This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by nine readers including my favorite animal in South Africa and the desert Southwest.
TreDeuce chose #3741. From my last visit to South Africa during 2014 after my lap top was stolen along the coast we returned to Kruger National Park for a second time for more photos. Elephants are my most favorite animal, truly gentle giants, with a most amazing social structure I believe we could learn a lot from them.
Gilda chose #2706, “day and month we set off on our recent motorhome tour.” One of the best things about working in a national park is spending time with different moods and light. I consider it special to see Grand Canyon with clouds drifting around the formations. This shot from June 2015 at the Walhalla overlook on the North Rim.
Rita chose #5899. A rather tangled view from camp of the last light on the bouldery shore at Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa taken in February, 2014.
Jo chose #2107, “which is a deadline date for an article I haven’t even started!” She must be a procrastinator like me, or just very busy. Artist Helen Martins was also a very busy woman leaving behind a display of her creations at the Owl House in Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa.
Jennifer chose #654, one of four in a panorama. I happen to know she likes rocks. This shot was taken during my first hike in Buckskin Gulch slot canyon. The power of water carves sandstone into these almost sinuous shapes.
Diane and Nigel chose #1907. A perfect match but no where near the quality of Diane’s flower and insect photos. Yet they might know what the flower is that I shot while hiking the Drakensburg Mountains in South Africa with Jo’s son in 2010.
Sallie and Bill chose #9998, “because it feels like that many days before I get caught up on my blogging and visiting.” They just returned from a river cruise in Eastern Europe that I’m still waiting to entirely hear about. But that’s OK, because they may be out birding in Oregon now. So, look closely, in the middle, for the heron barely seen in a wetland near Tecopa, California.
Yogi chose #1687, “because that is how many geocaches I have found.” I believe he needs to return west to increase that number and because he grew up on western national forests. Maybe not the Kaibab, but…
Jeff chose #1969, “as we just passed through Wapakoneta, where we missed the 50th anniversary reenactment of the moon landing by a day.” The Apollo 11 astronauts did some of their training at Grand Canyon and nearby Meteor Crater. This shot was taken in 2008, my first season working at the North Rim Grand Canyon where I did not meet any astronauts, that I know of.
My choice the poster for the Geology Festival at Bryce Canyon today and tomorrow. I’ll be leading a walk at Mossy Cave this morning so stop by at 8:30.
Thank you for playing along with Foto Friday Fun which allows me to share these photographs and memories. Please join in next week by leaving a number between 1 and 9999 in your comment below.
Do you have a favorite this week?
I wish I could stop by at your Mossy Cave walk, sounds a lot of fun. So many great photos here, the elephant one is gorgeous. For next week can I have 3000, the miles we have done on this trip to Norway…so far.
Thanks, I do love elephants. #3000 for next week.
I must have missed a week and gave no number! Mine for next week will be 5662, the distance in miles from Belgrade to Seattle, where I’ll be headed August 10. Also, I have a penchant for those rock canyon photos….they always remind me of chocolate….
Interesting that there is a layer of rock in the Grand Staircase called the Chocolate Cliffs. Count down is on for your travels. #5662 for next week.
That last photo draws me like a hawk thermaling over the canyon.
Great poster graphics.
Well, we have our second local fire burning above I-5 near Canyonville, north of here about 35-miles away and it is already running away. Dense smoke all the way down into the Rogue Valley.
Glad I caught the magnificent Milky Way Wednesday night. No stars tonight, can barely see the next block or so over. But the smoke stops my morning and evening hikes or walks and I can’t open the windows overnight to cool the house down.
They are well prepared this year for fires, but SW Oregon is a tough and dangerous place to fight them with its steep, tight canyons, high temps (103 today) this time of year. They can’t drop crews into those canyons so it’s an air war for now. And the Canyonville fire has already required evacuations.
4347 for next week, please.
We have a very talented graphics person at Bryce.
Sorry to hear there is fire again near you. That SW OR does have a challenging landscape.
#4347 for next week.
Fire is over 1,000 acres and growing with the winds that area gets. Lightning forecast for tonight and this weekend.
. And so it goes……
Kudos to Ken(?) On the poster. Would love one for my National Parks & Monuments art & poster collection.
I am sorry to hear about the fire and hope you’re not being impacted by smoke too badly.
Our current Artist-in-Residence, Ken, didn’t create the poster I shared. Although there is another geofest poster with one of his paintings. I will try to get posters for you.
Fire started by illegal campfire has exploded to over 7,000 acres and heading SW away from Crater Lake.
Retardent planes and helicopters grounded due to visibility. Winds are up and lighting expected over night and through the weekend so here we go again. Well over a million acres burned last year in SW Oregon.
Posters… great. And appreciated.
Canyonville fire now over 9,000 acres and rapidly spreading with (0%) containment. Reports of fire now on east side I-5.
For wild fire information for any locality go to wildfiretoday.com
Hi Gaelyn,I wish I could attend your Mossy Cave Walk! Re my own article on Sunday, I managed to submit it in time. I am a bit of a procrastinator, but more than that: I find I work better under pressure! My number for next week is 2628 – a reservation for my Bunker accommodation received this minute. Have a great week. Jo
I too work better under pressure. Glad you enjoyed revisiting the Owl House. #2628 for next week.
PS I loved the choice my number brought up. Grant and I visited The Owl House in 2013.
Love every photo in the bunch this week, but the elephant is my favorite. Let’s do 601 for this week: the time yesterday evening that SpaceX launched their latest rocket.
Elephants almost always my favorite. #601 for next week.
Hi Gaelyn, the flower is possibly Geranium cinereum, they do grow in RSA so that is my guess anyway, The elephant has to be my favourite, and the slot canyon is close behind but then so are all the others. 2607 for next week please. Hope you enjoy the festival and the cave tour. Diane and Nigel.
Thanks for the ID. Most of the flowers I shot were named by Joan and immediately labeled. #2607 for next week.
The Elephant is my favourite this week Gaelyn . I have to say that the clouds over the North Rim Grand Canyon, makes it look so dramatic and a little eerie !! All interesting and superb photo’s. No 3598 for next week please. Have a good weekend.
Elephant is my favorite too. But I always love to see clouds drifting in the canyon also. #3598 for next week.
The canyon and heron photos are my two favorites this week. The blue heron is my favorite animal, which is good, because we hang out in the same places. I hope the nights have cleared and the sunsets have been spectacular. Number 9393 for next week please!
I wish to hang out more with my favorite animal, the elephant. This week the skies are suppose to be clear. #9393 for next week.
The elephant is captivating, but I’ll never tire of the Grand Canyon, nor the polished slot canyons of the desert south west.
Next week I’d like 2625 the street address in Dayton of Fran’s childhood home where we’ll be for a couple weeks.
Thanks, I too like them all. #2625 for next week.
Darn, I missed your archeology tour (double darn, because even if I’d seen this post on time, I am miles and miles too far away). Know it went well. Thanks for the heron picture, that is the only kind of bird shots I got on our trip and pretty much the only kind since we got home. Love the elephant and the one of the clouds below you at the Canyon. And all of them as always. I’ll choose a lower number this time. Maybe 80. Somebody in this house has a birthday next week with that #.
Maybe another time if we aren’t so far apart. 😉 Birds are difficult to photograph, but sure fun to watch. Happy Birthday to “somebody” and #80 for next week.
I loved especially the Elephant photo. They are so sensitive and intelligent. Nope, never lived on the Kaibab but Dad worked on the nearby Coconino when he was starting out as a Junior Ranger.
Coconino is close enough.