Tag: photographs & memories

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 15 readers including Southwest forests and red rock, mud, South African wildlife and fossils.

Sherry chose #8367.  Always dicey when going for a forest drive during monsoon season but oh so worth the rainbow reward.  Seen in the Kaibab National Forest 9-26-14.

Jeff chose #4136 for the acres burned in the CalFire/Airport Fire when he posted last week.  Don’t think was a “forest” fire, but California has seen plenty of those.  Thinning occurs on the Kaibab National Forest in an attempt to return the Ponderosa Pine forest to the open like environment it should be.  When out for a drive in Lookout Canyon I found a horse-camp with this wonderful old rail fence.

Susan chose #1914, “the year my Mom was born.”  Summer of 2014 was the year Pat visited from Serbia via Seattle.  When folks come to the North Rim, where I was working, I try to show them other places as well and Zion is another nearby national park.

Sue chose #2224, “for our home arrival.”  That’s today as I type.  My home tends to be wherever I park it, like when staying at Mojave National Preserve in February 2016.  Glad I didn’t have to use these human chipped hand and toe holes to get home.  Saw these on the equally daring Banshee Canyon Rings Loop Trail near Hole in the Wall camp.

Diane and Nigel chose #1802.  A most unusual gall growing on an Arizona White Oak tree in Yarnell.

Keith chose #1209, “the date we closed on the land.”  That being near one of my old stomping grounds Tonasket, Washington.  This shot from another of my old stomping grounds, Bryce Canyon National Park in 2010 long before I worked there.  Look closely to see the natural rock bridge visible from Farview lookout.

Cathy chose #1939.  When camped at Toroweap Grand Canyon National Park, one needs to walk carefully to the rim so as not to disturb the cryptobiotic soil.  Instead it’s best to follow the well beaten road one mile to the rim.

Sallie and Bill chose #2263, “My daughter’s birthday and age.”  Not as old as the stars that were seen at the Star Party on the North Rim Grand Canyon.  Here, setting up one of the many telescopes.

Gypsy chose #8012.  Visited the South Rim Grand Canyon with a friend the day before my birthday in 2015.  Seemed strange looking across canyon to my North Rim summer home at the time.  Bright Angel Canyon is where one hikes on the North Kaibab trail and the green at bottom left is Phantom Ranch.  Hmmm, where should I celebrate my birthday this year and will you join me?

Wanda chose #8930.  So much beauty in the Southwest and Valley of Fire is only an hour from Las Vegas.

Rita chose #0391.  A restaurant dinning deck provides opportunity to see wildlife pretty darn close in the private Pilanesberg Game Reserve.  Caption please.

Jennifer chose #2498.  She likes rocks so I presume that includes fossils.  Look closely for the impression, or trace fossil, of a crinoid in this piece of limestone on a fallen Juniper seen at the North Rim Grand Canyon.

Alan and random dot org chose #3598.  One of the big “tuskers” seen at Kruger National Park.

Jodee and Bill chose #5421.  They see ocean way more frequently than I.  Imagine my excitement to wake in camp and walk down to the shore of the Indian Ocean.  More shots coming of the sunrise at the end of the post.

Jo chose #4218.  After taking friends to visit White Pocket in northern Arizona this is the House Rock Valley Road drive north into Utah in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.

As I was search for photos on 2-22-22 and found Jodee’s photo along the coast taken 2-22-14 it seemed like a no brainer to share a few more shots of that amazing day starting with sunrise, then a privately guided beach walk to the fabulous Mzamba fossil site, and ended with dinner and a beer at MacBanana’s.  All in a day in South Africa.

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?

Thanks for the memories

For those new to the blog and/or Foto Friday Fun I want to explain how I do this.  I have always been diligent about labeling my photos.  When I scanned prints and started shooting digital I added numbers to the descriptive labels (usually starting over daily or monthly) instead of using the camera default number, which I finally accepted many years later.  That means that a lot of old photos have very low numbers.  Anyway, when you leave a comment with a number, I start with my oldest photos stored on external drives and run a search with your number.  I usually choose the oldest on file that hasn’t been published on the blog already.  Bonus, for years I’ve added a code to my label that identifies where pics have been posted.  Guess I don’t have to explain my complicated system any further.  Needles to say, I am OCD about labeling my photos, amongst other things.

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 12 readers including Grand Canyon, South African wildlife, flowers, and a taste of Mexico.

TreDuece chose #1371.  As he seems to spend a lot of time “on the road” he’ll recognize that I do also.  This is a drive-by shot, taken from SR89A, of a storm I was heading into over House Rock Valley and the Kaibab Plateau beyond.  August monsoon 2010 in Arizona.

