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Geogypsy
Menu
  • Home
  • About Geogypsy
    • Herstory
    • Parks where I’ve worked
  • Places I’ve been
    • United States
      • Arizona
        • Antelope Slot Canyon
        • Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
        • Colossal Cave Mountain Park
        • Flagstaff
        • Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
        • Grand Canyon National Park
          • Grand Canyon National Park North Rim
          • Grand Canyon National Park South Rim
          • Toroweap
        • Havasu Canyon
        • Horseshoe Bend
        • Jerome
        • Kaibab National Forest
        • Lee’s Ferry
        • Meteor Crater
        • Navajo Bridge
        • Oak Creek Canyon
        • Painted Desert
        • Pipe Springs National Monument
        • Prescott
        • Quartzsite
        • Saguaro National Park
        • Sedona
        • Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
        • Vermilion Cliffs
        • Walnut Canyon National Monument
        • Wupatki National Monument
        • Yarnell
      • California
        • Anzaberrego
        • Bakersfield
        • Death Valley National Park
        • Joshua Tree National Park
        • Redwoods NP
        • Salton Sea
        • Yucca Valley
      • Colorado
        • Mesa Verde National Park
      • Florida
      • Illinois
        • IL River
        • Morton Arboretum
        • Starved Rock State Park
      • Michigan
      • Nevada
      • New Mexico
      • Oregon
        • Crater Lake NP
        • Mt Hood
        • Oregon Caves National Monument
      • Texas
        • Alpine Texas
        • Padre Island
        • Port Isabel
        • Rio Grande Valley
      • Utah
        • Brian’s Head
        • Bryce Canyon National Park
        • Buckskin Gulch
        • Cedar Breaks National Monument
        • Cedar City
        • Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park
        • Dixie National Forest
        • Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument
        • Johnson Canyon
        • Kanab
    • World Travels
      • Germany
      • Mexico
      • South Africa
  • Tours
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06 May 2022

Foto Friday Fun 466

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 12 readers including panoramas for big landscapes and bridges, crazy crystal shot, a little snow, snake, bird, and two-seater.

Ogden Bridge OR

Ogden Train Bridge ORTwo-shots stitched together

Ogden Scenic Wayside Bridges ORAll four shots, what happened

Sue gets #146 for the number of words in her last comment.  One of four in a panorama that just doesn’t come out quite right.  The Ogden Scenic Wayside Bridges in Oregon over the Crooked River, but I’m not sure what road.  Help me out here Sue.  I’m pretty sure this was seen along a journey south to Arizona from my 2007 Ranger job at Oregon Caves.

Sunset thru crystal Yarnell AZ

Sunset Yarnell AZJodee and Bill chose #301.  Sunset through a crystal that hung in my RV window taken in December 2008.  And with the same number and Yarnell view without the crystal in January 2009.

View S over pool The Wave Paria Canyon-Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness AZJennifer chose #9191.  She LOVES rocks so should enjoy this view below, and with backs to, the iconic Wave.  The erosion of ancient sand dunes turned to stone reveals the bedding planes we see as curves and ripples.  They indicate which way the wind blew on the dunes.

Gaelyn on Lodge veranda North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaJeff chose #1862, “the Battle of Puebla took place on 5 May 1862.  It’s been celebrated in California as Cinco de Mayo since 1863.”  So this is not on May 5th or drinking a margarita but celebrating ice cream on the Lodge verandah, out of uniform a rare event.

Badwater Death Valley National Park California

Badwater Death Valley National Park CaliforniaGypsy chose #0205, “for one Death Valley trip.”  One of four in a panorama shot of Badwater Basin on a Death Valley trip to see the Super bloom during February 2016.

Sunset over Badlands from Fonts Pt Anza-Borrego Desert State Park CaliforniaDiane and Nigel chose #3004.  Sunset over the Badlands from Fonts Point in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.

snow meadows Hwy 67 S Kaibab National Forest ArizonaAlan chose #1252.  Late April 2009 driving towards the North Rim Grand Canyon National Park before it’s open to the public.  Over ten years I saw this Spring view differ from buried in snow, flowing with water, brilliant green, and bursting with tiny flowers.

Wandering Garter Snake Rainbow Rim trail Parissawampitts Point Kaibab National Forest ArizonaJo chose #8353.  Just a harmless Wandering Garter Snake seen along the Rainbow Rim trail near Parissawampitts Point on the North Kaibab National Forest along the rim of Grand Canyon.  I’d been driving around looking at Autumn colors.

