A Climbing Tree

This is the 29th of December in Mesa, Arizona. There is a huge crowd of people enjoying the sunshine and warm temperatures of the day in the relatively new, Riverside Park. The climbing tree got most of the attention. The parents of the children on this huge climbing structure stood on the sidelines and wrung their hands in anticipation of the danger from falling. No one fell, everyone had a good time except the parents.

Pineapple Guava

Sometimes the names of plants bears a resemblance to the reference. In other cases, the name seems arbitrary and in some cases, inappropriate. This is a Pineapple Guava or Feijoa sellowiana. Since pineapples do not grow on trees and this is a tree, I am surprised at the name. I suspect that the fruit looks like a pineapple or whatever. They are very nice flowers however.

Remembrance of Flowers Past

As we went through the first major snowstorm of the Winter that came on Christmas day, I had to spend some time thinking about the flowers of Spring and the fact that moving to the Frozen North carried with it some baggage. We drove down to Mesa the day after Christmas and are now basking in the sunshine and warm, no coat, weather of the Salt River Valley. Winter has it benefits and I should get some interesting snow photos, but it was a bit different to come back to the desert for a visit rather than living here full time.

Out My Window on Christmas

This is the view out my window on Christmas 2014 where I work on the computer most of the days. It is radically different than the way it looked in Mesa on Christmas. It appears to be about 3 to 4 inches of snow. Nice to look at.

The Visitors

This photo has various levels of meaning. The visitors are those who come to see Temple Square during the Christmas season, but they are also those who come from heaven and came to earth to visit. The other visitors are those who came to witness Christ's birth at the Nativity. Last, there are those who visited to see the resurrected Christ and who stood in line in the Vistitor's Center to see Thorvaldson's Christus statue during this special time of year. Merry Christmas to All.

The Star and the Angel

You have to look closely to see both the star and the angel in this image. You will likely have to click on the image to enlarge it. The wind was blowing very hard from the west and the sun was just setting. We were waiting for the light to change to cross South Temple Street and I had to wait until the cars had stopped passing for a few seconds to get the photo.

City Creek in Salt Lake City, Utah

It was a cold and windy December day as we got off the TRAX to visit Temple Square and see the Christmas Lights. I was struck by the form and partial symmetry of this view of downtown Salt Lake City, Utah. The sun was just setting and the lights of city had yet to appear.

Mushrooms

Identifying mushrooms turns out to be quite complicated. The identification process is further complicated by numerous warnings about eating unknown mushrooms. I guess I have decided that I am not eating any plant that I do not positively know is safe to eat. I did not feel compelled to eat or try to eat these mushrooms. However, I am fascinated by mushrooms and other fungi and I have often thought it would have been nice to be a scientist and spend my time looking around and identifying mushrooms. As I get older, I realize that very few scientists actually do the looking around however.

Old and Scarred

Many saguaro cactus live for hundreds of years. As they age, their outer coating can become damaged and form scars. The plant continues to grow unless the entire outer layer of the plant is the soft, water-storage parenchyma tissue is destroyed all the way around the stem of the cactus. As I get older, I can relate to this cactus plant since my skin is beginning to look like this photo (except for the spines). 

East Shore, Laie, Oahu, Hawaii

The east shore of Oahu alternates between rocky prominences and sandy beaches. The lava flows from the now-dormant volcanoes weathers into a myriad of patterns, most of which have very sharp edges. The dark colored rock contrasts sharply with the white of the foam and the deep blue of the ocean. This rock is on the coast in Laie, Oahu, Hawaii.

Honolulu, Hawaii from the Punchbowl

The Punchbowl is an extinct volcanic crater in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is the home of the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. The view from near the rim of the crater is spectacular. I am always amazed at the cities with very high density housing since I come from Phoenix/Mesa with is spread out over hundreds of square miles. Phoenix alone has an area of 517.9 square miles. Phoenix has a population density of 2,797 people per square mile. In comparison, Honolulu has a population density of 5,574 people per square mile.