Cathy chose #5000.  It is likely she’s watched International Hopi hoop-dancer Derek Suwaima-Davis at the North Rim Grand Canyon Heritage Days.

Diane and Nigel chose #1102.  They saw Widforss Point from the North Rim Grand Lodge during a summer visit.  This snowy view from 4-29-10, before the North Rim was open.

Rita chose #0374.  Caught this Blackback Jackal just waking up while on a morning safari drive at Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa during my 2014 visit.

Jo chose #6900.  One leaf of Purple Cranesbill showed a pop of September color along the Walhalla Plateau on the North Rim Grand Canyon National Park.

Susan chose #1937.  An August monsoon morning put on quite a show over the Grand Canyon from the North Rim Grand Lodge verandah.

Sue chose #9812, “for the youngest daughter’s birthday.”  Four days after my 60th birthday I watched this leopard in Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa.

Alan gets #84 for the number of words in his last post.  Been a lot of wind lately so this “Daisies in the Wind” seems appropriate.  I taught and created stained glass in 1987 while living in Wenatchee, Washington were this shot was taken.

Sallie and Bill chose #6666, “Just to be different and because it doesn’t worry me.”  I could only laugh when the oldest shot with that number, from 7-21-15, is the Paria Cemetery, a rather remote place with a long gone town in southern Utah.  Note the colorful bentonite cliffs in the background.

Gypsy chose #4112, “April 1! stay in Patagonia’s Lucy & Desi Spartan long, long trailer.”  The trailers, called caravans, are very different in South Africa.  I don’t think people fill them with rocks. But if on the road early in Kruger National Park, you might have to avoid lions just waking up on the warm pavement, even after rain.  Thus why we sometimes find scat on roads.

Jeff chose #43, “the total points scored in Super Bowl 56.”  Not to be confused with this super bowl of a bay in Puerto Cito, Baja Mexico.  I’m thinking nobody watched TV from there in January 2005.

Sherry chose #1623.  Saw these brilliant orange flowers (maybe lilies) along the Sterkspruit Falls trail in the Drakensburg, South Africa.

Being the week of Valentine’s Day this shot seemed good.  While living in my motorhome and selling at a flea market in Yucca Valley, California during Februray of 2003 a man I dated brought me flowers.

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?

Thanks for the memories

This week’s Foto Friday Fun features images chosen by 12 readers including a variety of places in South Africa, the Kaibab Plateau in Arizona, and my first motorhome.

Alan chose #1551.  He’s been shoveling snow lately and does go out in the rain as well.  This shot of the wet forest drive after holding out for no rain while camping at Marble View.

Cathy chose #2417.  A plant she should be familiar with, fruiting Cholla, at a place she’s probably hiked, Snake Gulch trail on the North Kaibab National Forest, Arizona.

Doris chose #9309.  Sunset over the Kanab cemetery through my window when living at Crazy Horse RV park the winter of 2015/16.

Susan chose #277.  This giant amethyst geode stood about six feet tall, for sale in Quartzsite during January 2012.  I didn’t dare ask the price.  But if I had a forever home base, I’d want one big enough to sit inside, just one half.  Amethyst is a wonder calming stone.

Jodee and Bill chose #7201.  Saw these Burchell’s Zebra on an early morning safari drive in Karoo National Park, South Africa during my 2014 visit.

Sue chose #9622, “for another daughter’s birthday!”  Two days after my 2014 birthday I was chatting with warthogs in our camp at Pilanesberg Game Reserve, South Africa.  Damn beggars.

Rita chose #7777, for some reason a very popular number.  While parked off grid on a friend’s land in Walnut Grove I enjoyed more than one beautiful sunset during the spring of 2020 on my way northward back to Bryce Canyon National Park.

Diane and Nigel chose #402.  Three days after opening the North Rim, May 15th 2008, and my first season working at Grand Canyon National Park, I enjoyed this view from the Cape Royal overlook.

Gypsy chose #3162, “for Bisbee adventures.”  That’s one of three in a panorama of my first adventure in South Africa and a stop at the Paul Sauer Bridge, this looking upstream of Storms River in the bottom of the canyon.

TreDeuce chose #1367.  My first visit to South Africa in 2010 and saw the Big 5 on my first day in Kruger National Park, including elephants more than once.

Jo chose #8766.  Animals she’s familiar with, Springbucks and Gemsbok, at a place I’m sure she’s been, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa during my 2014 visit.

Sallie and Bill chose #155.  Called “The Box” towards the bottom of Bright Angel Canyon as I was hiking towards Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of Grand Canyon.  This shot from my first rim to rim hike in 2008.

My choice, and first motorhome (the one in the middle).  My partner, to the left, and I had moved that winter of 1999/2000 starting with a Skoolie conversion, then a morphydite camper, and my own RV with him in his own.

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?

Thanks for the memories