Permanently Parked!

This was taken in the small town of Springdale, just outside Zion National Park.   I love how the colors of this old car mimic the muted, earthy colors of this winter red rock landscape. 

Balloons in Mesquite, Nevada

 Nice to see these colorful balloons in winter. 

Pretending It's Not Winter!

Casa Blanca

This is a good example of a photo that could be misleading.  You might think I'm enjoying the warm breezes of a tropical paradise, when in reality, I am a short 4 hour drive south of the miserably freezing cold winter weather where I live.  I took this photo this morning in front of the Casa Blanca resort in Mesquite, Nevada, just across the Utah-Nevada border and about an hour drive from Las Vegas.  Although not sun tanning weather, at around 60 degrees F., it is definitely a pleasant break from winter.  We have escaped for about a week and are enjoying every minute.   

Enduring Winter

The hope of Spring helps us to endure the hardships of Winter

Lake Powell Fun

I don't usually post family photos on this blog, (I have a family blog for that), but I'm going to make an exception today.  Since I've recently posted several 'landscape' or 'beauty' photos of Lake Powell,  I want you to know this is not what Lake Powell really is to me.  For me it is all about family fun and a lifetime of family memories, and has nothing to do with looking for the perfect photo op.  So here is a representation of our REAL Lake Powell experience:

Tubing tops the list of family fun at Lake Powell.

Then comes jet skiing, wake boarding, water sliding and swimming.

Next we have games, boating and exploring....

 caves, arches, slot canyons, rock cliffs.

And there's always time for a little fishing, cliff jumping for the brave ones....and even some doggy fun.

I haven't mentioned several other VERY important activities like, eating, reading, and napping.  Well that is a pretty good representation of how we spend about 12 days of our summer.  This precious time with our family is the highlight of our year!

Tranquility Interrupted at Lake Powell!

It is not uncommon for a storm front to race through, even on a sunny, warm day, bringing heavy rain, wind, thunder and lightening.  When our children were young and we couldn't afford a houseboat we would camp on the shore and over the years endured numerous storms.  (I can't believe I did that!)  Now we watch from the comfort of the houseboat where we stay warm and dry, and when we are tired of watching the storm, we play games or read or eat, (usually all three),  until it passes and we can go back to our water sports or other activities.  This day we watched from the front of the houseboat as numerous streams appeared in a matter of minutes.  If we were up in one of the many canyons, we would be looking at waterfalls cascading off the rock cliffs.

I walked around to the back of the houseboat and this was what I saw.  This is probably one of the most dramatic skies I think I have ever seen, from the almost black, dense storm clouds to the bright blue sky.  Hard to believe that within a few hours, we were all back out sun tanning and jet skiing.

For Diane and others who may not be familiar with Lake Powell, here is a bit of information.  Lake Powell is the second largest man made resevoiur in the United States and straddles the border between Utah and Arizona. It was formed after construction of the Glen Canyon Dam which restricted the Colorado River.  It is a vast body of water with hundreds of miles of shoreline creating many inlets and water filled red rock canyons creating stark but beautiful desert vistas.   It is a major vacation spot and around 2 million people visit every year.  It is a mecca for those loving water sports including boating, water skiing, tubing, wake boarding, cliff diving, etc.  The best way to enjoy Lake Powell is on a houseboat.  Traveling around the lake you can see amazing red rock formations, rock arches, prehistoric Indian carvings and dwellings, etc.  During the summer months the water is as warm as bath water, and the lake is so vast that you never feel crowded.

Lake Powell Tranquility - 3

Lake Powell Sunsets are GLORIOUS!  I can sit back and relax on the houseboat, lemonade and Cheetos in hand with camera on my lap, and enjoy a show like this almost every evening!

Lake Powell Tranquility - 2

Lazy Daze and Sunny Daze (name of the houseboat)

Lake Powell Tranquility - 1

Often times the sun hits ripples in the lake in a way that creates these beautiful ribbons of color reflecting the red and orange rock and the blue sky, which is pretty much the color palette found at Lake Powell.  Almost mesmerizing watching these ripples move softly across the lake.

