Next Stop Cathedral Gorge State Park
Next Stop Cathedral Gorge State Park – Made of bentonite clay. We just happened to stumble apon this state park as we arrived in Nevada. A must see place if you are ever in the area.
A beautiful landscape of spires and buff-colored cliffs. The beauty enjoyed today had violent beginnings, starting with explosive volcanic activity that, with each eruption, deposited layers of ash hundreds of feet thick.
after the eruptions ceased, block faulting, a fracture in the bedrock that allows the two sides to move opposite each other, shaped the mountains and valleys prevalent in Nevada today. This faulting formed a depression, now known as Meadow Valley.
Over time the depression filled with water creating a freshwater lake. Continual rains eroded the exposed ash and pumice left from the volcanic activity, and the streams carried the eroded sediment into the newly formed lake.
The formations, made of silt, clay and volcanic ash, are the remnants of that lake. As the landscape changed and more block faulting occurred, water drained from the lake exposing the volcanic ash sediments to the wind and rain, causing erosion of the soft material called bentonite clay.
Wind and water erode rocks and soils at a rapid rate and vegetation cannot grow on the outcroppings. The vegetation-free slopes stand in stark contrast to the valley floor where primrose and Indian ricegrass hold small sand dunes in place.
These mountains of clay are so unique, if you tap on the side of them they sound hollow inside.
Next Stop Cathedral Gorge State Park
Dark Sky’s of Texas
Dark Sky’s of Texas, there are a lot of areas in North America that are still considered dark sky areas. Meaning no light noise from cities, where you can see the stars clearly at night. Texas has quite a few of these places all along the southern edge.
I have to say, we have been meeting some amazing folks on this journey this year. The most memorable place so far is Marathon Texas. Our first place we camped at where astrophotographer’s come together with the most beautiful telescopic equipment I have ever seen. This is my first time ever hearing of this type of equipment and seeing how it works is very exciting to say the least.
This photo below is one of the telescopes I am talking about, we met a young man at this campground and started talking about dark sky’s and photography and he asked us if we have ever seen astrophotography equipment. No, we said. He said come with me and I will show you what it does.
This is his telescopic equipment. He was kind enough to explain the entire thing, how this scope is connected to his laptop and he programs what he wants it to do and the scope will follow what ever nebula he is trying to photograph for hours at night. They have cement pads on the ground for these scopes so there isn’t any motion blur when filming.
My video of Marathon Texas, a peak at an old west town. Here; Marathon Texas
He asked what kind of camera I had, I told him a Nikon. He said bring it over tonight and he will put my camera on the telescope and take some photos. This is the first shot he took with my camera connected.
This is, the Orion Nebula, it is the nearest star-forming region to Earth, located approximately 1,350 light-years away. Just amazing to see something like this photographed right in front of us.
Now, I don’t have the right editing software to edit a clear shot of this nebula. Like the photo below, this is the Orion Nebula as well that I copied from the internet taken with more precise equipment. There are people from all over the country that set their scopes up here and have them in locked building who can control them from their homes in other states.
Some of these professional photos like below, need a least a 3 hour timed exposure or more.
Below are two gentlemen that have a place right here in Marathon Texas and the equipment they use, in a building with a retractable roof that they can operate from home. Here is the link for more on this; Space for Everybody
Below; the Cigar Galaxy from my camera
Cigar Galaxy
Bode Galaxy, my camera. 12 million light years away
Bode galaxy from a bigger telescope.
Oh how small we really are in this beautiful place.
Dark Sky’s of Texas
Lots of New Things to See
Lots of New Things to See, as you may know we have been trying to chase 70 degree weather this winter. Our first time doing this and so far it has been working pretty well. It has been into the freezing temps at night here and there and our water pump froze once on the RV, but husband is really good at fixing anything. He had it back and running in no time.
My bird count has been going up really fast, my last entry into the log book was 124 birds. But I still have more birds to look up because I just don’t know what they are. I believe I will go get a bird identification book. We have been in many places with no internet, so the book would be handy.
Below is a preview video of where we have been. I do have a You Tube channel, because I like to document all that we see with video as well as photos and share them both with all of you. What we see is just temporary, it becomes history the minute I snap a photo.
Eastern Towhee
Road Runner
Scorpion
Hawk, but I don’t know what kind yet. If any one knows let me know and I will add it to my list.
The world is changing fast, but nature is alive and well, we must not trade it for the things of man. Humans tend to destroy but nature will rebuild when it is left alone, nature teaches us how to survive in our creators world.
Shrimp Boats
Shrimp Boats If you have heard of Bayou La Batre, it may be because it was featured in the movie Forrest Gump when the lead character had the only shrimp trawler in this Alabama coastal town after a storm and he made huge amounts of money. It lies along the Mississippi Sound on the Gulf of Mexico in south Alabama.
