Tag: memories

This week’s Foto Friday Fun includes 7 images chosen by readers picking a number out of my photo archives.  A lot of birth years chosen for this week.  Tried to find year numbers to match, but some are before my time and I’m missing quite a few years of my life in photographs.

Jo chose #1953, “the year I was born.”  This image of the dragonfly comes from Jo’s neighborhood in South Africa along the Echo Ravine trail in Golden Gate Highlands National Park.  Maybe next year’s visit I’ll get to see her again near here.

Yogi chose #1998, “the year son was born.”  In September of that year these puppies were born to Motsy and my dog Carson.  This is when I was living and working at Eagles Cliff Resort in Washington.  No problem finding wonderful homes for all these cuties.

Diane chose #1947, “My husbands date of birth.”  My parents were married on January 3 of that year.  They were together for 61 years.  Me not being quite 60 years old and single/divorced has a hard time imagining being married that long.  Yet my hat is off to any that can.

Elaine chose #1973, “my daughters birth year.”  I graduated from High School the year before that.  This photo was taken of me by a dear friend at White Pines State Park, Illinois in 1973.

Sherry’s visiting daughter Carrie chose #1241.  Which takes us on a drive across the meadows on the Kaibab Plateau leaving the North Rim.

Firefly chose #2000 which is a pretty, yet unidentified, flower seen along Echo Ravine trail in Golden Gate Highlands National Park not that far from where he lives in South Africa.  So get the family out there.  And maybe even ID that flower.

Arija chose #1240 showing a small summer pond on the meadows.  The meadows change so much during my six month season.  I’ve seen them buried under snow in the spring, covered with wildflowers during summer and browning out in the fall yet dotted with mule deer.

My choice this week shows how life returns from the ravages of the Yarnell Fire.  The burnt oaks are rather sculptural and some may have survived but we probably won’t know for sure until spring.  An Arizona wildflower seed mix was dropped on the nearby burnt hills to hold soil during the monsoon rains and I’m seeing flowers never seen here before.

Thank you for joining in Foto Friday Fun. I really enjoy digging through my archives and pulling the stories from my memories. To join in the fun for next week leave a number between 20 and 200 in a comment and maybe see your chosen image next week.

Do you have a favorite from this week?

Look for other photos posted on Geogypsy Facebook page not usually seen here.

This week’s Foto Friday Fun includes 7 images chosen by readers picking a number out of my photo archives.  It’s a real mixed batch this week from Arizona, Utah and South Africa.

Yogi chose #1371, “no idea why that popped in my head but there it is.”  This large Poplar sits, or sat, at the edge of a small pond nestled in the Weaver Mountains where I hike near my Yarnell home.  Haven’t been up there since the fire so don’t know if it survived.  Guess I’ll find out soon enough as I’m headed that way with a layover in Flagstaff where I’ve watched it snow.

Jo chose #911, “For all Americans, also my dad died on that day in 2000.”  I don’t know how she does it but this photo was taken when Jo and I met for the first time during my 2013 visit to South Africa.  We’ve both been blogging since 2008 and I met her son John in 2010 when he guided me on an overnight backpacking trip into the Drakensberg Mountains.

Firefly chose #1975, “The year I came into this world screaming… or was I a good and quiet baby?  Gotta ask my mom.”  In 1975 I was getting ready to move from Illinois to California and had this photo taken for my parents.  I don’t think it survived the Yarnell fire so sure am glad I took a photo of the photo.  My dog at the time, Denver, was very cooperative with the photographer but we did have to sneak into the mall for this shot.

Bibi chose #1111, “no reason, just a cool number.”  The reason I took this cool photo was multifold.  First I love all the patterns and directions seen in the sandstone cliffs and second the clouds seem to be pointing to this amazing example of deposition and erosion.  And I’d bet the Johnson Canyon road is open even if it does travel through Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument because many areas on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land are open during the government shutdown.

Arija chose #1944, “the year we fled our homeland with the advancing Russian front in sight, not a pleasant time but a huge turning point in our lives.”  I am in awe of this extraordinary woman and herstory which I hope is being documented for her daughter and us all.  Knowing Arija likes to visit the sea and watch birds this seems like a good match where I relaxed along the Indian Ocean watching these Cormorants at Tsitsikamma National Park in South Africa.