Duck Collection

One of the highlights of a visit to the Brigham Young University (BYU) Bookstore, now called simply the BYUStore, is a vast collection of rubber ducks. The collection is not for sale and has apparently been accumulated by one of the Store's staff members. It is a very unusual sight in a very unusual store. No visit to the BYU campus should miss an opportunity to visit the BYUStore.

Hawaiian Bird of Paradise Flower

This flower is commonly called the "Hawaiian Bird of Paradise" but it is of the genus Strelitzia and is native to South Africa. Although this particular plant was growing in Hawaii. We had a number of these plants that grew on the east side of our office in Mesa, Arizona for a number of years, but they always looked like they were the worse for wear because of the heat. There are several species and hybrids and they are popular in flower arrangements. I am not likely to grow them here in the Frozen North of the Wasatch Front.

Australian Gold

This very large nugget is from the Tin Patch, a section of rich ore, in the Murchion Goldfield in Western Australia. This field was active back in the 1890s. We have enjoyed going to mineral shows for many years. It is always a treat to see such fabulous mineral specimens such as this one.

By Dawn's Early Light

I usually get up around 6:00 am and start to work on the computer. Because we are further north than I have been most of my life, I have to get used to the sun coming up much later in Winter time. Sunrise isn't until almost 8:00 am. Then we are on the east side of the valley against some high mountains and so the sun shines on our house about two hours a day. We also have a steep, huge hill on the south of out home. It is like being in a deep canyon. When I look out the window, I can see the color in the sky and if I walk outside, I can see the mountain like this just as the sun comes up.

First Real Snow of Winter

If you look closely, you can see the snowflakes. This is the first real snow of Winter. Early snows melt or evaporate so quickly they hardly matter, but this is real snow. It stays around for a while and it becomes debatable whether it will or will not melt. When I was at the University of Utah, we made a snowman in the shade on the north side of the dorm building. The final ice from the snowman did not melt until the balmy days of Spring. It still seems a little too warm for snow, but the weather is definitely getting colder.

The Ocean's Edge

Being from the desert, I am fascinated with water. No where is this more evident that on the seashore. Tidal changes are always interesting. These rocks would be be covered in water at high tide. But as the level of the sea falls, we get a time of transition where the waves come up over the land. There are plants and animals that live exclusively in this tidal area. I find it fascinating.

Old Mac SEs

This was only one of a series of Apple Macintosh computers I sold and worked on over the years. I am sure that my store, Mesa Computer Mart, sold dozens, if not hundreds, of this particular model. I could not resist this photo when I saw three of these old computers in a row, apparently, still in operation. I am pretty sure that this particular model would not connect to the Internet or run any of the current software. The Mac SE was introduced in March of 1987 and discontinued in October of 1990. This computer model had a space for an internal 20 MB or 40 MB hard drive and a second floppy disk drive. Later models could handle a 1.4 MB High Density (HDFD) floppy disk. Just to get an idea of what I am talking about, the photo I imported above is 15.2 MBs. In other words, with a 20 MB hard drive, this computer could store only this one photo. I recently saw a 4 Terabyte hard drive on sale at Costco for $119.00. That would be a 4,194,304 MB hard drive. Almost 4 million times as much memory as on one HDFD.

Soon to be Spring

We have had an extremely mild Fall here in Utah Valley with only one brief snow storm and not too much rain. We must have brought the warm weather with us because the news has said that the temperatures are almost the warmest on record. I thought this lovely Prickly Pear flower would be a reminder that Spring comes very early in the desert and if it stays warm in Provo, we won't miss the warm desert sun so much. 

Contrasting Patterns

In this photo, you can see multiple layers of both hard and soft rock formations. The cap on the dramatic toadstool formation is a boulder of Cretaceous-age Dakota Sandstone. This cap prevents the complete erosion of the softer red Entrada sandstone from the Jurassic age. The other patterns are formed by both water and wind with the residue forming the sand dune in the lower right of the photo. Part of the enjoyment of looking at this type of landscape is understanding the forces that created it.

