Flagstaff train~Sunday Stills Challenge 062710

This week's Sunday Stills challenge is for something old. Last summer, hubby and I visited Flagstaff for a few days and we stopped by the old train station, which is right downtown. My husband's father and grandfather both worked for the railroad in Pennsylvania and he is always fascinated with trains. So, off we went to explore! The big wheels in the bottom photo used to carry the timber cut from the forests. I'm not sure how old this train is, but I'm guessing late 1800's, early 1900's??? Please correct me or let me know. I KNOW it is more than 60 years old. If you wish to visit this train, it is parked right downtown (just follow the interstate and the noise!) as other trains still go past it every day. Hubby loves to stay in towns overnight where he can listen to the sound of the trains! And, Flagstaff is one of those towns. It is still a railroad hub for the southwest. Sunday Stills Challenge for June 27, 2010.

Smoke tree blossoms~SkyWatch Friday 062510

I hadn't noticed that the smoke trees had their blossoms until yesterday when I drove down the hill from the horse ranch where I board my horses up in our local mountains. I have just been so busy lately that I haven't taken the time to notice things around the desert! So, Wednesday I stopped to take some photos of the smoke trees and their flowers. This only happens when it is warm enough here in the desert. They were covered with both blossoms AND bees and it was difficult to get close enough to take a few photos! Smoke trees are very interesting and unique trees here in our desert. They require a flood to scratch the seeds (as they go over rocks!) and for every inch above ground, their roots extend a FOOT under the ground! If you see smoke trees in a wash, you KNOW that a flood has occured there. I frequently scan the desert for smoke trees and make a mental note to avoid those spots during our monsoon season of July and August. SkyWatch Friday for June 25, 2010.

"W"~ABC Wednesday 062310

"W" is for window and we found this window, once again, at Bodie, CA. This was looking out one of the church windows. Bodie is such an interesting spot to visit! ABC Wednesday for June 23, 2010. For other entries, please visit ABC Wednesday at this link: http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/

Juniper and Grand Canyon~That's My World 062210

While the young people hiked down a trail at the north rim of the Grand Canyon, I stayed topside and investigated this old juniper tree. Look at its bark and roots! I wonder how old it is. That's My World for Tuesday, June 22, 2010. Please check out other participants at:

http://showyourworld.blogspot.com/

Tree and blue sky

Sometimes a tree and blue sky are all you need for a photo!

Bench at Grand Canyon~Shadow Shot Sunday 062010

I found this shady spot and bench at the north rim of the Grand Canyon the day we stopped there. It was at the hotel there and the kids had hiked down a rather steep tail (too steep for me!). So, I relaxed here and watched all the hikers come up the trail, huffing and puffing! Shadow Shot Sunday for June 20, 2010.

Zion National Park~Sunday Stills Challenge 0062010

We just returned home from a 5 day vacation to Utah with our daughter and son-in-law. One of the places we visited was Zion National Park. If you haven't been to Zion, you park your car or RV at the visitor center and take a shuttle bus (propane powered) to various stops in the park. This cuts down on car emissions in the park and each shuttle can take 28 carloads of people. They run every 6-8 minutes all day, so you don't have to worry about catching the next one! We took it all the way to the last stop and worked our way back to the visitor center. This monolith is the Big Ben outcropping. I added the photo with the tree to give it some perspective. At this stop, you look straight up at the cliff! Very humbling, believe me! Sunday Stills Challenge for June 20, 2010.

mountains above Zion~SkyWatch Friday 061810

As we drove out of Zion National Park earlier this week, I took some pictures of the cliffs above. They are so interesting! SkyWatch Friday for June 18, 2010.

Above Zion~Outdoor Wednesday 061610

Yesterday afternoon, after visiting Zion National Park, we took the road to the Kolab Reservoir, which snakes its way above Zion. In fact, from that road, you can actually look down at Zion. One of our bus tour guides at Zion mentioned that condors are frequently seen above the park. We didn't see any in the park, but on our way down from the reservoir, two of them were flying above a waterfall. We had stopped at the waterfall on our way up and they weren't there. Fortunately I had my camera sitting next to me as I was driving back down the road! Here is one of them. Can you see the wingtips? Outdoor Wednesday for June 16, 2010.

