But the secrets of the river, he saw only one today;

it seized his soul. He saw the water running and running

constantly running, and yet it was always there, was always

and forever the same, and yet new every instant. Who could

grasp this?! Who could fathom this?! He did not grasp or

fathom it, he felt only an inkling stirring, a distant memory,

godly voices.

from: Siddhartha

by: Herman Hess

What better way to break a solitary drive up North...to a predicted blizzard..than to stop at a local hot springs, in the middle of nowhere, in the company of a beloved niece and a couple of her boys!!??
It was so fun to soak for a bit and to meet some unique folks from all over and whom where going to all sorts of uniques places from there!! Belgium was the furthest adventurous traveler!! And what a kick it was to watch Brock and Max hop and trot from one pool to another, over ice rimmed puddles in the brisk, wicked wind and cold.  I for one could not bring myself to even bring one shoulder out of the warm water. In fact, I was horrifed in knowing that  I would eventually have to pull myself out and withstand the cold and make my way to  a near by rock where my towel and borrowed cozy robe awaited me. The spring just wasnt quite hot enough to make it pleasant to step out of and into the north winds.  But we did it!! And it was so worth it!! And now I can check off this experience on my bucket list!! Yipeee!! Thanks Jeni, for joining me!! Love you so much and your darling family!!

Do you remember my reference to a predicted blizzard at home??
Well this time the weather man was right.
We woke up this morning to snow caked  windows (a first) and drifts all over the yard and its still being added to as I write. Pictures cant capture the sound of the wind or the blinding verticle snow. sigh.

As to when I shall visit civilization, it will not be soon,

I think.  I have not tired of the wilderness; rather I enjoy

its beauty and the vagrant life I lead, more keenly all the

time.  I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and star-sprinkled

sky to a roof, the obscure and difficult trail, leading into 

the unknown, to any praved highway, and the deep peace

of the wild to the discontent bred by cities.  Do you blame 

me then for staying here, where I feel that I belong and am

one with the world around me?  

From: Heart of the Desert Wild

by: Everett Ruess

You cant know how very thrilled  i am to have red rock pics back up on my blog!! It feels almost as good as being out there among the rocks and sand...but in truth NOTHING can feel as good as being out there again!

Theres no way of knowing just how many times Ive been on the Slots hike in my hiking career. At least a hundred times Im sure.  But is had been at least 5 yrs since I've visited the trail.  I had my willing, patient companion in Clark...and off we headed to what I thought would be a most familiar trek.
The first bugaboo was discovering that the normal place that we have parked for years was no longer "legal." WHAT????!!  How can this be!!??  I tracked down a local  and asked what had happened, and why parking was no longer permitted.  He kind of rolled his eyes and said that things had kinda gotten out of control...too many cars, fender benders and law suits had made the citizens of the street feel that they needed to put up the signs. ugh
He told me that Snow Canyon had to put up signs too...prohibiting hiking where we have hiked for years. Sigh

Anyway...the short of it is that he directed me to a place to park and from there is was easy to find the familiar trail and begin the hike.

Oh how glorious it was to be out there!!

 Newspaper Rock with neighbors....

But alas....my aging brain found some places unfamiliar!! How could this be!!!?? I was sure I could have done this hike blindfolded!!
But there was no need for real concern. I do know this hike. I just did it a little differently than 'normal.'

For this being an "off limits' hike...we sure did see quite a few people enjoying the same scenery as we were and ignoring the same signs we were.

And may I also mention how heart-breaking is was to see spectacular , million dollar homes not 50 yards from Newspaper rock!?  People sitting out on their beautiful patios could easily see the petroglyphs on the rock!!  That just doesnt sit well with me...but Im not in charge of the world am I?!

Thank you Clark for going out there with me!

Cat tracks!!!

Can I just say ...how blown away I am by modern technology!! I ...little old me, has figured out how to get pictures off my phone for this here blog!! Thats crazy!! Im so grateful!! Im "grateful to Clark too...for his help and support...but this time I did this on my own!! yay for me!!

