My Friday on Tuesday at Grand Canyon

Morning light on Angels Gate in mid ground (hdr-ish)

The one thing I don’t like about Fridays is getting up at way-to-early:30 am.  You may have noticed I post sunset photos not rises.  But hey, it’s my Friday so I have the next three days off.  I work 4-10s and by the 40th hour am happily exhausted.  And, on my Friday I usually go out in the field to the Walhalla Plateau, after opening and working the visitor center for a few hours were this morning I met a delightful mother from France traveling with her adult daughter from Belgium.

Lunch place with wildflowers

After the 45-minute drive and dropping off two sign boards I park on a service road, the only place to hide, for my cooler-packed lunch.  Nothing more exciting than PBJ and chips with water.  Park Rangers have to hide to eat an undisturbed lunch, other wise questions begin with “I know you’re eating but I just…”

At 1:30 at Walhalla overlook I present a program about how the history of archeology in the Southwest changed from looting to science.  Two of the couples attending had made acquaintance at the picnic area up the road discovering they’d lived in the same town at different times.  It’s a big small world.  I frequently ask visitors where they’re from because I’m a curious traveler and sometimes receive great advice about places to visit in their part of the world.

My dear friend, blog mentor and fellow Park Ranger Karen from FabGrandma joined me during her project time.  She can usually be found greeting visitors at the entrance station or campground.  We rode together another 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to the end of the road for my next talk at 3:00 at the Cape Royal overlook about the geology of Grand Canyon.

After the talk a special treat revealed to the southeast when rainbow colors reflected off virga clouds.

I met a wonderful couple from Holland who gave me a pair of miniature wooden shoes made from ceramic blue delft.  Sure have met a lot of visitors from the Netherlands this year.  Yet another location on my “to visit” list.

Along the rim edge grows pinyon pines and this year the cones are popping out the highly coveted pine nuts.  I stupidly picked up a sticky cone to show visitors then used a stick on a rock to knock out samples of this delectable treat.  No wonder these particular nuts had ben passed by squirrels and birds as the nut inside wasn’t mature.  Sure hope that’s not the case with the entire crop.  Thank goodness Karen had a handi-wipe to rid me of the super glue-like sap.

Pillars of Kaibab limestone support some struggling life (lomo-ish)

All too soon we had to return to the Walhalla overlook and drive back to our duty station.  Karen left before me and after loading up the Ranger-talk sign I hung out for the amazing views and to chat with more visitors.  I spoke to two men, probably a father and son, from Poland.  Well actually I spoke to the younger who then translated to the older several questions and answers about the canyon.  Plus received good recommendations for travel through Central Europe which might be on my agenda next spring.

Although it was time to leave, I always find it difficult to walk away from the canyon.  And this time I had good reason to linger as yet another splash of rainbow colors hung over Cedar Mountain on the lit up planes beyond the southern rim.

And even though I got home from work a little late I treasure every precious moment with the canyon.  I had planned to post this last night, but instead, on my Friday, as usual, nodded off over the computer at 8pm and went to bed the earliest of any other night of the week.

Is your Friday really on Friday?