We were going to drive to Grand Junction, but Bob decided we were too early to check in to a hotel, so we drove on the Arches National Park and then to Green River. What a long, exciting day.
10:58 AM which will matter as the day unfolds.
The drive from Fort Collins goes down towards Denver, then across the Rockies via I-70. This follows Glenwood canyon along the Colorado river. The mountain pass at Vail is 10,603 feet. We saw things that were too far to photograph and new to us. Like not just exits for skiing areas, but actual snowboard courses with people flying down them. Have seen that on TV, but cannot imagine actually DOING snowboarding, or skiing for that matter. I have never been known for my coordination or sports prowess. Ramps and ski jumps and things that amazed me, people willingly riding lifts to the top. I am also not a fan of heights, so there is that wonderment, too!
We saw signs for Aspen, Beaver Creek, Vail, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Arapahoe, and Keystone, all famous ski areas that we had never visited, but often heard about on news and sports channels.
Years ago we took our children to the west coast from Ohio on the Amtrak. The train followed parts of this same road. We were delighted to see the tracks and confirm our memories!
Colorado River 12:25See the tracks on far side of river!
And such terrain change in one day! Huge mountain peaks, national forests, the glory of the mountains with snow, without snow, river canyon, tunnels, scenic overlooks and then on towards the Colorado plateau of eastern Utah with dry, rocky terrain anywhere from 4,500 to 6,500 feet in elevation at Arches.
Two hours later, 2:35, still Colorado!Gives an entire new meaning to get out and stretch your legs! People walking along the lower edge, up the path with shadows, and on the ridge if you can see them! 3:11 PM5:21 PM Long but amazing day! Now in Utah for certain.5:30 Arches National ParkIs it a Sphynx or a dog?
Bob had to climb alone as the day was wearing me thin energy-wise. He made it into the big arch.
Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints! 6:14 PMI appreciated the Three Wise Men (shadows) on our way out of the park at 6:40 PM
On our way to our hotel we agreed there were almost more landscape/environmental changes in one day than we could comprehend. Sort of sightseeing whiplash 😉
We also agreed the next day NOT to make such a long day again on this month-long journey.
When I first planted Poppies on Danny Drive we needed a new roof. The roofer accidentally planted his ladder right on top of the plant. That was the death of that poppy. Last year I planted three starts or whatever you call young plants. Two made it through the winter. Look at part of the poppy yield!
At first only buds …Looks like teeth on that bud and deep purple columbine in the background.As this one sheds the bud covering, in a nod to Lawrence, a-oneAnd a-two, And a-three!When all this finishes, there ought to be a sequence of about 12!
These remind me of the paper flowers the kids used to make in grade school!
Cut they last a few days in the house, but one got too hot in our car yesterday and was baked and wilted by the time we delivered it to our daughter. ;-( Maybe I will try to take her another one this week before they are gone!
While we were traveling the daffodils all continued to bloom out and finished before we returned home. The purple columbine had begun before we left. They are in full swing now! I am writing this May 7, 2019 (more photos will follow in days to come).
Even with fence, rabbits had chopped tulip leaf salad while we were gone!
ColumbineColumbine with White Dutch Iris and rosebud in back
I was excited to see poppies I planted last year finally coming to life! I’ve been watching 3 Buds from my office window.
And then on closer inspection this morning, NINE buds! I can’t wait for these ;-D
You are likely tired of my garden tour. Suffice it to say the monarch caterpillars will have an abundant crop of milkweed to chomp on this summer. The oregano wants harvesting. The phlox is almost full blown. The purple iris (or as Mom would call them ‘Flags’) will open this week.
Yes, you should plan a trip next spring to this wonder of the world. The Sandhill Crane migration is the largest in the world and well worth your time. Your sense of adventure will rise to a new height as you marvel at these birds. Fly, take a bus, drive, get there any way that you can to witness this extraordinary event. We planned to spend two nights there so we could be certain to witness one sunrise and one sunset. We did not book any special tours or bird blinds and yet we saw plenty. If I had not seen them in New Mexico I likely would have missed them in the fields at first.
Here is a very short clip
Here is a clip from Geographic.
This video is phenomenal. Yes, 8 minutes long, but their photography captures what I could not. Even Bob was challenged in the low light conditions of sunrise and sunset along with the skittishness of the birds themselves! We supported the Sandhill Trust while we were there.
Then off to Cheyenne Wyoming, 338 miles away. As we drove through Nebraska along the Platte River we saw fields with birds, and then more birds!
We saw so many different rock formations across the USA and I could not help think of the God Who created them and is represented by the image of an immovable rock. The Living Bible says in Psalm 144:1 “Bless the Lord who is my immovable Rock. He gives me strength and skill in battle.”
Psalm 18:2 (NRSV) The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 95:1 (NRSV) O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Samuel 22:47 (NRSV) The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be my God, the rock of my salvation.
When Jesus made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem the disciples were praising God loudly. The pharisees told Him to get them to hush. His reply was “I tell you,” He replied, “if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” I wanted to sing the song below and play it in the car at full volume. Sadly, I did not have it on my mP3 player and had trouble finding it on YouTube, too! Pooh. So here it is for you. Turn up your speakers and get ready to get your praise on! Also, the lyrics are below. Followed by two New Testament references.
One Less Stone, One More Voice!
LYRICS: “Now Jesus was going up, on His way to Jerusalem, To be lifted high on a tree that He might draw men unto Him Well, the multitudes began to praise Him, While others were trying to stop Him. He said “If they hold their peace, the rocks are gonna cry out!”
