Sedona Day 2

Breakfast at the 101 Omlettes Coffee Top restaurant in Sedona, lunch in Jerome and just grazing on various foods in the apartment for dinner tonight. Along the way we visited Red Rock State park hummingbirds again, took a hike, wandered the wonderful streets of Jerome and enjoyed the incredible open skies that this part of the world offers.

Here's some of what we saw today.

Red Rock State Park birds

Warmer here than in Utah - and boy does that make a difference in some of the birds!  At Red Rock State Park they have a number of hummingbird feeders and the birds are here! Anna's Hummingbird is here but not in Utah (not SLC anyway) and they are gorgeous!  Here's a few shots for you!

On the road again

We are now in Sedona, Az, for a few days on a quick vacation. Stopped in Kanab Friday night and continued on Saturday. Weather is beautiful, the pool at Wyndham is wet and warm!
Here's a couple of birds from along the way - the European Starling on the fence at Erda house and the raven at our breakfast stop in Page, Az.

Making a difference

The quote below from Jane Goodall is one I keep coming back to as I spend time with wildlife - whether in the wilds or in my backyard. I've watched 4th graders come alive as they understood something important about the wetlands - and the caring begins. With my photos I attempt to capture some essence of the place/animal/wildlife such that the viewer may start to understand and then the caring begins.
I wish there was a magic button - haven't found it yet.

Soft subtle form and color

Much of what attracts my eye in the marshes are grasses of various types - they have the ability to bend with the breeze and yet speak volumes just by being there. Here's a few from our Sunday adventure.....

Do you ever wonder how long it takes something like this to grow? The desert is a very harsh environment despite water during parts of the year.

Summertime and the living is easy.

Another attempt to capture the essence of the grasses..

Wouldn't you love to soar over the water and see your reflection below you?

Wildlife Management Jewel

Murph and I spent a couple of hours at a new - to us - wildlife management area in the Salt Lake Basin. The big deal for me was to get out with Murph and get a good walk in as we have been so pre-occupied with the house stuff. Secondly, it was rumored that there were Peregrine falcons in the area - a must see if possible. So off we went!
A three mile hike later we had seen a lot and enjoyed a decent workout. Murphy had plenty of water around so he would drop into it as needed for a drink or just to cool off.  Not a lot of shorebirds yet, a few ducks and some wonderful white pelicans. The big attraction was the Peregrine nest and the two falcons that buzzed me as I got too close! A wonderful day in a gorgeous setting!


"Found objects" like these always make me wonder how they were put together and why!

Wary but not too frightened, these guys huddled before moving away - almost like planning their next moves.

Fantastically colored duck and reflection.

The two peregrines buzzed me until I moved far enough away..

Looking back I caught the peregrine on his perch above their house.

Concrete steps in the middle of nowhere - gotta be a story there!

Mix and Match

I took a panorama of the view from the backyard of our new home - one of the things that attracts us is the vastness and quiet that is there.
The 'boys' - Leo and Fuzzy - were pretending not to play this morning out on the deck. They have become very good buddies!  Just can't look at them when they are playing!!!!

Perseverance

Our neighbors planted a tree last year in the intense heat. It wilted and lost leaves and generally was in question for a while. But this spring it has come back with a vengeance and the pussywillow flowers are blooming.

Change is the only constant in life...

For the last couple of years Diana and I have looked off and on at moving to a more rural environment. Then along comes a couple of incidents to spur us and voila! we find a place that is just right for us.
So we now own two houses, our house in SLC and a brand-new house in Erda, UT - out in the Tooele valley. It sits on an acre of land and has views of the wide open country! At 1800+ sq ft on the main floor, we can live on one level without stairs.  Basement will remain unfinished until.... A nice deck will be part of the deal also. It is rural enough for us but close enough to SLC and friends and family.
More garage space that I will know what to do with :-) and a blank palate for Diana to create gardens of various sorts. Very exciting. We'll probably move the first week of May and hopefully our current house will be sold quickly.
Here's a couple of looks at the outside - more coming for the inside when carpet gets completed.

Singing just because

Green Glass

I think there was a Dr. Seuss story with a title something like "Green ....... " - anyway, sitting on the deck yesterday afternoon and watched the sun play with the green glass globe - here's a few different views of what I saw.

Memories of Paree

It has been a very busy week around here so no travels out to refuges or islands. Several friends are touring Paris and nearby areas and have been posting photos on FB. Brings back good memories of our trip there - here's a look from our apartment to Eglise Val de Grace at the end of the street!

Spring...ing up!

It feels a lot like April now especially with all the plants and flowers that are springing up! Here's a few from our yard and I see a lot around the neighborhood.

St Barnabas

Diana and I spent much of Sunday in the Tooele valley, where she started the day by being the supply priest at St. Barnabas. Then we had lunch at the Bonneville Brewery just across the RR tracks.
St. Barnabas church building is relatively new and has interesting colors and shapes.
Just as Diana was walking into the church, she spotted the Meadowlark sitting on top singing to everyone! Later on we found this neat old barn in Erda, one of many in the valley that are very photogenic.

Loverly

A seed pod and a quickly vanishing Kingfisher for today's views.

Loving the sun

Today was a wonderful sunny spring day with no clouds all day! Not that clouds aren't useful - often prefer to have them when photographing landscapes and birds.
Murph and I drove around and captured a few shots from the day - there is always something to photograph at any time of day.
Enjoy!


First we said hello to the Great Horned Owl - who really didn't seem to care that we were there!

Then, a short ways down the road, we stopped to hike a bit and this Kingfisher swung by to check us out.

Some things are better in color.

This little one sang his heart out as we meandered through the marsh.

Finally, the American Kestrel gave us the eye and then jumped off the wire - showboat!