Life on the High Plains

 We were in Florida in November and got the chance to visit Everglades National Park. (I'm a national park geek!) It was during the government shutdown which was very strange. No rangers on duty anywhere.  As a former NPS employee I really don't believe in leaving the parks unattended. One of the park concessionaires was still operating so we were able to get on a fabulous tour of the park. I've never seen so many great blue herons in one location. This guy was patrolling his territory. The view from the Shark Valley Observation Tower. This is a view of the tower.  Pretty amazing they built it out in the middle of nowhere. This guy was waiting at the start of the walkway to the tower.  Of course there were some tourons getting way too close.  Believe me when I say I gave it lots of space. Lots of interesting birds that I was unfamiliar with. This one appeared to be drying out its feathers. So beautiful! Lots of babies hanging out in the grasses.  Apparently...

Some amazing views from our visit to Yosemite National Park in September. El Capitan Closeup of climbers ascending El Capitan.  Have you ever wondered what a climber has to haul up the rockface with them?  We learned from a ranger that they need to take a gallon of water for each day (average climb is five days), food, weather protection, sleeping frame, plus they have to haul out their waste every day.  Yes, they poop on the side of the mountain and then carry it out. The Three Brothers rock formations. One of the best views in the valley from Tunnel View.  El Capitan on the left, Three Brothers on the right and Half Dome at the far end of the valley.  Breathtaking! Another view of Half Dome from our hike out to Mirror Lake.  The lake was dry, but what a spectacular view! View from the top of Glacier Point. Half Dome from Glacier Point. Amazing trip!  If you love the beauty of nature, Yosemite should be on your bucket list. Linking with Skywatch Frida...

 I can't believe it's been three months since I last posted.  I don't really have an excuse other than life gets in the way and we've had a couple months of sorrow in the family.  Today I decided to jump back in and record the beautiful moments we've experienced. Back in September we jumped on a plane and headed to Fresno, California.  Our destination was Yosemite National Park--a bucket list trip for me. After arriving in Fresno we drove the couple hours to our lodging in Mariposa and then immediately headed out to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias located at the south entrance to the park. Did you know Abraham Lincoln saved the Mariposa Grove with the Yosemite Grant Act of 1864? It set the land aside for the enjoyment of public and provided protection to these giant trees.  This set a precedent for future National Parks. Pictures do not do justice for these magnificent giants.  There are about 500 of these giant trees in the grove. There are a variety ...

I don't know what it has been like where y'all live, but here on the eastern plains of Colorado it has been rainy and cloudy for weeks. Part of me doesn't even feel like we had a summer because of the amount of rain and cooler temps.  I don't want you to think I'm complaining though because the high desert has been in drought conditions for many years. The year to date average for my location is 12.51".  As of today we've received 18.79" of precipitation.  I know that's not a lot of rain for many of you, but we're glad to have every single drop.   Here is Colorado we're used to having more sunny days than cloudy days.   The locals like to say we receive 300 sunny days per year, but I just looked it up and where I live we get an average of 247 days of sunshine per year.  We're spoiled and maybe that's why I feel like summer somewhat passed us by this year. All I'm asking for is sunshine on Saturday when I go to the Wynonna and Li...

 Time to head on another camping trip. Ready to go! A peek at Pike's Peak from highway 24. Driving through the Pike National Forest.  Looks like DJT is already decimating our public lands. All set up.  The campsite wasn't level so it took some work to get it leveled.  No hookups here except for electricity--we filled our water tank before leaving and the solar panels on the roof keep the refrigerator going while on the road. Storm is rolling in. Beautiful view of the reservoir. Enjoying the fresh mountain air. Even Aspen is relaxed. Hit the trail the next morning. Is there anything as relaxing as being on a trail in nature? Lots of rock formations. My favorite hiking partner! Nice aspen grove. Tried to take the kayaks out, but the wind was coming up so time to get off the lake.  This lake can be quite dangerous in a windstorm.  A week after we were there a paddleboarder and his dog drowned when they were caught in a storm.  Neither had life jackets....