Into the Snowy Mountains

 

We had an absolutely perfect day for hiking into the snow-covered Wasatch Mountains. The snow wasn't quite deep enough for me to use my snowshoes but my daughter and son-in-law used theirs. We only hiked a couple of miles but the views were spectacular. The snow was a light powder that covered solid ice. It was warm enough in the sun that we shed our coats and gloves. A beautiful day. 

Washington Monument in the Winter

 Washington, D.C. can't decide if it is in the north or the south. It can be hot and muggy in the Summer or freezing cold with wind in the Winter. We happened to be downtown on a very cold and windy day. We had to walk backward to keep our faces from freezing. We are now in Provo, Utah and the cold winter weather here makes Washington D.C. look balmy in comparison. 

Lumber Wagon, Bannack, Montana

 

There does not seem to be enough left of this old lumber wagon to determine its original manufacturer. I found this by the side of the road in the ghost town of Bannack, Montana. I am fascinated by old wagons and machinery. 

Jail with a Sod Roof, Montana's First Jail, Bannack, Montana

 

This building was the first jail in Montana. It also has a sod roof. Sod is made of blocks of grass with the dirt still attached. You can read about some of the history of this jail in an article entitled, "Montana's First Jail is in Bannack, the Town that hanged its Sheriff." 

The Morning Breaks

 I can see Mount Timpanogos from my front window, so when I look out and see a photo op, I run outside with my camera in the cold and take a shot or two or more. This was one of those mornings when the light was perfect and even though it was below freezing, I didn't have to stay outside without a coat for that long. Here are the words to The Morning Breaks, a hymn.

The morning breaks, the shadows flee;
Lo, Zion’s standard is unfurled!
The dawning of a brighter day,
The dawning of a brighter day
Majestic rises on the world.

 

Nightfall over Utah Valley

 

We decided to try and see the Great Conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn. Finally, in between the clouds, we caught a glimpse of the two planets. We will try again to see the Conjunction if there are no clouds. Meanwhile I got some lovely photos of the Valley just as the sunset was beginning to fade. 

An Old Barn in Bannack, Montana

 

Some ghost towns get more traffic and visitors than when they were alive and kicking. Bannack, Montana is a gem of a ghost town. Here is a short description from Wikipedia" Bannack Montana:

Bannack is a ghost town in Beaverhead County, Montana, United States, located on Grasshopper Creek, approximately 11 miles (18 km) upstream from where Grasshopper Creek joins with the Beaverhead River south of Dillon. Founded in 1862, the town contemporarily operates as a National Historic Landmark and is managed by the state of Montana as Bannack State Park.

Founded in 1862 and named after the local Bannock Indians, Bannack was the site of a major gold discovery in 1862, and served as the capital of Montana Territory briefly in 1864, until the capital was moved to Virginia City. Bannack continued as a mining town, though with a dwindling population. The last residents left in the 1970s. 

Sea Anemones

 

Here is a short description of these lovely under-sea animals. 

Sea anemones are the marine, predatory animals of the order Actiniaria. They are named after the anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant, because of the colorful appearance of many. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle.

Over the years, I have been snorkeling in the ocean and visited a lot of marine animal exhibits but when you live your whole life in the desert and mountains, you are not really well acquainted with the oceans. I have enjoyed the time spent on the beaches of North and Central America however. 

Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument, California

 

Beaches with rocks are more interesting to me than those with sand. We had a lovely day taking in the sights around San Diego, California. While we lived in Mesa, we would take regular trips to San Diego. One of the things I miss most about the current social distancing is our inability to safely travel. Looking ahead, with vaccinations, we might be able to take some trips during the coming year. 

Pineapples

 We become so accustomed to what were once very exotic fresh foods that we forget that just a few years ago, these foods were only available canned or during a limited season of the year. I just went to a store and bought some navel oranges in December. In the United States, navel oranges only ripen in January and February. Pineapple grows in the topics and so could be available year-round but we rely on a long and expensive transportation system. In the United States, "pineapple still comes from either Hawaii or Puerto Rico, though there is small-scale production in parts of Florida and California. The bulk of pineapple consumed in the United States, however, comes from imports by way of Central and South American or Mexican grower-shippers." See https://www.producebluebook.com/know-your-commodity/pineapple/#

Yams

 

You either like yams a lot or you tolerate them or you refuse to eat them. I happen to love yams. Here is a short explanation about what they are from Wikipedia: Yam (Vegetable). 