Red Rock Canyon, NV

We are currently on vacation with our daughter and son-in-law and are in Utah. We stopped by Red Rock Canyon outside of Las Vegas, NV yesterday afternoon. We arrived about noon, when the sun was directly overhead and it wasn't the best opportunity to take photos, but...you make do with what you have! You can see why the canyon gets its name!

Afternoon sky~Scenic Sunday 061310

I usually drive up the hill to visit my horses in the morning, but yesterday I had so many things to do, I waited until the afternoon. We had clouds on and off all day and thunderheads were developing over the mountains. As I headed back down to the desert, I pulled off to take this photo. This is looking up Deep Canyon (and yes, it IS deep.) A couple hours later, at 8:04 p.m., an earthquake (4.8) rumbled through this region. I felt it because I was sitting in my big leather chair going through the day's photos. It was a real rumbler! Scenic Sunday for June 13, 2010.

window~Shadow Shot Sunday 061310

A window in Bodie, CA. Shadow Shot Sunday for June 13, 2010.

Bodie, again~Weekend Reflections 061210

Bodie, once again! We stopped there late one afternoon of the Memorial Day weekend and caught this reflection. Weekend Reflections for June 12, 2010. FIRST DAY of my summer vacation!

Clouds over Bodie, CA~SkyWatch Friday 061110

Soft afternoon clouds over Bodie, CA. SkyWatch Friday for June 11, 2010.

"U" is for...ABC Wednesday 060910

UNINHABITED. And, Bodie, CA is uninhabited. There are a few park rangers that do live there, but it is a ghost town. Sometimes it is eerily empty and quite, but over the Memorial Day weekend, it was full of laughter, talk, and people! There were special tours to the cemetery and some volunteers were dressed in costumes from the late 1800's. But, Bodie is mostly UNINHABITED. We like to go there and concentrate on specific shots. One time, it was morning shots, another visit, it was afternoon shots. This time was UNIQUE because there was still snow on the ground (yes! on Memorial Day!). Each visit to Bodie is UNIQUE! ABC Wednesday for June 9, 2010.

Sierras~That's My World 060810

The day we drove up to the ancient bristlecone forest, we stopped along the way to admire the view across the valley. The Sierras were still covered with snow and they peeked through the White Mountains, on the other side of the valley. That's My World for Tuesday, June 8, 2010.

Mono Lake from viewpoint~Scenic Sunday 060610

After our afternoon in Bodie, CA, hubby and I stopped at the viewpoint above Mono Lake, CA. This has an excellent view of the road below and Mono Lake and the surrounding Sierra Nevada. Scenic Sunday for June 6, 2010.

White roses and Sierras~Today's Flowers 060510

We stayed in Lone Pine during our trip to the Sierras over Memorial Day weekend and right along the front of the Best Western motel were some lovely roses. I couldn't pass up a chance to take at least one picture of them against the background of the Sierras! Today's Flowers for June 5, 2010.

Mono Lake/Yosemite visitors' center

We stopped by the Mono Lake/Yosemite visitor center, outside Lee Vining, last weekend. The swallows were busy building nests and the aspen had new leaves. That's a huge obsidian rock outside the center (no, that's not me leaning over it!). The Tioga Pass was still closed and the rangers said it would be another 2 or 3 weeks before it would be open. Just in time for summer vacation!

"T" is for tufa~ABC Wednesday 060210

We drove to the Sierras over the Memorial Day weekend. It was good to feel the cool weather and see all the snow in the Sierras. They are having a late Spring and even the old-timers there were complaining about all the snow! Some roads were still closed and Rock Creek Lake was frozen over! But, June Lake and Silver Lake and Grant Lake were all open for fishing and the Silver Lake resort was open. One afternoon we drove out to the south tufa at Mono Lake. "T" is for tufa. ABC Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

Back to Bodie! That's My World 060110

Hubby and I were able to drive back to Bodie, CA over Memorial Day weekend. We were there in February and the road to Bodie was closed due to heavy snow! But, on Sunday, the road was open and in fact, rangers were giving tours to the old cemetery. We opted to just wander around the town in the late afternoon sunlight. There were a lot of people also touring Bodie that afternoon, so it was difficult to get photos of the buildings without people in front of them or inside. There were spots of snow still on the ground and we saw many "cow patties" where the cattle roamed during the winter. Bodie is up on a very high plateau and the wind whips through it, so I was surprised that the cattle came there at all! That's My World for Tuesday, June 1,2010. Oh, no! That's not me and hubby! Those are park rangers and volunteers!!!