Back to the Colorado Plateau

To some, this landscape would be about the least inviting in the world. Most deserts are considered "bad lands" or "wastelands" or other negative terms. I suppose all this depends on your perspective. I see them as the "three ring circus" of geology. They are a marvelous place to tramp around and see a new scenic view in every direction. They are also wonderful for photography.

Fisgard Light, Victoria, B.C.

Lighthouses have an undeserved romantic connotation. Mostly, they were lonely, very hard working outposts with few fringe benefits other than solitude. In Arizona, the corresponding job would be fire lookout keepers, but they usually only occupy the fire towers during the fire season. This is the Fisgard Light, just down the coast from Victoria, B.C. The bright red lighthouse contrasts with the grey light of the day.

Standing in the Sunlight

I am not sure whether standing around in the sun is relaxing or not. It seems to me that I do very little of either; standing in the sun or relaxing. Maybe I should take a lesson from these ducks? Although, I doubt that they need or use sunblock and after countless visits to the dermatologist, I do not have much of an incentive to stand around in the sun at all.

Ducklings in the Sunlight

This photo has some very unusual elements. The green pattern of the water and the intense sunlight on the ducklings is a surprise contrast. The ducklings appear to be suspended on a cloud of light. The other ducks in the photo are incidental tot he color and texture of the light. There are also some unexpected blue highlights. This is really different kind of mixture.

A Happy Family of Ducks

Following two photos of turtles, I thought cute ought to take over for a while. Here is a pleasant shot of a family of ducks. I ran out of time trying to identify the species, so if you know what kind of duck this is, just leave a comment and I will add it to the text at a later date. Thanks.

Turtles

Turtles are not known for their intense activity. In fact, just the opposite is true. However, as Winter approaches here in the Frozen North, there is a lot that can be said about basking in the warm Summer sun and taking it easy. Although, if you have been following my blogs for a while, you will realize that this is not exactly my idea of leisure time. I know this is the second turtle photo I have uploaded in a row, but this one struck my fancy and so here it is.

Box Turtles on a Rock

Box turtles are the turtles most commonly thought of as pets. If you had a pet turtle, it was likely this kind. There are several different species in the U.S. and Mexico, all of the genus Terrapene. Even though they are commonly thought of as pets, although this is not recommended as they are easily stressed and require a higher degree of care than is usually recognized. They can live to be over 100 years old and so will likely out live their owners if they are well cared for.

A Two Harness Hand Loom

Before I got immersed in computers, I was very actively pursuing weaving. I was (and still am) fascinated by the complexity of the process of creating patterns in cloth. This is probably a countermarch loom. The reference to two harnesses containing heddles refers to the number of sets of looped wires or cords in a loom available to raise or lower the warp so the shuttle or shuttles carrying the weft threads can pass through the warp to make the cloth. From the look of this loom it is quite old, but newer looms of the same type will have essentially the same design.

The Allure of the Clay Hills

I have always been fascinated by these stark land formations. In some places, they are called "badlands" primarily because of the lack of vegetation. I think of them as the bare skin and bones of the world, where you can actually see the direct effects of water and wind-borne sand. I also enjoy the colors. In one of my many recent trips between Mesa, Arizona and Provo, Utah, I was reflecting on the concept of "home." A sense of home can be experienced on many levels. Home is usually associated with family and friends. Memories create a sense of home. As I drove by these clay hills, as I have hundreds of times in the past, I realized that, apart from family and friend associations, I identify most completely with the desert hills of the Colorado Plateau. This is likely due to the fact that some of my earliest memories are associated with views like this one. I also reflected on the the fact that when I am asked, where are you from? I invariably answer with a place on the Plateau and not with the place where I was living at the time. I also reflected on how this was strange since I was not born in Arizona. I was born in Utah and I was not born on the Colorado Plateau. I was born next to and lived for many years next to the Wasatch Mountains. I guess the real question is and will always be where is my home?

