Great Salt Lake, Utah During the last Ice Age, prehistoric Lake Bonneville’s banks were breached and a catastrophic flood ensued. Still lingering in the high desert of western Utah near Salt Lake City, the Great Salt Lake is an enduring remnant of that ancient ocean. Today, the landlocked basin is endorheic, it’s a terminal drainage […]
“Evergreen Lake Spring” Watercolor After a tiresome winter, it’s finally spring at Evergreen Lake where everything appears back in perfect order. The trout are jumping, ducks are quacking and dippers are dipping. Rushing out of the rugged Front Range, Bear Creek becomes a lazy river as it enters the wide reservoir. The painting’s foreground features […]
Cedar Waxwing We are in the middle of fall so most of the local birds have left for the season but some interesting species that we don’t normally see are currently passing through on their way south. Last week we watched as a flock of silky bandits raided fruit from the bushes that surround Evergreen […]
Dead Horse Point, Utah Soaring above the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point is a photographers paradise featuring sublime subject matter. While hiking along the rim’s irregular contour during the evening, the violet shadows shift restlessly across the staggered buttes. The day’s last sunlight is filtered through a veil of thin clouds, […]
Staunton State Park Last week we visited Colorado’s newest state park. Located just six miles west of Conifer, it reminds some of Sherwood Forest in England because of the huge, old-growth ponderosa pine trees. Others believe the jagged, granite peaks resemble Yosemite National Park in California. Frances Staunton, who gifted the property to the State […]
Saddle Rock On a sweltering summer day in Nebraska, we hiked at Scottsbluff National Monument all the way up to the top of Saddle Rock. Unfortunately, a natural roadblock forced a detour but that didn’t diminish our resolve. Just like the first pioneers, we approached the remarkable formation by crossing the rolling hills of a […]
The San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a beautiful, 100 acre park known for its lush gardens, naturalistic habitats and transcendent animal encounters. It’s an extravagant home to more than 3700 rare and endangered animals representing about 660 different species. During my visit to the seaside sanctuary, I had the chance to observe, […]
Dead Horse Point, Utah Soaring above the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point is a photographers paradise featuring sublime subject matter. While hiking along the rim’s irregular contour during the evening, the violet shadows shift restlessly across the staggered buttes. The day’s last sunlight is filtered through a veil of thin clouds, […]
Mountain Lion I’ve never been lucky enough to observe a mountain lion in the wild but they’re rarely glimpsed by anyone. Mountain lions are extremely reclusive being most active between dusk and dawn. The big cats live a solitary life, prowling from rocky ridges to deep canyons always fiercely protective of their precious territory. This […]
Meadow View Trail Meadow View Trail in the middle of summer is the perfect place for peaceful meditation. A small pond situated at the start is the undisputed domain of the double-crested cormorant. The beaten track traces the forest edge, traversing the broad flank of Bergen Peak. A number of natural overlooks offers the visitor […]
Marigold Lorikeet The rainbow lorikeet is one of the most beautiful species of parrot. They’re widespread in the coastal bush lands and rain forests of Australia, Indonesia, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Lorikeets have specialized, brush-tipped tongues used for feeding on nectar and soft fruits. They’re cute but they can be aggressive and are […]
Blue Lakes, Colorado Blue Lakes is a frosty reservoir concealed high in the Tenmile Mountains just south of Breckenridge, Colorado. The forbidding glacial cirque is enclosed by jagged, black peaks that form an impenetrable barrier of rock and ice. Pictured above is the colorful landscape still covered in snow and mostly frozen. It’s early summer […]
Mountain Lion I’ve never been lucky enough to observe a mountain lion in the wild but they’re rarely glimpsed by anyone. Mountain lions are extremely reclusive being most active between dusk and dawn. The big cats live a solitary life, prowling from rocky ridges to deep canyons always fiercely protective of their precious territory. This […]
Lake Haiyaha is a jewel Lively Haiyaha is a beautiful, lush lake radiating an elegance that enriches our sense of well being, balance and harmony. It’s a dazzling emerald set in the heart of a chaotic canyon. It’s a rocky sanctuary far removed from the stress of a busy life. Nature lovers who are persistent […]