Gail Olmsted 18 months 1955 Studio in IllinoisRita got #45 for the number of words in her last comment.  Yup, that’s me at 18-months old taken in an Illinois studio in 1955.  Seems the 50s were big at this type of posed photography.

Crane Lake Hwy 67 Kaibab National Forest ArizonaCathy chose #2111.  Lush green meadows filled with tiny white flowers surround Crane Lake the end of August, 2010 and during monsoon.  Another scene along the drive to the North Rim Grand Canyon along SR67.

Raven Desert View South Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaSherry chose #5120.  This Raven’s territory seemed to be near the Desert View Watch Tower on the South Rim Grand Canyon National Park.  Staff from 2016 stopped at this far eastern overlook after three days of training and headed back to the North Rim.

Outhouse at North Rim Lookout Tower North Rim Grand Canyon National Park ArizonaSallie and Bill chose #526, “a granddaughter’s birthday.”  Wonder how she’d feel about this old two-seater seen at the North Rim Lookout Tower I hiked to in 2009.

Ed Hoffmann White Pines State Park IL May 1974

Gaelyn at White Pines State Park IL by Ed Hoffmann May 1974I frequently go back as far as I can find for the current month, in this case May 1974, long-time friend Ed at White Pines State Park, Illinois.  He took the photo of me the same day and place.  Sadly, he died of cancer last year.  Though I’m sad he’s not here I am happy for the good memories.

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.

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04 May 2022

Comfy in camp Congress

desert Weaver Mts clouds BLM Stanton Rd Congress AZCamp Congress is a comfortable place to spend time, not far from my Skull Valley home but at least 2000 feet lower in elevation and thus warmer without yet being HOT.

desert Kofa Mts clouds BLM Palm Canyon Rd Kofa NWR AZI hid out for five days over Easter weekend hunkered in at one of my favorite camps looking at the Kofa Mountains and chasing shade as the temperature pushed past 95° it felt like time to head a little further north.

napkins & magnet happy camperAfter a couple hour drive I settled into camp Congress and was soon joined by a local friend.  Gypsy brought banana bread, a cute magnet, camper napkins, some magazines, and best of all her company along with the lovely four-legged Sandy.  Don’t ask why I don’t have a photo.

Date Crk Mts sunset BLM Cemetery Rd Congress AZSadly the air was heavy with smoky haze from the Tunnel Fire northeast of Flagstaff and the Crooks Fire south of Prescott, both human caused.

truckcamper BLM Cemetery Rd Congress AZAfter a move, long drive, and shopping I like a down day where I don’t have to go anywhere.  So even though the signal is worse than iffy at this camp Congress off Ghost Town and Cemetery Roads on BLM I stayed in place.  I made a 360°-video of camp, wrote a blog post, sat outside reading but mostly listening and watching birds.

Cactus Wren bird Cemetery Rd BLM Congress AZCactus Wren

I love this location for birding.

Date Crk Mts sunset BLM Cemetery Rd Congress AZThe next day I thought about doing laundry, not.  OR, just move to the other camp Congress site where I have strong reliable signal and keep working. Hmmm… OR, not move at all. The last seemed the right choice.  I am lazy sometimes.  So it was much a repeat of the previous day minus the 360 video.

desert Date Crk Mts sunrise clouds BLM Cemetery Rd Congress AZSunrise

Friday morning felt cold at 58° so when I couldn’t get online at all I battened down and left camp Congress.

truckcamper BLM Stanton Rd Congress AZFilled propane in case the predicted cold snap lasted then went to Stanton Road looking for camp Congress 2.  The main reason I didn’t just drive the hour home was the overnight low close to freezing.  No thanks.

tree hole in camper BLM Stanton Rd Congress AZSadly, when considering one site I backed into a tree and now have a hole through the aluminum skin that will have to be patched. One more thing for the growing RVs’ repair list.

desert Weaver Mts sunset clouds BLM Stanton Rd Congress AZMade another 360°-video of camp Congress 2 fighting the wind.  In fact wind with blazing signal kept me indoors working on the computer.

desert mt haze BLM Stanton Rd Congress AZSmoke obscures Vulture Peak to the west

And that’s what I did over the weekend, worked on the computer.  I took 55 minutes of video driving from Kofa to Congress, edited and cut it to 31 minutes for my first Rambling Road Trip video.  My brain never stops while I’m driving so I can always find something to talk about.  Hope you’ll check it out.  I am totally experimenting with this new medium of video.

desert Weaver Mts Crooks fire smoke Stanton Rd Congress AZAfter a two-day video editing marathon, brutal wind, smoke filled sky, and temperatures rising, I finally felt like completing this five month road trip and heading home.  Time to leave camp Congress.

