Friday, January 31, 2020

Dinosaur Track


Well, of course, there would never be just one track, but this one was on a rock in St. George, Utah. It is not unusual or even uncommon to find dinosaur tracks in the rocks around the St. George area. We have seen them in stream beds and other locations. In fact, there is a very nice museum called the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm that probably has thousands of examples. Here is a link to the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

Approaching Winter Storm on the Colorado Plateau


We were driving north along Highway 191 in Eastern Arizona when a huge winter storm approached from the west. Within a few minutes of this photo, there was blowing snow and very limited visibility. The whole experience was very dramatic. You can also see some tumbleweeds that blew against the fence.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Continuing Renovation of the Mesa, Arizona Temple


The renovation of the Mesa, Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is moving right along but is still not finished but scheduled for completion this year (2020). We were only able to view the progress through the construction fence so this photo doesn't show much but if you look closely, you can see that the upper windows are being replaced. Redoing the landscaping has been an enormous project. In addition, a new visitors center is being built across the street in a building complex that includes apartments and businesses.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Original Glass from the St George Temple, St George, Utah


As part of the renovation of the St. George Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in St. George, Utah, the annex portion of the temple was removed. The additional construction was added in the 1970s and this window was covered by the addition revealing some of the original glass window panes. This part of the temple will be covered by a new annex as the renovation continues. If you look closely, you can also see some of the original sandstone building blocks. See "‘Absolutely incredible’; LDS church reveals details of pending St. George Temple renovations."



Monday, January 27, 2020

Always An Agave


When I was eight years old, our family moved to Phoenix, Arizona. Our house had some huge agave plants in the front yard. There are about 250 or so species of agave. Here is a short explanation of the genus.
Agave (/əˈɡɑːvi/, UK also /əˈɡeɪvi/, Anglo-Hispanic: /əˈɡɑːveɪ/) is a genus of monocots native to the hot and arid regions of the Americas, although some Agave species are also native to tropical areas of South America. The genus Agave (from the Ancient Greek αγαυή, agauê) is primarily known for its succulent and xerophytic species that typically form large rosettes of strong, fleshy leaves. Plants in this genus may be considered perennial, because they require several to many years to mature and flower. However, most Agave species are more accurately described as monocarpic rosettes or multiannuals, since each individual rosette flowers only once and then dies (see semelparity); a small number of Agave species are polycarpic.
Along with plants from the closely related genera Yucca, Hesperoyucca, and Hesperaloe, various Agave species are popular ornamental plants in hot, dry climates, as they require very little supplemental water to survive. Most Agave species grow very slowly. Some Agave species are known by the common name "century plant".

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Hot Air Balloons over Mesquite, Nevada


Traveling around the Southwest is always a surprise. We drove into Mesquite, Nevada and found a convention of hot air balloons. It was a beautiful calm day and we were able to pull off the freeway and spend a few minutes watching the show. This backlight photo was one of the most interesting. There is a strange artifact on the right of the photo. It could be a unique lens flare, but might also be a unique sun dog since it is at the right angular distance from the sun.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Arizona Rock Desert


There are places in Arizona that really do look like this. If it wasn't next to the freeway, this could be a 360-degree view. There are some mountains on the horizon, but you have to zoom in and look for them. You might be able to see the rock cairns. This photo was taken at a rest stop in central Arizona between Yoma and Gila Bend.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

St George Temple Renovation, St George, Utah


Recently, the St. George Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began its two-year renovation project. See "‘Absolutely incredible’; LDS church reveals details of pending St. George Temple renovations." We visited the temple site on our way to teach at the Yuma, Arizona Family History Discovery Day. The portion of the temple that was being torn down was added in a previous restoration. A new larger section of the temple will be added where the current addition is being removed.

Spanish Wrought Iron Candlestick


This Spanish wrought iron (de hierro forjado)  candlestick was found in the Coca Castle in Coca, Spain. Here is a short explanation from Wikipedia: Wrought iron:
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon (less than 0.08%) content in contrast to cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which gives it a "grain" resembling wood that is visible when it is etched or bent to the point of failure. Wrought iron is tough, malleable, ductile, corrosion-resistant and easily welded. 
Before the development of effective methods of steelmaking and the availability of large quantities of steel, wrought iron was the most common form of malleable iron. It was given the name wrought because it was hammered, rolled or otherwise worked while hot enough to expel molten slag.[note 1] The modern functional equivalent of wrought iron is mild steel, also called low-carbon steel. Neither wrought iron nor mild steel contain enough carbon to be hardenable by heating and quenching.

