Nature Gallery Great Basin National Park

This is the largest Limber Pine that Trailblazer had ever seen. He posed by it so you could get the scale. It was at least 5 feet in diameter.
The next three images are of a "root ball". The tree has long disintegrated. The root cluster remains along with soil and other debris forming an interesting object. This was one of the objects on my GPS hunt that Trailblazer plotted out for me.


I think this is a baby spruce or a limber pine. (Help me out on this one, Wildman) It is about 5 inches high.
I think this is a baby bristlecone pine, about 2 feet high. Growing in all that quartzite. Wheeler Peak is mostly quartzite.
Bristlecone pine....you have to admire a tree that can live up to 5,000 years in the most adverse conditions...wind, altitude, rock.


Limber Pine. We camped in a limber pine forest. They were all over. Even growing up with the Bristlecones.
This next photo is not at GB, but taken at a museum in Delta, Utah. I noticed a variety of clary sage in their garden. It is a little different than mine. It has more lavender and slightly different shaped leaves. I asked the museum attendant. She said she didn't know what it was, it had volunteered. She offered to dig one up and send it with me. The museum was very interesting. We saw a mineral display of all the stones and gems from the area, such as topaz, red emerald, obsidian, garnet. We saw a different mineral display glow with different kinds of ultra-violet light. We visited a rock shop where they make bears and buffalo out of Utah picasso jasper, calcite and septarian nodules. I wished I would have taken my camera inside the museum!
We toured a "barracks" building of where over 6,000 Japanese were interred for 3 1/2 years during the 2nd world war. Amazing, poignant story.

Great Basin Adventure

Great Basin National Park is a long ways from almost everything. It is beautiful and peaceful. I am glad we went, but probably won't go back. It has a 13,000 plus mountain, glacier, forests. It has a few lakes, but no fishing. In Utah, we wouldn't even call their lakes the dignified name of "frog pond".

Here are a few of the highlights:
Finding the almost perfect camp spot. Nice tent spot. Fairly close to the stream. No bugs, flies or mosquitoes! The only thing lacking was being able to hear the water feature from our tent. It was quiet, cool and relaxing.
Hiking nearly to timberline, almost to a glacier, through a Bristlecone pine grove. Some of these trees are more than 3,000 years old and still living.

Of course, I have to hug a tree. This one "sapped" me.
Discovering an enchanted, pristine, private forest to explore. (Right next to our camp.) We had fun doing a GPS "treasure hunt". (No, this is not a euphemism)
Check out the deer grazing in the middle of the photo.
Touring a great cave--Lehman. My photos weren't the best because I was using Night mode and couldn't hold it still enough. Oh, well, thank goodness for post cards and internet links.

Being so close to all kinds of deer...within a few yards. One doe even invaded our camp and devoured the mushrooms that we were going to photograph in the morning that had sprouted the morning after a rainstorm.
Discovering a forest filled with curly aspens. Look like they could fit into LOTR.

Seeing real wild horses in their wild setting in a remote area of the Goshute Mountains in Nevada. They were just relaxing. The fence actually was bordering the road and quite a distance from them. I assume to help keep them off the road. There were numerous signs warning of Wild Horses about.

This is a shot of actually how far away they were. The photos above were the best I could do with telephoto.

Uintas Expedition

We were guided by the Forest Devas to beautiful forests and meadows, countless streamlets, a gorgeous river. All within easy hiking distance. Breathtaking views of mountains closeby. We parked at the Christmas Meadows Trailhead and found access to great horse and people trails. I think it's prettier than China Meadows and nearly 2 hours closer to home.

Our overnight campground right on the Stillwater Fork River. Wonderful River lullaby sounds. Riverfront beaches and sand piles. Wildflowers. Not too bad for getting a campsite on a Friday night at 5 pm.

Butterfly Lake on the way out the next morning. This photo was taken from one of the camp sites that was not being used on a Saturday morning. I kept asking, where are the crowds??. (We found them later at the Trial lake trail head)

Trailblazer taking a GPS reading on a snow bank. (There were only a few.)

Unamed frog pond between Butterfly and Castle Lakes.

Looking East from Castle Lake.

No need to hike or ride a horse 11 miles to get a glimpse of a Red Castle Lake. Yes, there is a Castle Lake that is breathtaking and is only a half mile from the road. It is a kid-friendly hike. (But, no trail). No, it's not Red, but has Solitude and beauty....(at least until the boy scouts from Camp Steiner find it for the season).

View of Christmas Meadows

Nice Trail, Stillwater Fork

Full of streamlets and rivulets, but didn't HAVE to wade through any. 

Lake Powell 2007

Just a few photos to document that the camera and venturers made it back safely and with memories to last a lifetime

Campsite #1, Willow Creek

Makes me look like I actually rode a Wave Runner.

Campsite #2, Iceberg Canyon

Dancing Angels at the mouth of Clear Creek.

Desert Evening Primrose, Iceberg Canyon

Some more photos that others have not posted. Please see Wildbound, DesertBound or Sayyadina for more pics and stories.

Tamarisk framed dead trees~Iceberg canyon Campsite #2 View

Cute pic of NAM playing in Willow Creek.

