arizona.

As we stepped onto one of the flat areas there was a large wasp running back and forth.  It was running so fast it was really hard to point the camera quickly enough to take a photograph.  Sometimes it stepped out of the frame just as I took the picture, but I did get these pictures which were enough to allow me to identify it as a Tarantula Hawk Wasp.  This wasp is almost 2" long, but it looked a lot larger to us as it ran back and forth.

(Click to enlarge -- if you dare!)

Visit to the Mysterious Slot in Antelope Canyon

We moved to Page, Arizona, today.  I was able to arrange to visit Antelope Canyon, a narrow slot canyon on Navajo land.  The slot is about 1/4 mile long and 150 feet deep.  Flood waters have sculpted the inside of the slot into fantastic shapes which take on various colors depending on the angle of the sun's illumination where the slot opens to the surface.

It is necessary to obtain permission from the Navajo Nation before entering Antelope Canyon.  The canyon is too dangerous to visit without a guide, because of the ever-present danger of flash floods.

Here are some of the pictures I took while walking through the slot.

The walk through the slot in Antelope Canyon is unforgettable

Light from above colors the walls

The colors change throughout the day

The Navajo see animal images in the sculpted walls
The photographer must not be standing in the right place

Visit to North Rim of Grand Canyon

On Saturday (10/1/11), we drove from our camp at Kaibab campeRVillage to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon.  The canyon is hidden from view until the visitor walks through the North Rim Lodge to an area where the canyon is suddenly visible in all its glory.

View from North Rim Lodge
(click on pictures to enlarge)

The ranger told us that the 23-mile drive to Cape Royal was well worth the effort.  There we were able to see the Colorado River through Angels Window, a hole eroded into a narrow blade.  We also were able to stand on top of the window.  The safety fence was very comforting!

The Colorado River is visible through Angels Window

The Park Service built a nice strong fence above Angels Window

Not everyone wants to stand this close to the edge

View from Cape Royal

Jacey wasn't allowed on many of the trails, but there was a picnic area at Vista Encantada where she could appreciate the "enchanted view".

Jacey at Vista Encantada

Volunteering at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary

We camped at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary so we could tour the facility and volunteer to help the caregivers at Dogtown.

The campground for recreational vehicles accommodates only two RVs at a time, so we had to make reservations and plan this part of our trip more carefully than we usually do.  The campsites provide beautiful views of Angel Canyon.

The first afternoon we toured Best Friends and saw some interesting animals including this Black Lab / Basset mix named "Wagner".  The caregivers at Dogtown call it a "Labasset", but our friend, Sandy, says her Basset-rescue friends call it a "Bassedor".  In any case it certainly looks as if someone played a practical joke on a Black Lab by shortening its legs!

The next morning we volunteered at Dogtown.  First, we got to help socialize a room full of puppies.  Then we walked two dogs (and dog walkers do not have to scoop poop!).  Here is a picture of me with Omar, a Beagle-basset, or Bagel, who so much resembled a footstool when he arrived at Dogtown that one of the caregivers called him "Omar the Ottoman". 

After our volunteering session, we enjoyed a vegetarian lunch at Angel's Village Cafe.  The lunch is free, but you have to pay $5 for the view.

Later that afternoon there was a tour of the Bunny house where we saw about 1/3 of the 300 rescued bunnies that live at Best Friends.  This bunny was given a straw sun shade, but he thought it needed a window.

Visit to Zion National Park

We took the tram ride into Zion Canyon.  Personal vehicles are no longer allowed there during tourist season.  It was really hard to get good pictures until we got off of the moving bus to eat lunch.

They have shiny new picnic tables at The Grotto picnic area.  We ate here and did not share our meal with the animals ($100 fine -- please report violators).

Later, I returned to the canyon to take one of the easier hikes.  Even so, this warning made me walk carefully.

I hiked to Lower Emerald Pool.  The pool itself isn't as pretty as its name suggests, but there were some really nice views of Zion's cliffs.  This picture that includes the Virgin River is typical of the views that reward a hiker in Zion National Park.

Visit to Bryce Canyon National Park

On Wednesday, we drove on Utah 12, a Scenic Byway, to Bryce City, just outside Bryce Canyon National Park.  The drive was spectacular, but very challenging:  near Escalante, UT, there is a 14% downgrade!  I've never encountered anything steeper than 8% before!  We had to stop in a few places for cattle in the roadway, because much of Utah has "open range" with no fences to keep livestock in their own yard.

In Bryce Canyon, we had to continue to drive carefully to protect the wildlife there.  We didn't see any Prairie Dogs in the park, but we did see this beautiful Pronghorn buck escorting a herd of about 10 females.

We visited several places where we could overlook the astounding geological features of Bryce Canyon.

Then we had lunch at a picnic table in the nearby forest.  The forest is on gently rolling land that gives no hint of the spectacular canyon nearby.

Later I went back to experience "the most beautiful 3-mile hike in the world".

Visit to Capitol Reef National Park

We drove and hiked in Capitol Reef National Park today.  We stopped first at Fruita where there is an orchard planted 100 years ago by members of an early Mormon community.  It is still producing fruit.  We picked apples and pears to enjoy during the next few days. 

Later we saw a lot of spectacular landscapes that just can't be captured by a camera (but we'll try to show some anyway).

There are several types of sandstone in Capitol Reef that have different colors and different weathering characteristics which results in spectacular rock formations.

 

In other parts of the country there are bear, cougar, and even alligator warnings, but the most dangerous thing to worry about while hiking here is water!

 I hiked into this narrow "slot" canyon.  There were only a few puffy clouds in the sky (I rechecked often during the hike).

Visiting Arches and Canyonlands National Parks

After driving to Moab, Utah, staying overnight at Fruita, Colorado, we set up camp at OK RV Park.  From there we visited Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.

Some of our Arches NP pictures are here and our Canyonlands NP pictures are here.

Here is what I think is the best picture we took over the weekend.

Introduction (Learning to Blog)

We left our house in Alma, Colorado, last week (8/14/2011) to begin another year of traveling around the country.  I've been putting pictures on Facebook, but many people are reluctant to join Facebook and won't see the pictures I post there.

I post other collections of pictures as "albums" on Photobucket.  My Photobucket name is "kennewcomer" which you can search for, but it's easier to follow this link (http://s239.photobucket.com/home/kennewcomer) and look as some of the "recent albums" or, to see older pictures, click on "all albums". 

I'm just learning how to use this blogger and this first post might be a little rough as I try to use the tools available here.  I'm going to try to put a picture of our trailer here -- who knows what will happen.  Oh! The picture ended up in front of the paragraph I'm working on.  That's our travel trailer parked in the driveway of the Alma house.

This, by the way, is the Alma house. And here is a tour of the house.

I'll post this blog entry now to see how it looks (if I can figure out how to do that!).