“And here is one less stone, and I’m one more voice, To praise the mighty name, the name of the Lord I am one less stone and I’m one more voice to praises Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord
“Now David was a man of praise, praising God in the sanctuary He praised Him on the trumpet and the harp, and he praised Him in the dance I don’t want to offend anybody, but I’m gonna praise my Jesus He said “If I hold my peace, the rocks are gonna cry out!” And here is one less stone, and I’m one more voice, To praise the mighty name, the name of the Lord I am one less stone and I’m one more voice to praises Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord
“Now David was a man of praise, praising God in the sanctuary He praised Him on the trumpet and the harp, and he praised Him in the dance I don’t want to offend anybody, but I’m gonna worship Jesus He said “If I hold my peace, the rocks are gonna cry out!”
“And here is one less stone, and I’m one more voice, To praise the mighty name, the name of the Lord I am one less stone and I’m one more voice to praise Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord Now David was a man of praise, praising God in the sanctuary He praised Him on the trumpet and the harp, and he praised Him in the dance I don’t want to offend anybody, but I’m gonna praise my Jesus He said “If I hold my peace, the rocks are gonna cry out!”
And here is one less stone, and I’m one more voice, To praise the mighty name, the name of the Lord I am one less stone and I’m one more voice to praise Him
Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord Blessed is the King (blessed is the King of Kings), Blessed is the King (blessed is the Lord of Lords), Blessed is the King (oh, we praise Your name), Blessed is the King (You’re worthy of the praise), Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord
Romans 9:32-33 (NRSV) Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
1 Corinthians 10:4 (NRSV) and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.
So I spoke with Shannon at Word Press and she taught me how to publish my videos on the blog through You Tube (or other sites). Yippee!
So here is my best video of what it is like to be surrounded by thousands (and the official count that day by the bird counters was a record breaking 650,000) of Sandhill Cranes during the spring migration in Nebraska! They glean the fields during the day time eating last year’s dropped corn from the autumn harvest. Perhaps the red truck will give you some perspective and the traffic sounds in the background the clear idea that no, we were not out in the wilderness.
I am delighted to finally figure out how to post my videos without spending more money for this site ;-D
Oh my I keep getting blessed every time I go outside! Now this is one DETERMINED daffodil. Let no obstacle stand in your way!
So glad the log had holes in it!
And Ta-dah!! The first trout lily on our stone stairs up the hill.
Flower is about the size of a quarter. The leaves resemble trout skin!
When we were thinking about buying this house both my husband and I were each making secret trips here to see if it really was as lovely as we thought. When the trout lilies began to bloom on the hillside, (all wild mind you), I was SOLD! Had never seen them before . Since then each spring we have hosted Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Trillium, Toothwort, May Apples, Spring Beauty, Rue Anemone, Blue Phlox, False Solomon’s Seal and most rare on our lot Dwarf Larkspur. Still am amazed that we live here! -sigh-
Further into the green space we can see Squirrel Corn and Dutchmen’s Britches, Betony Poppies. Sometimes my husband asks why we even go to Smoky Mountains to hunt wild flowers. I stomp my foot (kidding) and remind him we do not have Lady’s Slippers or fields of single wildflowers. And then we pack 🙂
We have a joke in our household. I often remember other things I meant to write or say, so many emails and return phone calls and texts begin with “And …”
And … I finally figured out how to capture a single photo out of a video and thereby retrieve one of my best daffodil memories to share with you! (I have not yet paid to upgrade my Word Press account to share videos .)
Once in 2014 I went out in my raincoat to pick daffodils. The sky was leaden and the rain was imminent. While I was on the hillside the heavens opened and the rain poured and poured. It was lovely to be childlike out in a spring rain. At my age, I had started to carry my iPhone in my pocket just in case I fell or found a new photo. You know the old saying, “never go in the woods alone!”
While selecting daffodils I heard flowing water. We do not have a constant stream on our property. Searching for the source of the sound, I looked up and to my surprise the walnut tree had created the steam! Here is a still from that video clip! The streaming water is creating bubbles as it flows. Wish I could send along the sound. Enjoy! Look closely at the top where the trunk appears wet and follow it down.
Living water! Psalm 36:9 (NRSV) For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. “Come on and rain down on us Lord! All my fountains are in You!” Chris Tomlin
In 2006 when we moved to Siesta Drive was the beginning of a grand love affair dig! On our slice of pie shaped lot, the wooded back hill was just perfect for daffodils bought in bulk at Sam’s Club. Now we have hundreds of blooms each spring. Each fall Bob would lay out where he wanted to plant. At first I would help but in later years he has been the stronger of the two of us. The joy and color in the spring is a testament to his love! Such fragrance and such delight to share and share and still have bunches for our house! Hundreds of King Edward daffodils.
If you haven’t experienced the fragrance, most grocery stores sell bunches of daffodils now. I have not tried it, but you might get fragrance from those? Of course, store bought roses do not often have a fragrance, so I may be wrong.
Only part of our hillside garden!
Then in the front garden there are tiny ones, too, “Thumbelina.” A few other sorts. Someone did not want the narcissus that was growing in the garden before they moved in. The narcissus now live in our side yard, though not in a place of honor with the King Edwards.
So playing in Mr. Kuehner’s field was the beginning of a long love story between daffodils and me. Our experiences and memories shape us. Show up for your life today and you never know the wonders that will unfold from it tomorrow!
Treasures in Plain Sight, A Christian Blog 