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

The Persistence of Life


I am reminded of driving over a very high freeway overpass in Phoenix, Arizona and looking out the window at Bermuda grass growing in the cracks of the cement. The ground temperature of that concrete in the summer has to be over 150 degrees. The only water available would be the occasional rainstorm. Yet, the grass survives and thrives. I get that same reminder when I see a sprouting onion or buy a flower bulb that grows in the spring. Life is really tough and will survive.

Monday, January 20, 2020

View from Coca Castle, Spain


Coca is a municipality in Spain. It is also the name of the prominent castle in the center of the municipality. The municipality is in the province of Segovia and part of the autonomous community of Castile and Leone. Quoting from the Travel Guide website from Google:
It is located 50km northwest of the provincial capital city of Segovia, and 60km from Valladolid. Coca Castle, a 15th-century Mudejar-style castle is located in the town. It was also the birthplace of Roman Emperor Theodosius I in 347 CE. The town had a population of 2,131 in 2009.


Sunday, January 19, 2020

Coca Castle Moat, Spain


Any conceptions you have about castles from reading or movies is probably inaccurate. Here is a short explanation of the Coca Castle in Spain.
The Castle of Coca is a castle located in the Coca municipality, central Spain. The castle was constructed in the 15th century and has been considered to be one of the best examples of Spanish Mudejar brickwork which incorporates Moorish Muslim design and construction with Gothic architecture. A scale model of the castle has been built in the Mudéjar theme park and another replica built at a ratio of 1:25 is placed in the Minimundus miniature park in Klagenfurt, Austria.
We climbed a lot of narrow stairs and had access to almost the entire castle. 

Saturday, January 18, 2020

The City Wall, Segovia, Spain



Segovia, Spain is a classic walled city built on a prominent hill. Because of the hill, the wall is extremely high and formidable. Here is a description of the wall from Wikipedia: Walls of Segovia.
The walls of the Castilian city of Segovia complete a circuit of about 2,250 metres (7,380 ft) in length, with an average height of 9 metres (30 ft) and an average thickness of 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in). They are built out of many different materials, with some parts of great antiquity, although most date back to the 11th and 12th centuries, which major renovations in subsequent centuries. From the Alcázar to the gate of Santiago, there are two circular towers and a rectangular one. The Puerta de Santiago, which has a rectangular plan, has a horseshoe arch. The wall continues to the north of the city's historic centre, dominating the Eresma River, until it reaches the gate of San Cebrián, which has a crucifix at its entrance. 
From this point the wall, raised on rock, continues in an easterly direction until the former San Juan gate. This was an ornamental arch built in the 16th century, and it was demolished in 1888 due to urban needs. The wall continues to the south and then to the west, in a section that included the Postigo del Consuelo, the Portillo de la Canaleja and the gates of San Martín, la Luna and del Sol. Continuing towards the west, one arrives at the Puerta de San Andrés, which has a square and a polygonal tower. From there the wall continues to close its perimeter at the Alcázar.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Rock Canyon from the BYU Campus at Sunset


It is wonderful to be able to walk out of the Brigham Young University Library and see a view of the mountains like this one. It is hard to tell that we had a snow storm all morning. But the sun came out and most of the new snow melted. But with the clearing skies, the temperature began to drop and the wind was blowing. It makes the walk to the parking lot worth the effort.

Thursday, January 16, 2020

White Stork in Spain


Here is a short article from Wikipedia: White stork.
The white stork (Ciconia ciconia) is a large bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on its wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average 100–115 cm (39–45 in) from beak tip to end of tail, with a 155–215 cm (61–85 in) wingspan. The two subspecies, which differ slightly in size, breed in Europe (north to Finland), northwestern Africa, southwestern Asia (east to southern Kazakhstan) and southern Africa. The white stork is a long-distance migrant, wintering in Africa from tropical Sub-Saharan Africa to as far south as South Africa, or on the Indian subcontinent. When migrating between Europe and Africa, it avoids crossing the Mediterranean Sea and detours via the Levant in the east or the Strait of Gibraltar in the west, because the air thermals on which it depends for soaring do not form over water.
We enjoyed seeing quite a few of these large birds. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2020

Coat of Arms of Spain, Alcázar of Segovia


This coat of arms appears over the entrance to the Alcázar of Segovia, Spain. All of the ceremonial parts of the coat of arms or blazon are explained in Wikipedia: Coat of arms of Spain.

