We set out to do Buckskin Gulch but flash flood potential was high and rain was 80%, so we hiked down Paria Canyon, camped on high ground, and returned early in the morning as the rain sprinkled down.Saturday, September 29, 2007
Pics from Paria Canyon
We set out to do Buckskin Gulch but flash flood potential was high and rain was 80%, so we hiked down Paria Canyon, camped on high ground, and returned early in the morning as the rain sprinkled down.
Movin' out!
I don't think anyone checks this anymore and it seems to have become a shrine to myself, but I like that cause I like re-reading my adventures. But in case anyone checks, please don't mail anything else to Box 52... my box is closing and I'm getting ready to move out of here. So send all mail to General Delivery instead... atleast till the 13th of October when I finish here.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Thursday, September 06, 2007
resurrection moss
There's a type of moss that grows in Zion called Resurrection Moss. It grows and turns bright green only after the rain. The canyon literally is more colorful when it rains.
Monday, August 27, 2007
gutter-fishing
Yesterday I drove to St. George for groceries. In the world I grew up in, you drive 7 minutes down the road to the store and get what you need when you need it. You don't devise a list all week and then embark on an hour long drive involving a cooler and ice packs so you can keep your milk and chicken cold in a city that is usually 5-10 degrees hotter than Zion... which is just draining. Grocery shopping wears me out. And it's been so dry and hot here that I was dreading spending an hour or two in a place that was even drier and hotter.
On my way through Rockville, UT, I saw a boy sitting in the gutter with a fishing pole. And as I watched, something tugged and he excitedly rolled back on his back and reeled whatever it was in. I thought there can't be any water in there... He might have caught a tire.
I got to St. George and on the horizon a long stretch of red dust cloud was growing and moving closer. It looked like an ocean wave far off in the distance or a scene from the Sahara with the heat waves lifting off the ground, making the whole thing look like a mirage. A storm was coming. I rushed all my errands so I could get back to Zion in time to catch the waterfalls that appear off the rims of the cliffs when it storms. But as I frantically drove back, I realized I had missed it. The street through Rockville was full of puddles and the gutter where the boy was fishing was now a river full of red mud.
The canyon had grown more colorful when I was gone. It literally takes on more color as the red rocks are saturated and the desert varnish becomes shiny and a thing called Resurrection Moss comes to life and expands and turns bright green on the cliffs. Oak Creek, which is usually a dried up stream-bed behind my house, had erupted into life and red-brown water was roaring through my backyard.
When it rains in the desert, something almost spiritual takes place. The plants and sandstone graciously accept the drink and rivers and waterfalls come out of nowhere. This morning it rained again and I got out of bed and stood outside to watch Oak Creek flash again. I came back in and opened the doors and windows to let the breeze and new smells come in and I fell back asleep with wet hair. The rain seeped into my dry skin and hair as I lay on the couch and the lightning kept sending flashes across my eyelids.
I felt cleaned and decided I didn't need a shower today.
Aaahh! It's beautiful! I'm looking out the window at the library at the West Temple. The sun finally came out and the sky is blue again. Someone just came in and I heard them say to the librarian "Don't you just love this? Everything has been washed clean."
On my way through Rockville, UT, I saw a boy sitting in the gutter with a fishing pole. And as I watched, something tugged and he excitedly rolled back on his back and reeled whatever it was in. I thought there can't be any water in there... He might have caught a tire.
I got to St. George and on the horizon a long stretch of red dust cloud was growing and moving closer. It looked like an ocean wave far off in the distance or a scene from the Sahara with the heat waves lifting off the ground, making the whole thing look like a mirage. A storm was coming. I rushed all my errands so I could get back to Zion in time to catch the waterfalls that appear off the rims of the cliffs when it storms. But as I frantically drove back, I realized I had missed it. The street through Rockville was full of puddles and the gutter where the boy was fishing was now a river full of red mud.
