Lichen Ring

Lichen is a composite organism made up of algae or cynobacteria (or both) living within the filaments of a fungus. The relationship between the two or three organisms is symbiotic or mutually beneficial. They live and thrive in the harshest of environments where the temperature extremes are severe and they receive very little moisture. Geologists and botanists believe that lichens have lived for thousands of years. I like them for their color and their patterns. When you are looking for plants in a desert,  you sometimes have to be content with what you find.

Framing Mountain and Sky

This juniper tree shows the difficulty of its long life as it clings to the rock and shallow soil of this exposed hill top. The Colorado Plateau is noticeably arid and we could expect that this tree only added a few millimeters of growth every year. I saw a side path off of the main trail and took it an impulse and after a climb up the ridge, I found this lovely tree as the reward for my brief effort.

Differential Erosion

Erosion can form some of the most remarkable formations. Utah and Arizona both have a complex geologic history. In the more humid areas of the world, much of structure of the rocks and hills is covered with thick vegetation. In the Southwestern part of the United States and on the Colorado Plateau particularly, all of the results of erosion are remarkably evident. These rocks are considered to be part of the Entrada Sandstone of the San Rafael Group and were formed during the Middle Jurassic Epoch, 166 to 174 million years ago. See Wikipedia: Devil's Garden (Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument). The process of differential erosion is described by the Wikipedia article as follows:

Daily extreme temperature variations create fractures by repeated expansion and contraction of the rock in a process called thermal stress weathering. The thermal stresses can cause deep cracks that split the rock into separate pieces in an erosional process called thermal exfoliation. Precipitation causes dissolution of the fine crystalline grains that bind the larger particles together, which is known as chemical weathering. Freezing water expands in fractures making them wider and deeper in a process called frost weathering. Gravity exerts a constant downward force that creates new fractures and separates the formations along existing fractures in a process called stress relief exfoliation. High speed winds remove any loose grains from the formations and wind-borne particulates sandblast the surfaces making them smoother.

That is why there is a rounded rock sitting in a space between two larger and overhanging rocks.

A Different Perspective of Zion

When you visit a National Park or Monument, there are always some very iconic photos for sale. In the case of Zion National Park, the icons are the Great White Throne and the Narrows. In this and other views of Zion, I find that the Canyon itself is a great enough attraction. There is no need to resort to standard views. In fact, it is likely that some of the people who have been to Zion over many years may not remember seeing this view.

The Blooming of the Lilies

We are being constantly surprised at what is growing around our house in Provo, Utah. The house is surrounded by a nearly solid mass of plants and as the seasons progress, we are finding out that many of the plants have beautiful flowers. We have noticed the lilies blooming around the neighborhood and finally those next to our house began to bloom. We live very close to the side of the prehistoric Lake Bonneville Shoreline, commonly referred to as a "bench." That and the fact that we are right next to the mountains, puts us in the shade until mid-morning, even in the Summer. The snow takes its time melting and the flowers take their time blooming. These red lilies are spectacular. For quite a few years now, I have used three different cameras; my iPhone, a lower cost point-and-shoot and my Canon DSLR. You would have quite a time telling which one I used for which photos since at the resolution of the photos online, it is very difficult to tell the difference. Which camera took this shot? You guess. The iPhone? The Canon? or the new Sony HX400V?

The Roses of Summer

I first read The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in Spanish. I don't think that I got the essential message of the book until many years later when I read it again in English. The author wrote, "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." I used to grow roses in Mesa, Arizona and some of them were beautiful. But none of them approached the importance of the Rose in The Little Prince. Over the years, roses became less important to me due mainly to competition from other flowers. I still love roses, but I also love cactus flowers and other Spring flowers. From time to time, I take a photograph of a rose. 

Ready to Fly

In Life, the Universe and Everything, Douglas Adams wrote, "The Guide says there is an art to flying", said Ford, "or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss." Birds have learned to throw themselves at the ground and miss. I have not yet learned this valuable skill. When I throw myself at the ground, the ground always wins. However, Henry David Thoreau wrote, "Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth." I do not share his sentiment. Little did  he realize that men would someday fly and miss the entire earth and go into space.