House Boats at Wahweap Marina, Lake Powell, Arizona

 

Everything in Northern Arizona looks small compared to the land itself. Dozens of houseboats are stored at the Wahweap Marina but they are only a small smudge on the vast landscape surrounding Lake Powell. What is not obvious in this photo is the record low level of Lake Powell. Here is a quote from a NASA article entitled, "Lake Powell Reaches New Low."

Straddling the border of southeastern Utah and northeastern Arizona, Lake Powell is the second largest reservoir by capacity in the United States. In July 2021, water levels on the lake fell to the lowest point since 1969 and have continued dropping. As of September 20, 2021, the water elevation at Glen Canyon Dam was 3,546.93 feet, more than 153 feet below “full pool” (elevation 3,700 feet). The lake held just 30 percent of its capacity. To compensate, federal managers started releasing water from upstream reservoirs to help keep Lake Powell from dropping below a threshold that threatens hydropower equipment at the dam.

I might remind anyone who wants to know: we live in a desert.  

Clouds over the Colorado Plateau

 Form and color are the essence of my photos. There is no place as suited to abstract naturalism than the Colorado Plateau.  I have to acknowledge that the wind was blowing about 40 mph when this photo was taken and it was really cold. 

Thermal Spring Fomations, Yellowstone National Park

A combination of hot water from a thermal spring and erosion from rain and snow provide a miniature forest of calcite formations. There is an abundance of thermal formations in Yellowstone. I like the contrast of the deep blue water with the brown and white formations. 

Grand Prismatic Spring, Yellowstone National Park

 

A few if the thermal features at Yellowstone National Park are so big that they defy your ability to comprehend their extent. The Grand Prismatic Spring is one of those features. This one hot spring is an attraction in itself. There is no other place in Yellowstone that compares in size and color and the variety of formations. 

Balloon Plant Milkweed

 

I never seem to run out of strange plants to photograph. Quoting from GardeningKnowHow.com,

Like all members of the milkweed family, balloon plant (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) is one of the best plants for attracting monarch butterflies. This unique shrub, which reaches heights of 4 to 6 feet (1-2 m.), is also known by a long list of alternate names including balloon cotton bush, family jewels, Oscar milkweed, goose plant, and swan plant to name just a few.

I sometimes hesitate to touch an unfamiliar plant because some plants are not friendly but the spines on these were not hard but might be when the pods dried out. 

Egg Plant in a Fall Garden

 Most of the plants in our Fall gardens are waiting for the first frost. There are still some wonderful examples of the different plants that can be grown. I don't expect that Egg Plant is on the top or anyone's list as their favorite vegetable. It is more commonly used in Europe and Latin America. Also, you should not eat the stems or roots because they are poisonous. Here is a short article from Wikipedia: Egg Plant about how it is used. 

Most commonly purple, the spongy, absorbent fruit is used in several cuisines. Typically used as a vegetable in cooking, it is a berry by botanical definition. As a member of the genus Solanum, it is related to the tomato, chili pepper, and potato, although those are of the New World while the eggplant is of the Old World. Like the tomato, its skin and seeds can be eaten, but, like the potato, it is usually eaten cooked. Eggplant is nutritionally low in macronutrient and micronutrient content, but the capability of the fruit to absorb oils and flavors into its flesh through cooking expands its use in the culinary arts.

A Drive up Squaw Peak Road, Provo, Utah

 

Fall has come to the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Just a short distance from our home, there is a road up to the Rock Canyon Campground. This road is only partially paved and climbs almost 3000 feet up into the mountains just east of our home which is at almost exactly 5000 feet up the side of the mountains. We live about 500 feet above the floor of the valley. The timing of the change in the color of the leaves depends on their elevation. That 3000 extra feet make a lot of difference. Very few of the trees around our home have even begun to change.