Mailbox Monday: Noodling for Your Mail

Noodling is a fishing sport in  which one sticks their hand into a catfish's mouth and drags it to the surface.

The Golden Arches--But Not at McDonald's

We decided to go to Arches National Park in the evening before we even checked into the B & B where we were to sleep. We had the makings of a picnic supper, which because the bugs were out, we enjoyed in the car.  We drove all of the paved park roads.

We are flatland, sea-level hikers and it was quite hot and dry and high, and we had just arrived from Florida the previous day. (The park averages less than ten inches of rain a year, which we often get in one month at home.) We also had limited time, so most of what we enjoyed, we saw from the car. The park claims to have over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to huge, crazy rock formations like those below. We thought this first one looked like an ogre.

This one seemed straight out of Peter Rabbit stories.

This is a huge boulder that is balanced---for the moment.

This is called a window. Look for the people in the picture.

We  hiked to a viewpoint of Delicate Arch, the one on the Utah license plates. There are people in this picture, too. To hike to the arch itself was considerably longer, so we did not attempt that.

I'm not exactly sure what this beautiful stone is that was on the ground where I took the picture above.

This desert lizard seems to match the stone above.

We took an even shorter hike to see the Ute petroglyphs. These are not ancient, as some are that we have seen. These date to sometime around the arrival of Columbus in the New World. They are attributed to the Ute who passed through here.

Speaking of the Ute: there was a taxi service in Salt Lake City called Ute Taxi. It was interesting to note that the taxis were still driven by Ethiopians.

There was a crude homestead  from the late 1800s that we walked past. 

On Toward Arches

It was about a four-hour drive from Eagle, Colorado to Arches National Park in Utah.  Along I-70, we saw several fracking sites in areas where there was little else.

This is open range for cattle and we were frequently driving over cattle gates, even to leave the interstate. Cattle gates are, of course, metal bars on the road placed over a ditch so that the cattle do not step out of their free range area.

We took that little road down to Cisco and then went south on 128, which follows the muddy Colorado River through the canyons.

The rock formations continued to get crazier as we approached the south side of Arches National Park. 

Walking Mountains Science Center

We have just returned from a wonderful trip West and the next posts will be following us through Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.

We flew from Tallahassee to Denver and rented a car. Denver is extending their rail system to include the airport and we have hopes that this will improve the process of car rental for travelers. We have twice had poor service from the counters of two different rental companies at the Denver airport. Let's just say they need to have a serious attitude adjustment.

Leaving the airport, we hit the big REI downtown and then the Dollar Tree, where everything is $1. We loaded up on supplies that we were not able to carry on the plane: laundry detergent, snacks, 4 gallons of water, sunscreen, 2 pillowcases, a butane lighter and much, much more. It is a great place to pick up temporary items. Then we drove to Eagle, CO, near Vail, where our son, D, and his girlfriend, K, are.

The next morning, we were given a tour of the fabulous environmental education center, Walking Mountains, where K works. As with many places, my tour began in the restroom. 8^)

Look at the beautiful sink with its fossils.

And the tracks on the floor.

And the paintings above each commode. Each painting was different.

This was just a sample of what we would see there.

There was a beaver's lodge in the main exhibit room that children could crawl in.

This exhibit was about the pine beetle that is killing so many trees out West.

As the lettering about indicates, the wood used for the buildings came from trees killed by the pine beetles. This little window shows the straw that is used as a natural insulator in the walls.

Here is K's classroom.

This is the view from the little deck out the back door. 

A large hawk was tending a nest on the hillside.

Here is the touch control panel for AV needs.

Solar  panels and a solar water heater are shown here.

We walked trails and boardwalks through a wetland where many activities take place.
The garbage is kept in a bear-safe area, where the snow shovels were also hanging out.

It is such a beautiful facility and we were so glad to have pictures in our head of where our K spends much of her work day. Here is the webpage for Walking Mountains:

http://www.walkingmountains.org/page.aspx?pid=183

Mailbox Monday: Pony Express

Verde and Her Friends

Verde continues to grow. We can now pass her on the sidewalk and she is no longer inclined to hop in the  pond.

Mailbox Monday:Not-So-Skinny Dipper

For the most part, the sculpture on this mailbox was painted metal but there were also pieces of glass fitted in to catch the sunlight.

Falcon in a Tree

I did not take this picture and do not know who did; it may even be Photoshopped, but it is interesting.

Our family's first new car in the early 60s, was a baby blue Ford Falcon. It resembled this one.

Florida Gulf Fishing

When we visited family at Grayton Beach in the Florida panhandle, the scenery was just beautiful.

The number of fisherman was noticeable. Some had their lines and rods set up onshore. Others enjoyed wading in the clear water.

Some hired a charter company to pick them up right on the beach.

A different charter company loaded the boats on land while they were still on the trailer,  and then put in. 

I'd be willing to bet that even if they didn't catch a single fish, they had a good time.

Minding Your Peas and Carrots

We will be enjoying lots of carrots and a few dinners of peas from our garden.

Mailbox Monday: Catfish

Black-bellied Plover

These pictures are not of good quality, but they are all I was able to get of a black-bellied plover down at the lighthouse. It was alone and is not a common bird here. These striking birds are shorebirds and, as their name suggests, are found along the coasts.