We went there very early one morning and were surprised at all the colorful shrimp boats docked along the shore line. Beautiful reflections of each one.
Starting in the 1970s through the early part of the 1990s, Bayou La Batre was the shrimp-trawler-building capital of the world, often turning out more than a trawler a day from a dozen shipyards. During the latter part of the 1990s and the early part of this decade, the business of building trawlers almost stopped in its tracks because of several economic reasons including overbuilding, cost of fuel, scarcity of boat financing and plummeting shrimp prices.
Some of the local builders turned to building offshore workboats with great success, while others divided up what fishing boat business was left. For example, Master Boat Builders built scores of fishing vessels until 2002 but only four since that time. Since 2002, over 50 OSVs have come out of that same yard and almost no other vessel type has.
During the transformation away from shrimp trawlers, many types of commercial vessels emerged from the boatyards of Bayou La Batre including ships used in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. It was a combination of the skills of the boatbuilders of Steiner Shipyard and of the Walt Disney Company’s magicians that made realistic-looking period warships from small self-contained utility vessels.
Shrimp Boats
What Will You do in 2022
What Will You do in 2022, the world is an amazing place. What is your passion, mine is exploring the great outdoors. My grandfather inspired me to want to be outside all the time. He was an outdoors man. Back in the day when he had to hunt and fish to feed our family. I just always wanted to be with him no matter what he was doing.
So I am still like that today, indoors is just no fun. Fresh air and sunshine is very good medicine to take every day. I mentioned that we are skipping winter this year and this is what we are traveling in. A 28′ RV and we pull our jeep behind it so we can go exploring when we are parked somewhere. You can see my little dog in the window if you look close. Her favorite place to be when the sun comes shinning in.
We love trying to take the roads less traveled and there are plenty of them out there. Below is just one of the campgrounds we have stayed at. I look for the smaller ones when we can, they are cheaper and less crowded at times.
For me this is all created for us to enjoy and take care of. One does not always have to travel to see it, there is also beauty in our own backyards.
I made thee; go forth, a season to·to-give-birth-of
and·you, be-fruitful-you, and·increase-you, roam-you, in·the·earth
What Will You do in 2022
Great Blue Heron to Music
Small Wildlife Around the Water
Small Wildlife Around the Water, these tiny little creatures are called Damselfly, such a strange name. They are not a dragonfly. I did not realize until today that they are two different species. These are so tiny, very hard to photograph also. But Damselfly eyes are separate, there is a space between their eyes and a Dragonfly has eyes that are almost connected, looks like one giant eye on their heads.
Dragonfly
I have not seen any monarch butterflies this year. But this one here was hanging around my porch. Its wings look a bit torn up, probably from the long flight to get up here. But it was flying around just fine all day. It was taking a rest on my porch chair.
It had two tones of color, under the wings it was a brown tone and on top of the wings it was black and white.
So I will leave you with a photo of one of my favorite lakes, hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Small Wildlife Around the Water
Duck Duck and Duck
Duck Duck and Duck, I have not seen many ducks or geese this year so far. But, then again I have not gone to any lakes this past week or so. I will have to be getting out there again soon. It has been pretty quiet around my place right now with the birds. They are sitting on nest I imagine.
Duck Duck and Duck
What a Colorful Day
What a Colorful Day to end the week with. I was driving along and saw one of those signs that says Historic Marker here. I love stopping at those. It was a small park and a lovely walk to the lake area. But this garage, boat house type building is what I noticed when I reached the water. The red tree buds almost matching the roof on the garage and the bird house.
Along with, my first sighting of a wood duck. Mr. and Mrs. Wood Duck. So very colorful. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
It did decide to snow just a bit today. Just enough to make everything look pretty for a few hours.
What a Colorful Day
Forest Green in Early Spring
Forest Green in Early Spring, there is always some form of green coloring in the forest all year long. But this time of year, in the spring, the pine needles are more vibrant as the forest wakes up to sprout new life. Green and Blue I must say are my favorite colors.
Forest Green in Early Spring
I See Skies of Blue
I See Skies of Blue and Clouds of White, The bright blessed days, the dark sacred nights. And I think to myself, What a wonderful World. For those of you who might remember this song by Louis Armstrong, I put the song at the bottom of the post.
I thought of this song when I woke up to a sky of blue after a nights rain. I have never seen so much blue upon blue with just a touch of white. A work of Art like no other, painted by the Hands of Time.