Sabbath Musings

The Legend of the Saguaro

It is said by some that the Saguaro cactus, which fill the American southwest, are actually the reincarnated spirits of Native American warriors that have chosen to come back and aid their decedents.

They stand as the guardians. Their spines protect the water that is within them, preserving the life of the desert. Their arms reach heavenward, as if in supplication to the Creator for the light and moisture which they receive from  Him.

They are reminders of the past and examples for the future. In our walking through life, they remain steadfast and immoveable. They are a reminder of the influence of our ancestors and that our true strength comes from the Creator.

In our walking, may we look to the Saguaro and remember the steadfastness our ancestors. And may we, like them, reach heavenward for strength from the Creator.

...imagine a standard dining room table covered in a black

tablecloth and someone throwing a handful of salt across

it.  The scattered grains can be thought of as a galaxy.  Now

imagine fifteen hundred more tables like the first one- enough

to fill a Walmart parking lot, say, or to make a single line two

miles long-each with a random array of salt across it.  Now 

add one grain of salt to any table and let Bob Evans walk

among them. At one glance he will spot it. That grain of salt is the supernova.

from: A Short History of Nearly Everything

by: Bill Bryson

Here's Bri, trying to find a flower bud..thats not too big or too small...just 2.3 mil. would be great!!!

the pro's! David and his professor, John!

This was such a cool way to spend a morning...helping David in the lab.  It was so cool, that we are going to go and do it again!! Its a brand new state of the art science lab...which has only been open for a few weeks...up on the campus of Utah State University.
I wish I could describe the wonder I felt as I learned to do what was needed here.  To take a flower bud..way smaller than a grain of rice...more like the the size of the stand of this 'T' like this.. and put it under a high power microscope, and take a fine pair of tweezers and a hair like hypodermic needle and to then ever so carefully pull the bud apart..removing the sepal, the stamens and the undeveloped petals and who knows what else, with painstaking care..and measuring the pistil  without damaging it in the process...was both stressful and wonderful!  This pistil we were searching for and separating from the rest of the bud are smaller than this "i" to the naked eye!!  It was crazy cool!!
Maybe I'll have David write us a 'guest post' about what it is they are doing ...without giving any secrets away..for they believe they are on the cusp of something BIG here!!!
We are going to bring the whole crew up tomorrow..so stay tuned for more pictures!! And more info...for Im positive I'll be learning more!!
This world is an amazing place..with so many wonders, and so much to learn...so vast and so minute.

Peace and Happy Growing Friends!!

.

Tut, tut, looks like rain.

from: Winnie the Pooh

by: A.A. Milne

I love the way I can now wake up in the morning...my eyes barely opening, and look out of the window and only see the vivid greens of the tops of trees.  This morning there was the quiet patter of tiny drops of rain kissing the leaves timidly.  As I became less sleepy-headed and more awake I heard thunder in the distance. As I cozyed up in my stack of pillows for my morning reading of the Book of Mormon...before getting up to start the day, the rain began to pellet the leaves, the windowpanes and the thunder was just down the street.
Ahhh....


When we moved to St George 13 years ago, I remember the evenings' magnificent thunder and lightening storms.  They were impressive.  And then, over time, it seemed that the frequency of the storms diminished...down to now not being able to remember the last one....


Logan seems to now be repeating my history...rain and thunderstorms seems to be a fairly common occurrence...thus the lush green vegetation, and the grass that grows faster than the hair on my legs.


Now I'm going to have to once again risk life and limb  in an attempt to wash the rain drop marks off the outside of the upper window...  
but I'll gladly take the rain...its a nice change.
I'll take the heavenly smells of a summer storm.


Peace!!!








.

Anthropomorphism is generally frowned upon. It is said to

be improper to see animals the same way we view ourselves.

We are asked to temper our language when speaking of

animal traits, lest we call them by a name that is not theirs,

forming words in our mouths that do not sound like a

snake's whisper, a grasshopper's clicking.  It seems just

 as odd, though, to sequester ourselves in a cheerless

vault of sentience, sole proprietors of smarts and charm.