The canyon had grown more colorful when I was gone. It literally takes on more color as the red rocks are saturated and the desert varnish becomes shiny and a thing called Resurrection Moss comes to life and expands and turns bright green on the cliffs. Oak Creek, which is usually a dried up stream-bed behind my house, had erupted into life and red-brown water was roaring through my backyard.
When it rains in the desert, something almost spiritual takes place. The plants and sandstone graciously accept the drink and rivers and waterfalls come out of nowhere. This morning it rained again and I got out of bed and stood outside to watch Oak Creek flash again. I came back in and opened the doors and windows to let the breeze and new smells come in and I fell back asleep with wet hair. The rain seeped into my dry skin and hair as I lay on the couch and the lightning kept sending flashes across my eyelids.
I felt cleaned and decided I didn't need a shower today.
Aaahh! It's beautiful! I'm looking out the window at the library at the West Temple. The sun finally came out and the sky is blue again. Someone just came in and I heard them say to the librarian "Don't you just love this? Everything has been washed clean."
Monday, August 13, 2007
an update on updating...
That amazing internet signal I miraculously picked up at my home is no more. And I rarely feel like coming to town after work to update my blog...
so, just an update. I probably won't be updating much these days. If I remember at some point, i will bring my camara cord to town to post some of the amazing pictures I've taken the past few months here. Seasons have definitely changed since those last pics I put up. It's been so hot here and I've heard myself say things I never thought I'd ever say... "aah, shade." "Yay! It only got up to 98 today!" "Let's turn on the swamp cooler so we can wear sweatshirts." "Is that a cloud I see over there?!?"
I thought I was a total desert rat. But apparently, I do miss clouds and rain and sweatshirts. Went home for my friend Jamie's wedding last month and Ohio looked like a jungle with all the green. I hadn't seen an Ohio summer for three years. It was beautiful.
so, just an update. I probably won't be updating much these days. If I remember at some point, i will bring my camara cord to town to post some of the amazing pictures I've taken the past few months here. Seasons have definitely changed since those last pics I put up. It's been so hot here and I've heard myself say things I never thought I'd ever say... "aah, shade." "Yay! It only got up to 98 today!" "Let's turn on the swamp cooler so we can wear sweatshirts." "Is that a cloud I see over there?!?"
I thought I was a total desert rat. But apparently, I do miss clouds and rain and sweatshirts. Went home for my friend Jamie's wedding last month and Ohio looked like a jungle with all the green. I hadn't seen an Ohio summer for three years. It was beautiful.
Friday, July 06, 2007
I've seen
I have been horrible at updating. I have been worthless at emails and phonecalls. I have been lazy about journaling. My wireless internet at my house has left as mysteriously as it arrived. It returns occasionally but while I'm here at the library, I'll try to do a quick update.
In the past few weeks, I've seen
... a Bobcat! It ran right in front of my car as I was driving up the switchbacks to work one morning. It was larger than I thought they were supposed to be but I don't remember a tail so it must not have been a mountain lion.
... Desert Bighorn sheep just playing around on the East side of the park.
... a tree fall. I heard popping noises like firecrackers near my house on Oak Creek and then I saw the treetop of a cottonwood tree go down and heard the big bang.
... a mountainside ignite on fire. We don't have "mountains" here but that just sounds more dramatic. For the fourth of July, Springdale had a firework show but it had to be cut short because a firework ignited the whole hillside on fire. I heard rumors of it burning over 20 acres but who knows if that's true. The west temple rock formation was behind the fire and the whole red rock wall glowed as if a spotlight were on it! The crazy tour-ons evacuated and the rest of us just sat and watched it burn.
... a California Condor! She was just perched on a ledge at the Grand Canyon North Rim. Occassionaly she'd stretch out her 10 ft long wingspan just to show off.
... children teaching their parents about the Condor and how once there were only a couple dozen alive on Earth. On a sappy note, I got all teary eyed watching this because I remembered these are the kids who will be protecting this land one day.
