Category: Foto Friday Fun

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 13 readers including sunsets, South Africa, the Southwest, and erosion carved rock.

Jo chose #3057, “the page in my bird book…”  Sorry, no birds this week, instead it’s sunset over the badlands seen from Fonts Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.

Lisa chose #1112.  Echo Cliffs displays sandstone layers and parallels SR89 on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona.

Jennifer chose #0305.  One thing about fire, it sometimes opens up the view.  There is a passing pull-off on the east side of SR67 between the North Rim Grand Canyon and Jacob Lake on the Kaibab National Forest that I frequently stop at.  Looking through the remains of the 2006 Warm Fire and beyond to Vermilion Cliffs and even on to Navajo Mountain about 100 miles away.

Diane and Nigel chose #2404, a two-shot panorama.  When they visited me at the Grand Canyon we didn’t get to the far western Toroweap overlook.

Yogi chose #4021.  Who can resist a face like that?  The ossicones, bone-like antlers, on a Giraffe’s head are covered with hair yet as males mature tend to loose the length.  Just a fun fact Joan taught me when we visited Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Jim and Diana chose #193.  I call them dancing Aspen.  When the Quaking Aspen are saplings, they are often bent under the weight of snow which causes the curves to their trunks.

Cathy chose #0504, “for Melanoma Monday and May – Skin Cancer Awareness Month.”  and today is May Day, when as a little girl I gave flowers to my neighbors.  The Amargosa Range in Death Valley National Park made a nice backdrop to the fields of Desert Gold wildflowers during the 2016 super bloom.

Doris chose #2917.  Most summer visitors to Grand Canyon get clear blue Arizona skies.  Yet I really like the drama of seeing clouds in the canyon like this shot taken from Cape Royal on the North Rim 6-10-15.

Rita forgot a number so I gave her #51 for the number of words in her last week’s comment.  Here I am in 1955 about 1 1/2 years old pushing my cousin Colleen in the swing.

Che chose #6520, “for the day I fly to SoCal to drive my truck and trailer back to WA.”  I’m thinking she’s pretty excited about that.  Hope she decides to drive up the Pacific coast and enjoy some sunsets.  Though this shot was taken over the Indian Ocean from Tsitsikamma National Park, South Africa.

Melissa chose #5689, “in honor of my son,” and grandson.  A place for boys to play and another shoreline along the Indian Ocean near Port Edward, South Africa where I visited the Mzamba fossil site.

Sallie and Bill chose #5120, “by which day I hope you have good news about Bryce.”  I haven’t heard anything newer than start date of 5-10-20.  So in the meantime, enjoy these cute young spotted hyenas seen in another national park, Kruger in South Africa.

Mark chose #1128, one number up from last week’s slot shot, “because Antelope Canyon was the most unique place I have ever visited.”  And he got lucky for another shot looking up in Antelope Canyon.

My choice is a sunset view from my current friendock under the Juniper and Pinyon trees.

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.

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This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 15 readers including South African wildlife, Grand Canyon, and other Southwest sites.

Diane and Nigel chose #1704.  While hiking to Sterkspruit Falls at the feet of the Drakensburg Mountains in South Africa, I was surprised to see these mules grazing.  Though also glad it wasn’t a large predator.

Doris chose #3.  I believe this photo was taken sometime in the 1940s of my Dad’s sister Katie in her nurses uniform.

Yogi chose #4172.  This White Rhino had just stepped out of a mud bath in Kruger National Park, South Africa during my 2014 visit.

Lisa chose #1347.  A 250-540 million year old Trilobite fossil I bought at a funky rock shop in southern Utah.

Che chose #4220, “for Earth Day.”  Doesn’t get much more earthy than the Grand Canyon where this stormy sunset was seen from my RV parked on the North Rim during July monsoon 2015.

Rita chose #5090.  You’d never know this shot was taken along the Palm Canyon trail in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  Good thing I label photos.  I’ve had crystal balls/lens balls for years but never did much with them.  Now I see why.

Jeff chose #418, “the start of National Parks week…”  Which just isn’t the same when park visits are virtual.  Sorry, I totally get that.  Your number was one of six in a panorama of Grand Canyon from the top of Angels Window on the North Rim.  Taken four days after the 2008 season opening and my first summer season as a Ranger there I was out exploring, in real time (sorry).

Cathy chose #2010.  Visited Elden Pueblo in Flagstaff, Arizona on 4-24-10 on the way to the North Rim for the season.