Baby, it's Cold Outside!

Even though the first rays of sun highlighted the icicles on our roof and cast warm light on our garage, it was a very cold morning.  In fact it is zero degrees Fahrenheit.  And this is cold for Utah! Where I live we are blessed with four distinct seasons, but when it snows in the winter, it rarely gets this cold.  Unlike many of our more northern states where snow piles up and lasts for a very long winter, in the most densely populated areas in Utah, it snows, then warms up melting most of the snow, then repeats this cycle throughout the winter months.  Only in the mountains do we have vast quantities of snow, often from November through April, and that is just fine for all the skiers, and snowboarders who flock to our world famous ski resorts.  (For those who don't remember, the Winter Olympics were held here in 2002.)  If you know me, however, you know that I'm a summer person, (give me 85 degrees F and I'm a happy camper), so this photo will go into my 'I Hate Winter' folder!!  Hope it's warmer where you are today.  And I'll spend my day at home very close to the fireplace and think about my friends in New Zealand, Australia, Tahiti, Samoa and New Caledonia.

Lake Powell Morning

If Only In My Dreams! 

(It's 3 degrees F. this morning where I live.)

Phun Phriday

BACK OFF LADY.......AND GET THAT CAMERA OUTTA MY FACE!!!

Bellagio Conservatory

Bellagio Conservatory - Spring 2011

Today the colors outside my window range from dark gray to light gray to dirty white...... that is when I can see beyond the three foot long icicles hanging off the roof.  Sigh!  I came across the photos I took in Las Vegas while we were attending a car show prior to leaving for New Zealand in 2011.  I'm hoping these bright colors taken in the conservatory of the Bellagio will brighten my day.....and yours. 

Last Rays of Sun - Lake Powell

Shortly after we returned from New Zealand, we spent two glorious weeks on our houseboat timeshare at Lake Powell.  All of the children and grandchildren were able to spend some time with us and we had the best time.  After a fun filled day of water skiing, eating, wake boarding, jet skiing, eating, swimming, tubing, eating, visiting, eating, playing games, catching fish, and more eating, the ski boat is resting for the night.  I took this photo from the back of the houseboat just as the last rays of sun raked over the red rock.  And for those of you who have never been to Lake Powell, yes, the rocks are really this red, and become positively neon at sunset.

Desktop Image and Calendar - January

January - 2013

This year I've decided to resume making Desktop Calendars.  You can find them easily at the beginning of each month by clicking on the Free For You tab below the header.  Feel free to download, enjoy and share.  But please do not use for commercial purposes.  Just click HERE, then right click to set as your desktop image.  It should fill your screen and not be pixelated or blurry.  Let me know if you need help.  

P.S.  Read the story about this photo and my little feathered friend. 

2013 - The Dawn of a NEW YEAR!

The first dawn of a new year and this is what I saw out my window.  Made me depressed, especially since I tossed and turned all night and woke up with a chest cold.  I didn't want to be depressed!  I went to bed in such a good mood because we had spent a wonderful time New Year's Eve with family, eating good food, visiting and watching a move.  (As a side note, if you have children or grandchildren from about the age of 7 up, a wonderful movie to watch as a family, especially at Christmas time, is The Ultimate Gift.)

Back to the picture and my mood.  I decided I wouldn't be depressed and I could choose to change my attitude.  And I didn't need to look at this boring photo either.   Thanks to modern technology, I can choose to change this scene in my mind's eye with a few clicks of a mouse...............

Ahhhh, that's better.  I feel happier already!  I think it's going to be a great year!!  I'll probably put this in my 'I Hate Winter' folder on my SmugMug site!  (NOTE:  as usual, when I do MAJOR edits, I always confess....well almost always!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND I WISH YOU JOY, HEALTH, PEACE AND MANY  GREAT PHOTO OPS!