Orchid Story

Here are some photos of my "surprise" orchids. For those who have not heard the story. I bought a plant at Super Savers for $1.50. It had a nice piece of ivy and a broad leafed plant. it also had two dry looking sticks, that I didn't pay too much attention to. I watered it for about 2 weeks in a little corner of my cubicle at work. Then, I happened to see a little tag stuck in the dirt that described the type of orchid and the care they needed. I thought, they won't get that here. On a whim, I sprayed the sticks with my Field organizer spray (Rose and Orange Blossom hydrosols). That was on a Friday. By Monday, when I came back to work, there were about 13 fuschia colored buds. After about 10 days, they looked ready to blossom, so I brought the plant home to enjoy them here. They have begun blooming. I still haven't figured out how to take close ups with my camera as it doesn't have instructions.

2006 in review

I remember about 2006....Bob wanting to buy me a new car.
Going for a test drive in a used Pilot that had some problems, including really negative enregy vibes. Finally deciding on a brand new car in the invisible, invincible color of Laboradorite (Sagebrush).
Roadtrip in the new Pilot with Teisha and kids to Arches to “camp” with Bethany’s family and friends. Playing house in the desert.
Sleeping in my new Pilot and setting off the alarm at midnight by rolling over the keys. Waking the entire camp up. Hiking the Fiery Furnace. One of my favorite hikes EVER. Wearing 5 layers including gloves. Impressing everyone with another rollover move in the slot canyon.
Our fabulous road trip to Arches, Sedona and visiting my sister Melanie. Gathering agate in the desert and sleeping in the back of the Pilot in the middle of nowhere. Trying to hike the Fiery Furnace, this time with Bob, but getting lost on the way in and never seeing much of it.
Helping Kira get their house ready to sell. Moving plants, furniture, rugs, etc over there to make it look good. Having it sell on the first day of their open house. Thanks to Sandy for being such an awesome agent and “stager”.
Hurting my back, arm and shoulder somehow and having that drag on for over 3 weeks. Not being able to sit up for Quincy’s baptism. Wearing a sling.Teisha and Aaron Looking for a place to live in St. George.
Being inspired to give Teisha a watercolor painting lesson on the morning of May 24. Finally, being pain-free and wanting to go riding for the first time in a month, but tending Teisha’s kids instead while she went riding.Having a policeman come to my door telling me my daughter had been in a horse accident and was on her way to the hospital. Kind of “freaking out”, calling whoever I could think of to help.The kind man who walked Wayfarer back from the accident site.Finally getting to the ER at Ogden Regional and “freaking out” again to see my daughter in such agony.Watching Teisha lift off in an Air-Med Chopper and having the attendants tell me to be sure and say good-bye.Giving Heather my cell phone to make all the phone calls and try and get hold of Aaron.Driving down to the U-Med center.Surgery waiting rooms. Aaron finally arriving after his sister got him a plane ride from St. George.Driving back and forth to SL every day.
Having so many people praying and caring.
Taking Wayfarer in the trailer to visit Teisha at the Wasatch Care center.
Crying.Finally getting Teisha home. Being glad our bathroon was wheelchair friendly. Riding Shrek up the mountain trail and looking back to see Bob on the ground, unconscious. Feeling, “oh no—I am going to have to call 911”Watching Bob finally come and get up, get back on Biscuit and finish the ride. Riding a little further up the trail, then having Bob say he wanted to ride back now, because he was a little sore.Trying to talk Bob into going to the Dr.Taking Bob to the Dr. the next day, discovering he had broken ribs and pnemonia.
 Bob into taking natural things such as cayenne, Shaman and colloidal silver instead of the antibiotics.My 60th birthday party the kids threw for me while Bethany was here. The poem Caleb wrote and he said something like, “I want to write about the Mom I grew up with, not the New Age one in-touch-with-her-feelings.”Bethany coming out to help. Grandpa Nelson passing away. Bob speaking at the funeral a week after his accident. Bethany & family coming out again.
Having an adult family portrait taken at Justin’s house.
Selling Biscuit.
Watching Heather, Rob, and Aaron play sand volleyball at Cherry Days. Watching Teisha work Wayfarer in the round pen with a rotating chair… River’s Birth (she is such a sweetie). Teisha & Aaron Moving to Cache Valley. Lots of fabulous rides, Snow Basin, North Fork, including riding through the fantastic rocks and bison on Antelope Island.
Bob taking an oil painting class and showing us one of his wonderful talents. Having Teisha ask to borrow my cell phone, so she could go on a solo road trip to Capitol Reef.
Getting my own digital camera.
Having a black cat show up on our doorstep. (It’s supposed to mean prosperity ahead)
A wonderful relaxing UEA weekend, ending just a day before….
Bob’s widow-maker near miss. Trying to talk him into going to ER for over 6 hours AFTER he had been having symptoms for the previous 6 hours.
Driving back and forth to the hospital. All the wonderful prayers and help from everyone.
Caleb being awesome in the Scarlet Pimpernel. I saw it FOUR times!
Amberle’s play Thoroughly Modern Millie and having the fire alarm go off in the middle and evacuating.
Attending Carol Tuttle’s 3 day Energy Healing 101. Thanks to Bob for letting me go even though he had only been home from the hosptial for 2 days.
Taking Bob into the ER again for foot and knee pain when a Baker’s Cyst apparently ruptured. Visiting Bethany for Thanksgiving with Teisha, Aaron and kids. Entreating angels to find a way that Aaron could get off work. It happened!!!
Bethany & Brandon’s fabulous food and hospitality. Teisha looking for gerbils. Getting some. Taking them back. Then, finally getting some more. Remembering the fun I had with gerbils as a kid.
A fabulous 40th anniversary party and wonderful new additions to the Book.
A fun family Christmas party.
Spending Christmas Eve with Teisha Aaron in Nibley. All the incredible miracles and angels that are my family and friends…I love you!!!