Category Archives: Photography

Utah 2016, Part 1

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I recently spent about 10 days in southern Utah, both camping and staying with friends. I experienced all kinds of weather: hot, cold, wet and dry. Rather than present my trip as a travel log, I decided just to group certain photos together along with my thoughts. Click on any photo for a larger version.

 

Red Canyon

Red Canyon

For the most part, I hiked in areas less travelled. I had thought about going to Bryce Canyon National Park, but it happened to be on a weekend (not that a weekday would have made much difference), and the traffic leading into the park was heavy, so I turned around and headed for the dirt roads.

Being spring time and with the recent rains, many plants were blooming.

 

Yellow prickly pear cactus

Yellow prickly pear cactus.

 

Cactus with red flowers.

Claret cup cactus

 

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Evening primrose

 

This was probably blooming a million years ago. Fossilized plant material.

This was probably blooming a million years ago. Fossilized plant material.

 

Not exactly blooming, but pretty none the less.

Not exactly blooming, but pretty none the less. (Click for the larger version to see the detail.)

It always amazes me where plants choose to take root (probably not a conscious choice). There’s plenty of sand and dirt around for a plant to grow in, but perhaps these cracks have more moisture in them.

 

Growing in a crack in the canyon wall.

Utah fleabane growing in a crack in the canyon wall.

 

A shrub and a pine are sharing the same crack.

A single leaf ash and a pine are sharing the same crack.

 

Jack Rabbit

Jack Rabbit sniffing Scotch broom.

 

My friends George and Kristine as we explored Manganese Wash.

My friends George and Kristine as we explored Manganese Wash.

 

Go forward to Utah 2016, Part 2.

 

Black Friday

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Black Friday represents so much of what is wrong with this country.  Nobody I know takes part in it.  It’s only existed for a dozen years.  I keep hoping it will die as a fad, but the media and the corporations won’t let it.  They wear maniacal grins while they rub their greedy palms together, leading consumers to think they’ll miss something important if they don’t go shopping.

(Click on photos for clearer versions.)

 

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Meanwhile, at least one company closed on Black Friday. R.E.I., which is a store that sells outdoor clothing and ski gear, encouraged people to get out into nature on Black Friday.  I was out in nature, but didn’t see anyone else.  But then most of R.E.I.’s customers are high end consumers who only want the appearance they’re into nature.

 

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It was a bright and sunny one degree Fahrenheit (-17 Celsius) day after a storm that had some freezing drizzle and ice fog.  I love these types of storms because of the interesting ice crystals that grow on the grass, twigs and branches.  In the above photo, contrary to what you might think, the crystals form on the side of the branch that faces into the wind.

 

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The silence was deafening.