This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 12 readers including several Berta stories, amazing trees, public lands, and parks. Thanks for the memories.
Jo chose #3502. After wildlife overload in Addo Elephant National Park this erosional feature on the way out catches my eye. Being not far from the South African coast I’d guess it’s sandstone.
Jim and Diana chose #53. During the winter of 2005 I visited a friend in Florida and we went to Disney World where I saw this Tree of Life.
Susie chose #4374, a panorama. It’s true that most of Utah could/should be a national park. Sometimes it’s the drive between parks that’s stunning like the Capitol Reef Country Scenic Byway, aka UT24.
Jennifer chose #7000. Giant boulders like building blocks with trees pushing through the cracks along the Barker Dam trail in Joshua Tree National Park, California.
Sherry chose #9118 for her grandson’s birth date and we should be hearing about that visit soon. Like soon, or in months anyway, you’ll be hearing about my return to the Sonoran Desert for at least part of the winter, I think.
Diane and Nigel chose #409. They would have seen this sign when visiting the North Rim Grand Canyon National Park in 2016, and chose one way. 
Jeff chose #395, “our route to travel the eastern Sierra for a week.” A beautiful area that is currently besieged by forest fires. A terrible loss. As was the loss of this baby javelina a sad story seen in Berta’s yard, yet part of the cycle of life.
Cathy chose #0508. Berta and I went to Bandon, Oregon during the Autumn of 2014 walking the beach regularly.
Rita chose #7398. A most unique sandstone formation seen hiking in southern Utah.
Jodee and Bill chose #743. Dropping off Arizona’s Kaibab Plateau headed north provides an excellent view of the geologic Grand Staircase in Utah.
Lisa chose #1209. Irises marked spring into summer in Yarnell, Arizona. This shot is special because of the fence Berta and I built, even if it did blow over later.
Doris chose #7654. I loved the many moods of this familiar bouldery view on the Weaver Mountains in Yarnell, Arizona. This was my last winter there while caretaking Berta’s house.
My choices are a couple of trees I admire at Bryce Canyon. I pass this delightfully tall and twisted cedar many times a week walking the five minutes between employee parking and Sunset Point.
This pine hangs out over the edge along the rim trail between Sunrise and Sunset Points. Have I mentioned these points are 1/2 mile apart and both face east?
Thank you for playing along with Foto Friday Fun which allows me to share these photographs and memories. For more of the story just follow the links. Please join in next week by leaving a number between 0001 and 9999 in your comment below.
Do you have a favorite this week?
Ha…Disney fooled me. I thought ‘what an awesome tree!’ Let’s do #46 for next week.
Disney is good at foolery. #46 for next week.
So many great photos to choose from and yes we remember that sign well. As always a very difficult choice, but we think the Tree of Life takes the glory this week. Have a good weekend and stay safe. Diane and Nigel.
1109 for next week please
Thanks. And I remember which way you followed that sign. #1109 for next week.
Something funny going on with your comments. There were huge spaces when I did the original comment. Now I cannot read any comments or replies but the the reply box is there which I am using now!!! Diane
Thanks. I’ll look at it this week.
Hi Gaelyn Some gorgeous photo’s this week, plenty of trees. The Tree of Life is spectacular but my favourite is walking the beach at Brandon. I guess they were fond memories for you of your friend.. No 9121 for next week please. Hope all is well with you and your visitors are being kind with wearing their masks and distance. Have a happy weekend.
Thanks. Yes, lots of Berta memories this week. #9121 for next week.
#8291 for next week please. FYI I am unable to read other people’s comments as they are not showing up. The commenters names are showing, but no comments. Don’t know if it is a problem on my end. I read your blog on an iPad. Have a good week.
Thanks. I’m not sure what’s up with the non-visible comments. Glad they’re still coming through to me. Hope to figure it out on days off. #8291 for this week.
I am always amazed by trees growing out of rocks, especially in desert climates. Number 5462 for next week, please!
Trees are survivors. #5462 for next week.
Hmmm … wordpress may have changed your comments option, I am no longer able to see others comments or your responses, altho it does show comments and responses were made. Dang security updates !!!
The fires and smoke have us staying in SoCal, so no 395 va-cay for us 🙁
For next week I’d like 2977 the number of lives lost in the 9/11 attacks
Thanks for the heads up. I am almost beyond knowing how to fix it. I’m sure the smoke is terrible. Be safe. #2977 for next week.
We’ll be along that plateau again next September and can’t wait!! I can tell I’m missing carbs as the Joshua Tree boulders remind me of folded dough 🙂 I can’t see that Tree of Life without thinking of Sherry and David. Maybe someday I’ll get to Disney World – won’t be soon I’m sure.
#316 for next week please.
I haven’t been on the North Kaibab since last year and miss the big ditch too. Know what you mean about Disney. Maybe you should bake some bread. 😉 #316 for this week.
Dear Gaelyn, I am astounded at the huge Tree of Life and love the misty Weaver Mountains. My number for this Friday is 5519. Take care. Jo
Thanks. The tree, sadly, is not real. #5519 for this week.
Great photos as usual, I sure do miss the southwest desert!! My number for next week is plain ole 5000
Thanks. Past time for a desert visit. #5000 for this week.
Such beautiful pictures of the natural landscape. I am so worried that many of these gorgeous places in the US will not recover in my lifetime. So many places I didn’t get to experience yet. Thanks even more for your pictures.
I have seen the Tree of Life at Disneyworld and it is great fun to walk around it and enjoy all the carvings. Glad they were not carved into a real tree. Love my picture of the Sonoran desert, a place I hope will be unharmed when I finally get there. Beautiful picture of the beach in Oregon where the skies now must be smoke filled. Also love the sandstone formation in Utah. I assume the fires there will not affect the sandstone. Your boulder view in Yarnell is really lovely with the clouds. Will you go back there any more? I hope Bryce is not in any danger. The whole country seems to be in danger from one natural disaster or another. As you can see I’m obsessively concerned. For next week, I’ll try 7472 for no reason at all.
For some reason I see the boxes for your commenters and your replies but there are no words in them. That is really odd since if it were a connection problem I would think that I would not be able to see the pictures. Has anyone else had this problem today? Same problem on my phone and laptop.
I thought of you immediately when the Tree of Life popped up.
Change is constant in nature, but you know that in your heart. Life will return even to the terrible fire areas, but perhaps not in our lifetimes. #7472 for this week.