Sunset Over Utah Lake

Our home in Provo, Utah looks out over Utah Valley towards Utah Lake and Lake Mountain to the West. The sky can get exactly this color and is pretty spectacular. I sometimes think that Arizona has good public relations and advertising about its sunsets, but Utah has some of the most spectacular ones I have seen in a lot of years living in Arizona.

Setting Sun on Timpanogos

In Utah Valley, the setting sun can create some of the most spectacular visual effects imaginable. This is not a false color image created by Photoshop. This is approximately what the light looked like on this special evening when the sun was streaming across the valley and lighting up the wall of mountains on the east side, including Mount Timpanogos, the subject of this photograph. The view to the west was equally spectacular but the light on the mountain was extraordinary.

The First Snow of Winter

A short time ago, we had our first "winter" snow storm in Utah Valley. Down on the Valley floor, the snow only lasted a few hours and then it melted away. But up on the mountain tops, the evidence of this first real storm of the season is still visible. Most of the State of Utah is still abnormally dry and much of the state is in a moderate drought situation. Warm weather and sunny skies have replaced the normal cold weather and snow. I have been watching the hills and it looks like all the visible snow might melt before another storm dumps is feathery load on the mountains.

A Captured Leaf

Fall is definitely coming to a close here in the Frozen North and snow cannot be far behind. This last leaf got caught in the dried plant and serves as a symbol of the changing season. Gone are almost all of the colorful displays and now the trees are bare and ready for their annual burden of snow and cold weather. The unusual part of this process for me is that it happens at all since I usually saw trees turning in late November and can always remember seeing the leave fall on Christmas day. This is not just a shift in location, moving to Utah, but a shift in perception also.

An Aspen Grove

Aspens are one of my favorite trees. During the past few years it has been interesting to read about the scientific discoveries about aspen groves. It turns out that the trees are all one huge organism connected in a vast root system. Each tree is essentially part of one huge plant structure. Some of these aspen groves may be among the largest living and oldest living organisms on the planet. One large grove of aspens in Utah is described as follows on Wikipedia:

Pando (Latin for "I spread"), also known as The Trembling Giant,[1][2] is a clonal colony of a single male quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) determined to be a single living organism by identical genetic markers[3] and assumed to have one massive underground root system. The plant is estimated to weigh collectively 6,000,000 kg (6,600 short tons),[4] making it the heaviest known organism.[5] The root system of Pando, at an estimated 80,000 years old, is among the oldest known living organisms.[6][7]

I left in all the footnote links to help give context to this rare natural phenomena.

Family History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah

The Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah contains the largest collection of genealogically related materials in the world. It is the destination for hundreds of thousands of researchers every year. This is a view of one corridor of the book stacks on the top floor of the Library. The library is somewhat unique in that the stacks are open to the public and can be used by any patron of the Library for free.

A Burst of Steam

It is not too common to find scalding hot water boiling out of the ground. This unusual phenomena is the main attraction in Yellowstone National Park. Of course, the geysers are more spectacular when they spurt a hundred or so feet into the air, but there is also a fascination with more constant and less spectacular thermal activity. I didn't really have to get too close to this bubbling pool. With a long telephoto lens, I can capture the action without the danger of getting burned.

A Touch of Frost

As I am walking around, I am attracted to the evidence of the changing seasons. Since I have spent most of my life in the low deserts of Arizona where the seasonal changes are almost imperceptible, it is amazing to see things like frost and snow. I keep running outside to take photos and finding out that if it is cold enough to produce frost, it is also cold enough to wear a coat. This clump of grass was graceful under its burden of frost.

Detail from Avoca Spring

Yellowstone National Park is one of the best known and largest geothermal areas in the world. It is know for its geysers and thermal pools or hot springs. This is a detail from a previous photo. The edges of the pools show mineral deposits made by the superheated water. The coloration of the spring depends on its depth and the amount of minerals and the organisms in the water called extremozymes.