Weaver Mts SR89 Yarnell Hill AZThe drive north along SR89 is familiar.  I did something I’ve thought about for many years, took video of the entire four-mile drive up Yarnell Hill.  Then I continued to film the rest of the drive home through Peeples Valley, Kirkland, and onto Iron Springs Road to Skull Valley, and made another Rambling Road Trip video.

Note on box

blown glass sea turtle from B HoskinsBlown glass sea turtle suncatcher (sitting on an envelope for scale)

Made a quick stop at the post office where a birthday present awaited.  The son of a long-time friend blows glass under the name Wildfire Productions (please check out his website and work).

Two RVs Skull Valley AZAnd, finally, home to my other wheelestate.  I took another 360°-video and a short walk before even looking inside the 5th-wheel/Big House where, as I expected, there was mouse poop which meant cleaning before moving back in.

grass trees mt sunset clouds Skull Valley AZ

5th-wheel from inside truckcamper Skull Valley AZYet I was in no hurry and simply enjoyed the sunset before making dinner in the truckcamper.

Lesson learned this winter as I readied for retirement, slow down.

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Arizona, Congress, Places I've been, RV life, United States boondocking, desert, home, RV living, RV problems 23 Comments
29 April 2022

Foto Friday Fun 465: every picture tells a story

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by nine readers including South Africa, sand and stone, sunset colors, and ocean waves.

Historic petroglyph advertising Johnson Canyon Rd Kanab UTJo chose #4110.  Advertising petroglyphs instead of a billboard sign were once common in southern Utah.

Sunset over canyon from Lodge NR GRCA NP AZDiane and Nigel chose #2204.  A view they got to enjoy of a different sunset over Grand Canyon from the North Rim.

Sea Gull bird ocean sunset clouds Bandon ORCathy chose #0506.  Another sunset, this time over the Pacific Ocean from Bandon, Oregon.

Gaelyn's truck camper Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park UTSherry chose #941.  A previous truckcamper taken in 2009 at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park, Utah.

Hippos Kruger NP SARita chose #4419.  Hippos spend most of their days in water partially because they easily sunburn.  Seen in 2014 at Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Amaryllis belladonna by reception Tsitsikamma NP SAGypsy chose #6602, “Route 66 in ‘02.”  Last week she shared with me a Bird of Paradise plant seen in her neighborhood that is considered toxic.  So it seems  appropriate her number brought up a toxic plant as well, Amaryllis Belladonna is native to South Africa where I took this photo in Tsitsikamma National Park.

False Bay R44 N Western Cape South AfricaDoris chose #4579.  After leaving Hermanus, South Africa where I spent my 2010 birthday, I found many opportunities to stop along the shores of False Bay on my way to Cape Town.

White Pocket Vermilion Cliffs NM AZJennifer chose #2134.  A case of ancient sand dunes lithified to stone and eroding back to sand, yet it almost looks like swirled desert or ice cream.  White Pocket in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument northern Arizona.

Water Thick-knee Lake Panic birdhide Kruger NP SAAlan chose #5040.  Look closely to see the Water Thick-knee bird hiding in the reeds at Lake Panic in Kruger National Park, South Africa.

5th-wheel at Raintree East side with Carson 4-27-06Digging back to April 27, 2006, a previous 5th-wheel home parked at a friends in Cave Junction, Oregon when I was a Park Ranger at Oregon Caves National Monument.

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.

Do you have a favorite this week?

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Hi, I’m Gaelyn, the Geogypsy

I retired after 29 summer seasons as a Park Ranger, traveling solo for 40+ years. My passions include travel, connecting to nature, photography, and sharing stories.

I started exploring US National Parks in 1977 and 20 years later became a seasonal Park Ranger.  I’ve lived full-time in a RV for 30 years working summers and playing winters.  I’m still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow old, other than grow up.

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