Category: Grand Canyon National Park

Butterflies flutter by so fast I rarely get photos.  Yet the other day at my lunch place on the Walhalla Plateau this almost lazy butterfly posed for a while.

As I ate my PBJ a shadowy motion caught my eye.  I just watched, being sure this little treasure would flit away before I could set down my sandwich and even reach for the camera.  Then it lingered, ever teasing.  So I tempted fate and gobbled down the last bite while slowly reaching for the camera, and still it tarried.

Zoomed full in and cautiously moving closer I took shots rapidly while the wings slowly rose and fell.

The open wings form such a striking white V-patterned contrast to the rich deep velvety brown-black accented with splashes of orange.

The closed wings remind me more of the precision of Tiffany’s fine glass work with sun shinning through.

Once home to my field guides the identification indicated Arizona Sister, a close relative to California Sister.  I guess they are kindred spirits.  Descriptions for the subtle differences can be found here.  They are not typically attracted to flowers and instead sip from sappy tree wounds, dung or rotting carcasses.  Caterpillars dine primarily on the oak tree leaves.  Yet this Sister seemed to appreciate the local flowers.

What’s inspecting your flowers?

As seen from Walhalla overlook

Visitors at Grand Canyon want every big bird they see to be a condor.  And although I’d like to see them with more regularity, I’ll settle with a turkey vulture.

What do you see soaring above and below?

To see what’s happening in skies around the world go to Sky Watch Friday.

I woke up to this blurry view from my RV window.  Something told me I wouldn’t be driving out the Walhalla.

Repeated whinny question of the morning at the Lodge, “when will it clear up?”

I do not predict weather.  Even the weather reporters can’t keep up.

I’ve been here five summers and have only experienced this four times.

They are so lucky.  Most visitors won’t see this.

Instead they will show vacation photos of an intense blue sky over the warm washed layers of orange, yellow, cream and green.

The scene so quickly changing.

Breath of the dragon swirls around the temples.

Now you see it.

Now you don’t.

It’s magic.