Jerry chose #1127.  One of very few successful shots taken in Antelope Slot Canyon near Page, Ariona.  In 2009 I had a tiny P&S and now it’s too crowded when it is open to return.  Glad I saw it when I did.

Sherry chose #1625.  From the same hike to Sterkspruit Falls as above, this Drakensburg Brown Butterfly posed nicely along the trail.

Jo chose #3730.  She probably sees Burchell’s Starlings where she lives, although a distance from Kruger National Park in South Africa.

Jennifer chose #4425 for her Mom’s birthday 4/4/25.  If you look closely, there are moms in this shot of Zebra taken at sunset in Kruger National Park.

Jodee and Bill chose #2511.  Sky Island in the foreground and Cedar Mt on the far side of Grand Canyon taken near Walhalla overlook on the North Rim.

Sallie and Bill chose #1940, “my birth year (I’m feeling my age today).  Honey, you are just a babe in arms compared to the 5-6 millions of years for the estimated age of Grand Canyon.  Here seen from the North Rim Grand Lodge one morning during monsoon in August of 2010.

Jim and Diana chose #200.  From my first rim-to-rim hike in 2008 looking down from Bright Angel trail at boats landing and possibly either dropping off or picking up passengers.

While digging in the archives I looked for past Earth Days and found this from six years ago in Congress, Arizona.  Seemed appropriate to share as I’ve been in Congress for almost a month.  And although I’m not going back to work yet—still holding breath for May 3rd start date at Bryce—I will be moving today to higher elevation.  So check back next week to see where I land.  In the meantime, be well, safe, and sane as possible.

Thanks for making and sending the mask Margie

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?

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 17 readers including Grand Canyon sunsets, inversion and meadows, other Southwest National Parks, and an elephant.

Susie chose #0123 “my son’s birthday.”  Birthday’s are a unique event and so was the 2012 annular solar eclipse.  I was at the North Rim Grand Canyon for this May event and this is one of the last photos I took as the partial eclipsed sun sunk below the horizon.

Jo, and random dot org chose #4689.  An animal from her country of South Africa.  This was taken 2-16-14 on a self-drive safari in Kruger National Park.

Diane and Nigel chose #1004.  Looking down into a rather dark and little bit scary closed mine shaft at the Eureka Mine in Death Valley National Park, California.

Lisa chose #4356.  Sunset as seen through my RV window when I lived next to the cemetery at Crazy Horse RV Park in Kanab, Utah during the winter of 2015/16.

Mary chose #5320.  A southern view across Grand Canyon from on of my favorite Kaibab National Forest overlooks, Crazy Jug Point.

Che chose #7001.  Another favorite site, for sunset, at Grand Canyon on the park’s North Rim from Cape Royal overlook.

TreDeuce chose #9111.  Yet another sunset at Grand Canyon, this time through my RV window on the North Rim.

Jeff chose #1776, “the year our nation gained its independence.”  Which we would all like to enjoy again soon.  In the meantime, enjoy this one of four and the panorama of Grand Canyon under cloud inversion taken 7-31-10.

Jodee and Bill chose #833.  Because of the limestone sinkholes on the North Kaibab, including the North Rim Grand Canyon, meadows with ponds are seen among the forest.  This is along SR67 at “Bison Curve”.

Jim and Diana chose #207.  This meadow is along the Cape Royal Road on the North Rim Grand Canyon National Park.

Yogi chose #8034.  When I worked an early schedule I’d see the morning light on the temples from the Grand Lodge on the North Rim Grand Canyon National Park.

Jennifer didn’t choose a number so I gave her #9 for the number of words in her comment.  As someone who lived along a lake she understands high water and flooding.  This is looking upstream on the Lewis River from where I lived at Pine Creek Work Center on the south side of Mt St Helens.  The 1996 flood cause for an interesting evacuation story.

Doris also chose #4356.  Called Heart Arch along a trail with other arches in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California.

Rita chose #3649.  When on safari in Kruger National Park there are small critters to see as well as the Big 5.

Cathy chose #912.  The Charcoal Kilns are a historic site in Death Valley National Park, California.

Sherry chose #7000.  When she comes west I want to take her hiking in the Upper Buckskin where this is just one of many awesome views.

Melissa chose #1452.  A familiar view for sunset from Cape Royal as above.

My choice this week from last summer’s brief work season at Bryce Canyon National Park.  There are several scenic overlooks and this is the a view from Black Birch Canyon overlook.

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?