 Bees form a mind of a hive, dont they?  Doesnt the bear

dream with it sleeps, and dont grasses stretch with all

their might toward the sun?  Every living thing has the

same wish to flourish again and again.

 Beyond that, our differences are quibbles.

from: The Animal Dialogues

by: Craig Childs

I hope you'll still respect me after I tell you this.
Some of you will undoubtedly look at me differently after I share this tibbit about myself with you.
I pick up snakes.
I pick up dead snakes.
The other day while I was out re-introducing Zoey  to the world of hiking...I came across a baby snake. I dont think I've even seen a baby snake in the wild before.  Unfortunately it was dead.  A roadrunner or some other predator that eats small things got to it.


I'll blame my brother and my mother for my lack of fear of scalely snakes.  My mom caught snakes.  And my brother kept snakes in an aquarium in his room while I was growing up.
So instead of cringing when I spotted this handsome, colorful reptile, I felt sadness and regret that it was dead. Plus, I was frustrated...I didnt have my camera with me.  So, I gingerly picked  him up and actually checked to be sure he wasnt oozing blood anywhere, and carefully placed him between the back pages of the paperback book I was carrying in my pack...for I needed/ wanted to get him back to my place, in one piece to I could photograph him.
Weird I am!!
Who knew that the underbelly of  a king snake was the color of a robin's egg?  A baby blue belly!!! Cool!!!
I am grateful that such unique and colorful creatures grace our planet.  I am grateful that I go outside -a lot-  and am able to stumble upon small wonders and large wonders most every day.

"The Sun, with all the planets revolving around it, 

and depending on it, can still ripen a bunch of 

grapes as though it had nothing else in the Universe to do."

—

Galileo Galilei 

WILDCAT CANYON: aptly named...for look what we found that had been heading the same direction we were...bobcat prints!! How cool is this!!!!

This was my first time  hiking  on this lesser known trail in Zion. Its up on the east side of the Park, above the Subway.  It was 48 degrees when we existed the cars. 48 degrees in August!!!  What a treat!!! (granted, it didnt stay that cool...but it was still much cooler up there than in St George!)

Zion is bursting with amazing vistas,  flora and fauna and different terrains. Its seems at every bend in the trail there is something new and breathing taking to behold!  Another first for me...touching an innocent enough looking  plant, which was vigorously growing amongst  a bed of ferns, and having my fingers -even hours later, still feeling as though there are hundreds of ants swarming just under the skin!! OUch!!
Good company, Zion, 9 miles, equals a perfect morning!!!

 moon over Wildcat Canyon

 this is the plant that 'bit' me bad!!!

We guides decided that this will be a most excellent hike to add the lineup of  hikes that Desert Cliffs offers its guests!!  Its a great one!!

Tis my faith that every flower

Enjoys the air it breathes!

"Lines Written in Early Spring,"

~William Wordsworth, 

 Lyrical Ballads, 1798

pic: flickr

This morning I broke away from home and the kiddies for a short time and went hiking. To me is was a short stroll...to Bob it felt like hours!!! te he
Utah is experiencing a strange and rare spring...meaning  it cant decide how to behave!!
Its cold and wet one day and then the next its hot and windy or windy and cold.
But the fruits of this behavior has got to be the greenest desert I can ever remember savoring!!
This morning the wildflowers were resplendent!!!
And since I was strolling this morning...with a dear guest with new blisters...I had time pull out my trusty wildflower book and do some "research."
The above bloom is called- Scarlet Gaura. (havent a clue how to pronounce it.)
Its a dainty little flower...it has no call to live and thrive in the desert...but it does!!! And  its showy to boot!  And as most desert flowers seem to be..it has unique attributes that help it to survive here in this harsh climate.
My Audubon wildflower book taught me that this flower is white when it newly opens and that it attracts night-flying moths which are its primary pollinators.  By early the next day, the flowers are pink, and the color intensifies throughout the morning hours. The flower remains open for less than a day.
Fancy That!!!
Live Long and Prosper Friends!!!