I See Skies of Blue
The Beauty of Spring
The Beauty of Spring, I just love when the migrating birds start coming back. It was gorgeous weather all weekend and I did not take one photo or open my computer at all. Sometimes you just have to take a moment and enjoy the spring weather when it arrives.
Even though the grass is still brown, I know any day now the wild flowers will start to come up and I can see the buds on the trees now also. So today I went to the lake to see if the swans were still there and they were. There was still a little ice on the water but it will all be gone soon.
This beautiful duck is back as well. It is called the Hooded Merganser Duck, there are 4 types of Merganser’s. I saw this one and the Common Merganser. I will have more photos coming this week. These are so cool looking I think with their crown of feathers. This is a male and the females are just as pretty. The females look like they have mohawks.
The Beauty of Spring
Over 1000 Species of Trees
Over 1000 Species of Trees in the US and over 60,065 species of trees in the world, according to a comprehensive study of the world’s plants. All these photos below I found in one small forest around me. My favorite is this first photo, the Aspen tree. The white bark with the black markings are so beautiful. This specific tree in the photo is right by me, I stop and put my hand on the bark every time I walk by it.
This next photo is Birch Tree, the bark peels off like paper. I could not identify the rest of the trees by the bark. I think I would need to buy a book to make it easier.
Over 1000 Species of Trees
Where is the Purple Finch
Where is the Purple Finch, Happy Easter Weekend, in line with Easter Egg Hunting, try and spot the purple finch song bird in this first photo. Almost like looking for an egg. 🙂 The last photo will show you a close up of the little bird, it is camouflaged pretty good.
Have a Wonderful Weekend
Where is the Purple Finch
Time to Shed Winter Coats
Time to Shed Winter Coats, lots of shedding going on this time of year. All sorts of deer hair around the bird feeders as they are trying to reach the itchy spot with their hooves. Or rubbing up against trees. This one here is enjoying a warm day, scratching behind her ear.
Then she heard something behind her and looked up to see if anything was there.
It was just me, she is looking at me like she is saying, ” What”
Time to Shed Winter Coats
Well the Moss is Green
Well the Moss is Green, I do love looking at moss on trees. When you get really close, it is like looking at a miniature forest. We had some snow a couple of days ago so there is still a little snow ice on the moss. The grass is not turning green yet and no buds on the trees. But the moss is always pretty to look at.
The Ice is Breaking Up
The Ice is Breaking Up at the lake. The lake looks so blue when the skies are clear. I went to this wonderful little park to see how the ice is doing and it is nice to see clear water again. It was kind of cold on this day so I did not get around the whole park.
It is good to see all the spring birds coming back, it is even nice to see the gulls again.
This is an entrance to a Cable bridge at this park. I love the towering beams holding the cables up at each end.
It is a small suspension bridge held by lots of heavy duty cables. But they suggest only 2 people at a time. It really gets to moving as you walk across it. I will have to go back there again for better photos. It was pretty cold and still slippery with ice everywhere.
It is Strutting Season
It is Strutting Season This has been such a treat to see these wild turkeys up close. Some of these photos were taken through a window. Maybe they will get to the point they won’t run off so quick if they see me out and about trying to get a picture of these beautiful birds, as they get used to me be around.
Turkeys almost always spit and drum when they strut but also do it when not strutting. Unlike a gobble that can carry up to a mile, the ruffling feathers and spit and drum sounds can be difficult for humans to hear beyond a hundred yards, even in the best conditions.
It is quite comical to watch these males strutting around, they are always right next to each other trying to out do the other as they puff up all their feathers. Along with trying to grab the attention of the girls, who on this day were not paying any attention to these two at all.
It is Strutting Season
Does Anyone Know What This Is
Does Anyone Know What This Is, well I did not know until the other day. I have seen wild turkeys from a distance. But never this close. The male turkeys, called Tom’s, are so much more colorful than I knew, especially during this time of year and if the sun is out.
These feathers sticking out from the males are called beards. Males typically have a “beard”, a tuft of coarse hair (modified feathers) growing from the center of the breast. Beards average 230Â mm (9.1Â in) in length. The longer the beard the older the turkey.
The body feathers are generally blackish and dark, sometimes grey brown overall with a coppery sheen that becomes more complex in adult males. The male is substantially larger than the female, and his feathers have areas of red, purple, green, copper, bronze, and gold iridescence.
Adult males, called toms or gobblers, have a large, featherless, reddish head, red throat, and red wattles on the throat and neck. The head has fleshy growths called caruncles. Juvenile males are called jakes; the difference between an adult male and a juvenile is that the jake has a very short beard and his tail fan has longer feathers in the middle.Â
Their heads are very colorful, from pinks and blues. Now, their face is a little odd, but their beautiful feathers really make them shine. Tomorrow I will show a couple photos of the Tom’s strutting their stuff. I never know when they will show up and they spook real easy. I hope to get some video of them one of these times.