Elaine chose #333.  As another bird watcher I think she’ll like this Swainson’s Hawk I saw along the road into the North Rim on the Kaibab National Forest.  I am not the best at capturing birds and this crop is a little fuzzy.  But birders get that.

Diane chose #1943, “the year I was born!”  This active lady currently lives in France but has lived and traveled in many parts of the world including South Africa where this carved wall of sandstone towered about the Echo Ravine trail in Golden Gate Highlands National Park.

My choice this week is the Ghost Squirrel.  The drinking fountain by the campground amphitheater provides a welcome drink to many including this Kaibab squirrel which visitors often think is a skunk.  They are uniquely found only on the North Rim area of Grand Canyon.

Thank you for joining in Foto Friday Fun. I really enjoy digging through my archives and pulling the stories from my memories. To join in the fun for next week leave a number between 1 and 2000 in a comment and maybe see your chosen image next week.

Do you have a favorite from this week?

Look for other photos posted on Geogypsy Facebook page not usually seen here.

This week’s Foto Friday Fun includes 10 images chosen by readers picking a number out of my photo archives.  And because of so many duplicate numbers in my files I’ve purposely chosen images from our public lands.  Land that is mostly inaccessible to the people of the world thanks to the US government shutdown.

Elaine chose #222 to continue her number theme.  Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is located in Arizona, immediately south of the Utah state line. This National Monument, 293,689 acres in area, protects the Paria Plateau, Vermilion Cliffs, Coyote Buttes, and Paria Canyon.  Every time I drive east off the Kaibab Plateau I stop at the overlook that provides this amazing view of the Vermilion Cliffs.

Sherry chose #606, “because I think it’s right in the middle [of last week’s number choices] where clearly I usually am not.”  Snake Gulch is part of the Kanab Creek Wilderness managed by the US Forest Service protecting many Native American rock art sites.  I only hiked a little of the trail but was very impressed and didn’t see any snakes.

Arija chose #1066 as she dipped into “English history and coming up with the Battle of Hastings.”  Many battles occurred over the building of Glen Canyon dam and the creation of Lake Powell National Recreation Area managed by the National Park Service.  I was in constant conflict as I boated on the lake thinking of all the archeology sites that had been buried under the waters.

MaryBeth chose #826, “because it is the house number of my beautiful home where I can sit on the deck and see down over the tops of trees all the way to Mt. Rainier.”  Unfortunately Mount Rainier National Park is also currently closed.  As is Buckskin Gulch, a canyon in southern Utah that is one of the main tributaries of the Paria River, which is itself a minor tributary of the Colorado River managed by BLM.  This slot canyon is non-technical so I was able to hike it alone.

Bibi chose #444.  A wonderful sunset over the Grand Canyon, which no visitors are seeing.

Diane chose #17, “a change from the [Porsche] model numbers.”  No car of any kind would travel this narrow route up Wall Street in Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.  In fact, I’m not sure how I made it.

Sallie chose #906, “for what time it is at this moment.”  I think it’s time that Congress actually do their job and get us budget so the National Parks can reopen and give visitors view like this of the Grand Canyon from the Hermit Road on the South Rim.

Chris chose #2023, “the year I can retire.” Would you like to retire to this type of environment on BLM land, Vulture Mine Road near Wickenburg?

Firefly chose #120.  I know he likes to see photos of Grand Canyon and here is a shot from the remote western viewpoint of Toroweap.  A place not many visitors get to see, even when the parks are open.

Jo chose #1000.  Yes, this is me, Ranger Gaelyn, swearing in a group of Junior Rangers.  There are our hope of the future for National Parks.

My choice this week is the closed Bright Angel Point trail view from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Sure hoping to see these gone soon and visitors back in the park.

Thank you for joining in Foto Friday Fun. I really enjoy digging through my archives and pulling the stories from my memories. To join in the fun for next week leave a number between 1 and 2000 in a comment and maybe see your chosen image next week.

Do you have a favorite from this week?

Look for other photos posted on Geogypsy Facebook page not usually seen here.