Each kind of bird has a name for its gathering.

Geese have "gaggles," seagulls "flocks."

Ravens come in "unkindnesses." Until now I

did not fully understand the meaning of

the term. I swear they were scowling at me.

from: The Animal Dialogues

by: Craig Childs

This book Im reading...
The Animal Dialogues...
FABULOUS!!

If I dared...I'd share something from every chapter with you!!!
but instead..I'll just tantalize you with some of what I found fascinating from my reading last night.


Craig Childs loves the desert even more than I...and hes a patient and mindful observer of all that surrounds him out there in the wild. Plus he's an excellent writer!!!
He's a little nuts though...
for he chooses to live in tipi's on the Colorado tundra...for years at a time...even through the winters!! Or he hikes for hundreds of miles through Mexico, just for the adventure.   I think he prefers the company of critters and quiet than he does civilaztion.
so I guess the resemblance between us begins and ends with our love of the desert and for the inhabitants there of.
It turns out that  Craig  is as intrigued by ravens as I am.
I have alway sensed that the ravens I see in the sky or that are perched above our heads on the rocks watching us closely...are a unique and singular bird.  We hike.. and then realize  that we are in 'their space'  ...and they watch...
I feel sure that there's more to them than just those huge bills and blackness beyond description.  And those beady eyes that miss nothing!!!  gulp
Craig describes them eloquently!!
May I share a few excerpts?

"I am always prepared for the impossible from ravens.  Animals  of omens and nevermores, they rule the desert, able to reach every crack and ledge while I am restricted to the ground as if wearing chains. 
Of all bird species, Corvus corax, the raven, is considered the most ingenious. In one experiment with ravens it was soundly demonstrated  that they have the ability to follow another's gaze- e.g., you glance at a peanut with interest, and a raven turns to see what you're looking at. This is a skill documented among only the smartest animals, especially those with tight social networks like wolves and primates."

Remember Alfred Hitchcocks'-- The Birds!!!!??? Can you say Creepy!!!!

" Ravens are the largest of the corvids, a group of birds whose behavior tops the avian IQ test. This is based on the number of novel feeding  behaviors any bird species exhibits, derived from two thousand observations in the wild published over seventy-five years.  Corvids--magpies, crows, jays, and raven--employ more adaptations and innovations than any other bird.  Ravens pull up baited fishing lines by stepping on the line, reeling in slack with their beaks, stepping on the line again, and finally pulling in the fish.  They poke sticks into bug holes, bend wire to hook meat from between cracks, unzip backpacks, and open ice chests."

Are you exclaiming outloud, like I did, that this cant be so??  Are you shocked and amazed??  I'll bet that now  when you  spy a raven flying overhead...you'll never "see" them in  the same light again.

"Down to their every gesture, ravens are rich with character, more so than most people.  Their sentiments are not disguised. They are theatrical birds. Even quietly perched on a church roof of under the arm of a bridge, ravens are obviously brooding, grumbling among one another, plotting the end of the world."

Dont look now...but there's a raven out there watching YOU!!!
See!!!  Gathering coral dust between ones toes is always enlightening and now maybe sometime unnerving as well !!!!

It Really is GOOD Friday!!!

It was when I was happiest that I longed

most...The sweetest thing in all my life

has been the longing...to find the place

where all the beauty came from.

from: Till We Have Faces

by: C.S. Lewis

 This Friday brought temps warm enough to swim and run to the warm pavement to toast. 

 The wildflowers are showing off...Camelback two days in a row!!  Bliss!! 

 Hiking with Clark....perfect!!!  Its a rare occasion to get one of my own to go with me and do what I love!!

 Jake turned 8 today!!  Remarkable how fast the ones we love  grow up!!!  

Its been a great Friday...and its going to get even better...the moment Anna and Dave and Lucie pull into the driveway tonight!!!
Happy Easter Weekend everyone!!!