Does Anyone Know What This Is
The Time Between Sunrise & Sunset
The Time Between Sunrise & Sunset, the snow is almost gone and the smell of fresh spring air is on the horizon. Golden hues of a spring sunrise is warming the earth from its winters nap. How precious our time is between the two.
Time is the most precious resource because you can’t get it back. People often think of money as their most valuable resource. Money is something created by man to trade for things.
Time seemed to last forever when I was younger. But today, time has slowed down for me. Without the Father, time was fleeting and not spent wisely for me. With the Father, time is a gift. Each moment from Sunrise to Sunset, are precious moments in time that can not be taken back. A very wise man said the other day, by the name of Mark, the Father never said we had to walk this path alone. He will teach us the value of time.
A Cheerful Tiny Bird
A Cheerful Tiny Bird called the Chickadee, Now I have taken 100’s of photos of this bird and many others. I never get tired of photographing the same species, but I do try to change the backgrounds and make each photograph a little different. The bird is the subject of the photo, but the challenge comes by finding new locations and different ways to photograph each bird.
Which takes a lot of patience to study and watch each species and try to figure out how they live so that I can showcase how they eat, nest and fly. Of course flying is the difficult one to capture, especially with this fast little bird.
The Trumpeter Swans are Back
The Trumpeter Swans are Back – They are loud and somewhat musical creatures, with their cry sounding similar to a trumpet, which gave the bird its name. There is still a little snow on the banks of the river, but it sure is nice to see them again.
Two of My Favorite Large Birds
Two of My Favorite Large Birds, The Raven and The Bald Eagle. I actually witnessed this weekend an Eagle flying by my place and two Ravens were pestering him as he was flying by. The ravens stay around my place so it must be their territory. I would have thought, the eagle being so much bigger, that they would fly away from him.
The Road to Spring
The Road to Spring is a long one here in my neck of the woods. But I do enjoy each season and you cannot rush it. So I try to capture each moment of each season by taking the road less traveled, finding places off the beaten path. There are plenty of places to explore on this beautiful road called life. Enjoy the ride, you can never get enough of nature.
Have a Wonderful Weekend
The Road to Spring
Crossing the Barrier in Time
Crossing the Barrier in Time, that is what winter makes me think of. When I am standing at a location such as where I took these photos. It is like standing in a new world, no people, buildings or anything that resembles time.
I have crossed the barrier of time in my mind where I can now see the past, the journey, the road less traveled to arrive at this place in time. This place in time is in the moment.
Lake Superior is an amazing place especially in the winter. It is like another world.
The past that we wore born into is gone, a distant memory. A New World a New Life awaits every moment our eyes are opened.
This photo below is Lake Superior taken a couple of weeks ago with a drone. It shows the Ice buckling up along the shore line.
I have made a video of this Winters photoshoot of Lake Superior, on my You Tube Channel, you can visit and see the videos Here; Lake Superior on Ice. They are a little bit long so I did not want to attach them to this post.
Crossing the Barrier of Time
Spring Fever is Here
Spring Fever is Here, especially when I see the Goldfinches are back. That little touch of yellow brightens the day.
Nature vs Man Made Neon Lights
Nature vs Man Made Neon Lights, I was watching a video that caught my eye the other day. There is something new out there called Cyber Punk Neon Effect. Well, it probably isn’t new, I just heard about it now. So it is new to me.
So I thought I would give it a try. I don’t take a lot of photos of city night lights. But I do enjoy it when I can, so the concept is to turn the lights into what appears like neon lights by adjusting the colors in post processing.
They use photos like this in the gaming industry and some sci fyi type movies. I kind of like it.
Funny thing, after I made the photo above, the next night I looked out the window and the brightest, most colorful looking sunset appeared on the horizon. I did not adjust the colors below, there was actually a pink beam of light rising up from the sun behind the trees.
It appears to be, that creation was showing me, Neon lights already exist with out having to use photoshop. 🙂
Nature vs Man Made Neon Lights
Beauty of Frost and Sunlight
Beauty of Frost and Sunlight, I went out to feed the birds this morning as it dipped back down to 7 Deg F. The sun was just starting to come through the trees and the frost on the glass bird feeder was just sparkling in the morning light.
Have a Great Weekend
Beauty of Frost and Sunlight
Mr. and Mrs. Evening Grosbeaks
Mr. and Mrs. Evening Grosbeaks, out for an evening’s dinner, dressed in their finest attire. Sunshine sure brightens the day.
He looks like he is on a mission to chase someone away from the feeder. Arrow dynamic, pointed like an arrow. 😊