Avoca Spring

Avoca Spring is one of the thousands of thermal pools in Yellowstone National Park. The turquoise color of the water is the intrinsic color of water which adsorbs red light wavelengths. The steam occurs as a result of the heat of the pool and the much cooler temperature of the air. Most of the thermal pools have a pungent, sulphur oder.

First Frost

The temperatures are dropping here in the frozen north. I noticed these feathers of frost on this fir tree in the bright sunlight. Only a slight rise in the temperature would melt them instantly, but they give a festive air to the evergreen. We returned to our new home in Provo, Utah in the middle of a snow storm and I guess we are here for the weather. We left Mesa in 80+ degree weather.

Rain Forest

Vancouver Island has some of the highest rainfall averages in North America. In the southern part of the U.S., this would be called Spanish Moss, but here it is covering the entire branches of the trees.

A Thermal Basin

Yellowstone National Park is a wonderland of thermal activity. We arrived at the Park early when the temperature hovered at around freezing. Normally, all of these geyser and hot pool vents would have been visible only by walking on the paths to see them. On a cold day, the steam from the vents makes them all visible from a distance. You can only wonder what the early explorers thought of this unusual landscape.

A Dangerous Crust

The thermal pools in Yellowstone National Park are known for the beauty. But they have a dangerous side also. Surrounding the pools is a thin crust of bacteria known collectively as thermophiles. These organisms can survive temperatures that approach the boiling point. For visitors to the Park, the fragile surface created by the colorful bacteria can be deadly. There is no real support for these formations and stepping off the wooden walkways can plunge the unwary into the boiling water.

A Bend in the River

The Snake River winds its way through southern Idaho and passes through the city of Idaho Falls. This photo shows the sweep of the river as it makes a lazy turn near the middle of town. The river is smooth and calm, just before it descends over the low falls or more of a rapid and then continues on downstream.

Color Everywhere

If you look around, you will see color everywhere. I understand that there are people who have dichromatic color blindness and cannot see color. But it is much more common for people to simply ignore the color around them. I love the contrast of the very green plant with the variety of colors of the moss and other growth in this photo.

Evolution of Thermal Springs

The dead tree in the foreground of this thermal pools in Yellowstone National Park testifies of the transient nature of the thermal features. Surprisingly, they grow and move and disappear over time. The surrounding vegetation is always at risk that the pools will expand the be killed. There are whole sections of the area where the thermal activity has increased and killed whole groves of trees. It is always interesting to see the changes on subsequent visits to the Park.

Early morning mist

We were driving along the Madison River in the western part of Yellowstone National Park. It was about 26 degrees Fahrenheit and the warm water of the river was making a mist. We were driving towards a thick bank of fog that caused a glare in the sky. Soon after this photo was taken, the entire landscape was enveloped in fog.

Flying Geese Against the Sky

One of the sure indications of Fall is the honking of migrating geese. We watched as hundreds paraded across the sky in the early evening, just as the sun was setting. The sky was braided like the waves of the sea or its duplicate pattern in the sand.

Geese in a Line

These geese are perched on the edge of a waterfall in downtown Idaho Falls, Idaho. We stopped for a picnic dinner at a park on the edge of the river and I could see them landing on the river and then perching on the edge of the falls. The make a nice contrast to the water and the cement dam.

Choir Practice

Almost every Thursday evening, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir opens the doors of the Tabernacle to the general public for their weekly 2.5 hour+ practice session. It is an amazing experience, especially if you have spent any time singing in a choir yourself. There is no time lost. Every second is spent on task and rehearsing. In this case, the conductor is the world-famous Mack Wilberg. It is almost as if all of the people in the choir and orchestra can read his mind. They follow almost undetectable instructions instantly. You can find the rehearsal schedule on the Choir's website.