Yam is the common name for some plant species in the genus Dioscorea (family Dioscoreaceae) that form edible tubers. Yams are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in many temperate and tropical regions, especially in Africa, South America and the Caribbean, Asia, and Oceania. The tubers themselves, also called "yams", come in a variety of forms owing to numerous cultivars and related species.

We have them regularly when they are available and also for special occasions like Christmas and Thanksgiving (US). 

A Lot of Pennies

 Over the past few years, I have almost completely stopped carrying any "change" with me when I am shopping. We do all our purchases with cards. Once and while, for whatever reason, I have to pay with cash so I might end up with some change. The pennies go into my penny bank which is in the shape of a pig. I did a little research and there are about 130 billion pennies in circulation in 2020 in the United States. One interesting fact is that the penny accounts for the largest amount of loss for the U.S. Mint. From 2009-2019 the U.S. Mint produced pennies at a total loss of $586,000,000. In 2019 the loss was $73,000,000. See https://www.lx.com/money/pennies-for-your-thoughts/17579/ I have no idea what I can do with all my pennies. I guess I could put them in rolls of 50 and deposit them in the bank. 

The Utah Lake Shoreline Trail about to change

 

The short Utah Lake Shoreline Trail on the east side of the Lake is about to dramatically change. The ongoing Provo River Delta Restoration Project will cut this portion of the trail to open up the delta to the lake. Here is a screenshot of the map showing the new trail alignment. 

https://www.provoriverdelta.us/prjmap

We hope we live long enough to see the end product of all this planning and work. 

Death Valley, California Texture and Form

 

I wouldn't say that trees, green grass, flowers, water, and snow-capped mountains are a distraction but there is a purity of form and texture to the landscape in Death Valley, California. This photo has no plants that I can see and nothing else to cover the bones of the earth. I grew up around the clay hills of northeastern Arizona often referred to as the Painted Desert and these hills look just about the same except for the immensity of their space. Everything you see is evidence of past rainfalls but it hardly ever rains and I can hardly imagine how much time it took to create this eroded landscape. 

A Death Valley Wash

 

There are very few places in the United States where there is almost no vegetation. Death Valley National Park is one of those places. If you look very closely at this photo, you can see some small bushes and other plants along the edge of the wash. Here is the desert Southwest, a "wash" is a watercourse that is dry except when there is sufficient rain. In Death Valley, there is seldom any rain but the extensive erosion shown in this photo is evidence of past rainfalls. Right now, in almost the entire western half of the United States there is a long-term drought. 

Evening Sunlight on Mount Timpanogos, Utah

I realize that this photo looks fake, but that is really the way the light looks at sunset when there is a lot of dust and pollution. This photo was taken in December and you can see that there is very little snow. The main reason for this is that most of Utah is presently in an Exceptional Drought Condition. Here is a screenshot of the drought conditions at the time of this photo from the United States Drought Monitor. 

Dinosaur Quarry, Dinosaur National Monument, Utah and Colorado

This is the Dinosaur Quarry at Dinosaur National Monument in both Utah and Colorado (The Quarry is actually in the Utah portion of the National Monument). The Quarry is now covered by the Quarry Exhibit Hall. Here is a quote from the National Park Service, Dinosaur National Monument website:

The Quarry Exhibit Hall allows visitors to view the wall of approximately 1,500 dinosaur bones in a refurbished, comfortable space. Here, you can gaze upon the remains of numerous different species of dinosaurs including Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Camarasaurus, Diplodocus, and Stegosaurus along with several others. Exhibits, including an 80-foot long mural, reveal the story of these animals and many others that lived in the Morrison environment during the Late Jurassic. There are even several places where you can touch real 149 million-year-old dinosaur fossils!

Rangers are available to answer questions and occasionally give Junior Ranger programs or talks on different topics related to the quarry or dinosaurs throughout the day during the summer.

Excavation started back in 1909 and ended in 1990. See "The Real Story Behind the Dinosaur Quarry" for more information.