In the past few weeks, I've seen
... a Bobcat! It ran right in front of my car as I was driving up the switchbacks to work one morning. It was larger than I thought they were supposed to be but I don't remember a tail so it must not have been a mountain lion.
... Desert Bighorn sheep just playing around on the East side of the park.
... a tree fall. I heard popping noises like firecrackers near my house on Oak Creek and then I saw the treetop of a cottonwood tree go down and heard the big bang.
... a mountainside ignite on fire. We don't have "mountains" here but that just sounds more dramatic. For the fourth of July, Springdale had a firework show but it had to be cut short because a firework ignited the whole hillside on fire. I heard rumors of it burning over 20 acres but who knows if that's true. The west temple rock formation was behind the fire and the whole red rock wall glowed as if a spotlight were on it! The crazy tour-ons evacuated and the rest of us just sat and watched it burn.
... a California Condor! She was just perched on a ledge at the Grand Canyon North Rim. Occassionaly she'd stretch out her 10 ft long wingspan just to show off.
... children teaching their parents about the Condor and how once there were only a couple dozen alive on Earth. On a sappy note, I got all teary eyed watching this because I remembered these are the kids who will be protecting this land one day.
Monday, May 21, 2007
to own Color
I remember going to the ring shop with my mom when I was little to get her wedding ring fixed. I remember realizing this was an important mission for her and I remember a quick moment of concern when she took off her wedding ring and handed it to the man at the shop and I thought something was wrong with my parent’s marriage. I remember going back to the ring shop with her to pick it up.
I remember the color emerald green.
She had it on her ring. She wore it in her clothes. She wore it in her big square earrings that went out of style way before she quit wearing them. But I never liked the color emerald green. My favorite color when I was little was white, until I was told that didn’t count. But white was clean and pretty and I thought it was the most beautiful color of all.
I saw something that was an emerald green today and I thought, ooh how pretty! And then I wondered, when did that switch occur?
I live in Color Country. That’s what they sometimes call it. Every color you can imagine can be found in the rocks or dirt or trees or wildflowers around here. When the Virgin River swells and curves, there are parts where you can’t even reach the bottom and you can tell because that part of the river turns a brilliant shade of emerald green. It sparkles like my mom’s ring. It’s beautiful.
We used to travel through Navajo nation on vacation through Arizona and we’d stop at the Navajo road-side stands and mom and I’d buy jewelry. I resented that they used so much turquoise because I didn’t like turquoise so I bought necklaces with juniper beads because they were brown instead. When my granddad died we each received something from his jewelry collection. My granddad loved turquoise. I have one of his turquoise rings from the Navajo and I turned it into a bracelet and it’s my favorite piece of jewelry. I never appreciated turquoise until then. Now it’s one of my favorite colors and there’s no better match than turquoise next to dusty brown skin.
I can’t imagine my life if I hadn’t taken the risks I’ve taken and gone the places I’ve gone. I wonder if my favorite color would still be white. It seems with each new adventure I add another color to my pallet and my world is already overwhelmingly colorful. Sometimes we can argue on whether a car is green or blue and assume the other person is color-blind. But the truth is, we’ve only seen color through our own lens and I don’t think we ever are seeing the same thing. Color is more powerful than just a label. With each passing experience, we own colors. We connect thoughts and memories and scents to them. And we’ll never see eye to eye and I think that’s beautiful.
I remember the color emerald green.
She had it on her ring. She wore it in her clothes. She wore it in her big square earrings that went out of style way before she quit wearing them. But I never liked the color emerald green. My favorite color when I was little was white, until I was told that didn’t count. But white was clean and pretty and I thought it was the most beautiful color of all.
I saw something that was an emerald green today and I thought, ooh how pretty! And then I wondered, when did that switch occur?