Sunday, January 12, 2020

More Moat


The last photo I posted showed how deep the moat was around the Alcázar of Segovia in Spain. But this photo gives even more perspective. By the way, it is pretty scary to walk across the narrow bridge to the castle gate. You can see that this castle was well protected whether the moat was full of water or empty.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

Changing my idea of a moat


One of the things I learned from my trip to Spain was that my idea of castles and moats was more in line with Disneyland than reality. Although this moat is almost dry, it illustrates the fact that even dry a real moat around a real castle was a formidable defensive device. I spent many years climbing with equipment (i.e. rock climbing) and I can usually estimate the height of a wall or cliff with reasonable accuracy and I would say that his moat is about 60 feet deep. You can see the water mark on the walls of the castle. The castle is the Alcázar of Segovia, Spain.

Friday, January 10, 2020

Countryside, Segovia, Spain


Segovia, Spain is a walled city. This photo was taken while I was standing near the edge of the top of the wall surrounding the Alcázar of Segovia. We have views like this in Utah, but not while standing on a 1000-year-old castle. What impresses me most about this photo is the abrupt transition from a densely populated city to open fields of wheat. There is a lot of detail in this photo and you should click on it to see all that detail.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

Classic Lenticular Cloud over Mount Timpanogos, Utah


When the wind blows from the right direction and the other atmospheric condition are just right, large lenticular clouds can form over a mountain like this one over Mount Timpanogos in Utah. This is condition is uncommon but not rare. I love to watch the clouds on the mountains. They change with every hour of the day. Here is a cloud poem to celebrate the lenticular cloud.

Beautiful cloud! with folds so soft and fair,
Swimming in the pure quiet air!
Thy fleeces bathed in sunlight, while below
Thy shadow o'er the vale moves slow;
Where, midst their labour, pause the reaper train
As cool it comes along the grain.

William Cullen Bryant

Wednesday, January 8, 2020

Lion Door Knocker


As I frequently observe, life is really in the details. I noticed this ornate door knocker while I was walking down a narrow street in Segovia, Spain. Our homes in the United States seldom have door knockers in the age of electric doorbells. I have knocked on a lot of doors in my life and I appreciate someone who invites a visit with a door knocker instead of an electronic security system.

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

A Glimpse at the Construction


We spent quite a bit of time walking around Segovia, Spain. Some of the buildings date back thousands of years to the Romans and even to the Celtic population before the Romans. The entire city is a World Heritage Site. I was fascinated by the glimpses we got into the history of how these very old buildings were constructed.

Sunday, January 5, 2020

The Stillness of Winter


We live in a world of images. Perhaps it is a good time to go outside and take a look at what surrounds us. Granted, I live in a city that is a few steps away from near-wilderness. In between the wilderness and the city, I find places where the two meet in beautiful ways. We often find people taking sides for and against development. Since I live so close to a thick forest and a few more steps from a busy street, I can enjoy both worlds without constantly worrying about the intrusion of civilization.

Saturday, January 4, 2020

Christmas in the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, Salt Lake City, Utah


On our annual visit to see the Christmas lights on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, we warm-up for a few minutes by cutting through the Joseph Smith Memorial Building (formerly the Hotel Utah). We don't usually spend much time in one spot and so our time inside is limited to a quick view. At the time of this post, we are getting into January of the new year and Christmas memories are fading away with the reality of a return to our more normal busier times. Maybe, we will pause a little longer the next time we visit?

Friday, January 3, 2020

Walking by Temple Square, Salt Lake City, Utah


Thousands of people visit the downtown area of Salt Lake City, Utah to see the gorgeous display of lights on Temple Square and the surrounding area. This is a photo of what used to be Main Street and is now a walkway between the Church Plaza and Temple Square. The large building on the left is the former Hotel Utah, now the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. This is part of the area of Temple Square that includes the Salt Lake Temple that will be renovated during the next four years. See https://www.templesquare.com/blog/salt-lake-temple-renovation-announcement/

Thursday, January 2, 2020

Christmas Lights at the Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah


We loved our recent visit to see the Christmas Lights on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Since we live about 45 minutes south of Salt Lake, it is a trip. We like taking the FrontRunner train so we don't have to worry about parking, but most of the time we drive. This was a beautiful night with rather warm temperatures for December.


Wednesday, January 1, 2020

Lion Sculpture on the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah


This is a sculpture design that is repeated on the ground floor outside walls of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building in Salt Lake City, Utah. The photo was taken at night with the available light with my iPhone 11 Pro Max camera. There was no direct light on the sculpture and it was quite dark at the time.