I live in Color Country. That’s what they sometimes call it. Every color you can imagine can be found in the rocks or dirt or trees or wildflowers around here. When the Virgin River swells and curves, there are parts where you can’t even reach the bottom and you can tell because that part of the river turns a brilliant shade of emerald green. It sparkles like my mom’s ring. It’s beautiful.
We used to travel through Navajo nation on vacation through Arizona and we’d stop at the Navajo road-side stands and mom and I’d buy jewelry. I resented that they used so much turquoise because I didn’t like turquoise so I bought necklaces with juniper beads because they were brown instead. When my granddad died we each received something from his jewelry collection. My granddad loved turquoise. I have one of his turquoise rings from the Navajo and I turned it into a bracelet and it’s my favorite piece of jewelry. I never appreciated turquoise until then. Now it’s one of my favorite colors and there’s no better match than turquoise next to dusty brown skin.
I can’t imagine my life if I hadn’t taken the risks I’ve taken and gone the places I’ve gone. I wonder if my favorite color would still be white. It seems with each new adventure I add another color to my pallet and my world is already overwhelmingly colorful. Sometimes we can argue on whether a car is green or blue and assume the other person is color-blind. But the truth is, we’ve only seen color through our own lens and I don’t think we ever are seeing the same thing. Color is more powerful than just a label. With each passing experience, we own colors. We connect thoughts and memories and scents to them. And we’ll never see eye to eye and I think that’s beautiful.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
happiness
I made cinnamon Indian Frybread tonight and it was easier than grilled cheese.
I couldn't be more content.
I couldn't be more content.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
when Laura came to town
The past couple weeks, some strange things were happening in the park. Suddenly there were lots of local law enforcement coming in and out. And then there were these guys hanging out by park headquarters always rolling suitecases behind them, wearing bermuda shorts and hawaiian shirts, who smiled and waved as if they knew the place and knew exactly who you were. They dressed like tourists but they were so obviously not. Then we finally were told the big secret... Laura Bush was coming to the park. Secret service had been in and out, making preparations, for the past couple weeks atleast.
I so happened to be working the entrance station where she was scheduled to arrive. And she came, blew through my outbound lane in a convoy of toyota minivans. And that was it. Not too much excitement. But then, we were told to watch out for sketchy people. And I had this girl come through, with a slight tone of possible bitterness in her voice, she said, "You know why I'm here. There will probably be more like me." Totally just sounds like a groupee, or a fan, or wacky stalker type... not anything really dangerous. But I called her in anyway, mostly cause of the tone of her voice. Next thing I know, she had pulled into the private event and law enforcement quickly was on her. She played dumb tourist and asked where the shuttle was. Today I came into work and someone told me that she ended up on the news and turned out to be a Bush supporter. Why in the word the media jumped on this one, I have no clue.
Apparently Laura stuck around a couple days. Some people protested and though the thought of war makes me sick too, they make me sicker because they can't separate a good issue from a bad. She was in town to rededicate our nature center and I think it's good to just focus on that. My friend Lex says you can't be a dark cloud every day.
I liked that.
I so happened to be working the entrance station where she was scheduled to arrive. And she came, blew through my outbound lane in a convoy of toyota minivans. And that was it. Not too much excitement. But then, we were told to watch out for sketchy people. And I had this girl come through, with a slight tone of possible bitterness in her voice, she said, "You know why I'm here. There will probably be more like me." Totally just sounds like a groupee, or a fan, or wacky stalker type... not anything really dangerous. But I called her in anyway, mostly cause of the tone of her voice. Next thing I know, she had pulled into the private event and law enforcement quickly was on her. She played dumb tourist and asked where the shuttle was. Today I came into work and someone told me that she ended up on the news and turned out to be a Bush supporter. Why in the word the media jumped on this one, I have no clue.
Apparently Laura stuck around a couple days. Some people protested and though the thought of war makes me sick too, they make me sicker because they can't separate a good issue from a bad. She was in town to rededicate our nature center and I think it's good to just focus on that. My friend Lex says you can't be a dark cloud every day.
I liked that.
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