Sawyer Claus

I couldn't wait any longer to post these photos of Sawyer. He is just adorable, even if I do say so as a proud Grandma!

Phriday Phun

I have no idea what this is, but I took a picture of it anyway!. Maybe it is an indication that Costa Ricans have a sense of humor!!!

You Can't Judge a Book......

......or a butterfly, by its cover. Like the frog, this guy is perfectly camouflaged. A casual observer would not be overly impressed with the beauty of this butterfly. As I observed him (or her), he rarely revealed his inner self.

But briefly, he opened up and we saw the brilliant fluorescent blue of his inner beauty.

Aren't some people just like that. I remember when I was in college I met someone who I quickly judged as being boring, nerdy, and just not the type of person I would pick as a friend. But it didn't take very long before my whole perspective changed! When I made the effort to really get to know her, she was so fun, witty, smart and one of the nicest people I have ever known. She became one of my very best friends during those years. I still try to remember to 'not judge a book by its cover'!

Costa Rica Poster Frog

Just an ordinary looking green frog nicely blending in while sleeping on a green leaf....



Surprise.......





Here's the same little guy, wide awake and showing off all his brilliant colors. It's hard to believe that one tiny creature can be this colorful! I can't remember his name, but he's a very popular advertisement on many of the travel guides and vacation ads for Costa Rica.

A Few More......

......photos of this beautiful volcano taken at different times, then a few photos around the lodge.

Beautiful Beyond Description

ARENAL VOLCANO
Costa Rica

The sky was heavily overcast as we made our way to the Arenal Observatory Lodge where we were staying. We really could not see more than a few yards because of the rain, low hanging clouds, fog, and mist. We checked in, found our room, then hauled our luggage in and started getting settled. Just then the skies began to clear. We walked out on our balcony to this view. It was breathtakingly beautiful, like something out of another world. I wish my pictures could do it justice, but they look pathetically inadequate compared to what my eyes saw!! We sat on our balcony from then until dark, mesmerized by what the play of light from the setting sun, and the ever changing cloud formations did to this amazing vista. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything like it. I must have taken 300 pictures. We were much closer to the volcano than these pictures show. This is because in order to get all the beautiful cloud formations included, I had to use an ultra wide angle lens which, of course, alters the perspective.

The lodge used to be a station for scientists observing and measuring seismic activity, so it is very close, but does have a ravine in front for protection. This is a very active volcano. You are seeing partly cloud cover and partly steam and gas escaping from the top. As we sat there we could hear rumbling from deep inside, accompanied by the very eerie sound of howler monkeys in the distance. We learned that on clear nights for the past 4-5 years you could see lava spewing from the top, but just 5 days before we arrived the lava stopped. This is not a good thing we were told, because it may be an indication of a build up for a major eruption, and people have been killed in past eruptions.

Something that made this area so unique and beautiful was the diversity of vegetation. We were in a rain forest, yet mixed among the tropical foliage were tall, beautiful pine trees. It seemed strange to see exotic flowers, vines, and palms climbing up and growing next to pine trees. We hiked to waterfalls and saw many beautiful sights in this area, but none compared to the grandeur of this volcano surrounded by a thousand shades of green.

I'll post a few of my favorite Costa Rica memories every day or so, but for any of you who would like to overdose on about 600 photos right now you can see them here.

First Annual Thanksgiving Eve.......

GIRLS NIGHT OUT
(plus bodyguard)

It seems only fair! The men in our family usually get together on Thanksgiving Day before dinner and go shooting. By that I mean they gather up junk that should have gone to the dump, (such as old TVs, microwaves, Halloween pumpkins, etc.), haul them out to the foothills by Saratoga Springs, and blast them to smithereens. (Is that really a word?) And when all that is reduced to dust, they resort to shooting clay pigeons. Around here, nothing says 'male bonding' better than blowing old stuff up, unless it's working together under the hood of an old car. Meanwhile back at the ranch, the ladies are slaving away in the kitchen preparing the days feast and tending children. So we decided to start a new tradition where the women get together for a little female bonding on Thanksgiving Eve and let the men hold down the fort!! Cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory was perfect. Lots of girl talk, lots of laughing, lots of stories, and lots of calories!!! The only thing that was missing was Amber. Tyler was saving your place, Amber, until you can join us for the Second Annual Thanksgiving Eve Girls Night Out.

A Peak at Paradise.....

.....well, you'd think it was Paradise! They say that Costa Rica has a thousand shades of green. I really don't think that is true. I'm sure it is more like ten thousand shades at least. The vegetation is so lush, so green, so colorful, so beautiful. Rain forests, volcanoes, waterfalls, pine forests, tropical flowers, tropical fruit crops, deserted beaches rimmed with palms, exotic birds and animals, all within a few hours drive in every direction. I'm sure I have a thousand photos that I need to wade through, but for now, here is just a sneak peak. This is the beach area near where we stayed for several nights.

A Trick or Treater's NIGHTMARE!!!!

This sits in a neighbor's front yard and is part of an amazing Halloween display a couple blocks from my house. (Obviously I added my own touches to add to the scariness!)

Phriday Phun

I'm going to be a rodent for Halloween!!

Sawyer at Lake Powell

SAWYER, aka.........
Mr. SoyBean, StegaSawyer, DynaSawyer, TyrannaSawyer Rex
No matter what we call him, he is the sweetest, cutest and smilingest baby I've ever seen! These are a few snapshots taken at Lake Powell, all but one in a moving ski boat, so they are not the best technically speaking, but the subject matter doesn't get any better than this!!!!!!

Ready for Halloween!

I know Tiera posted one of my photos of Chase on her blog, but I just had to post a couple more. This is the cutest skeleton I've ever seen!

PUMPKIN TOP

Time to pick pumpkins from Grandma's pumpkin patch!

Phriday Phun

Lake Powell PHUN
(Tyler & girlfriend Emily are on right)

Tech Talk Tuesday

Sometimes you want to show the 'whole picture'.....but when you really want to make an impact, one of the best ways is to zoom way in! Get up close and personal with your subject and crop out everything that might detract from the main event. We were at The Gateway the other evening watching kids play in the fountain. The first photo below is a nice shot of the whole scene, but in the second shot you really see the fun these kids were having trying to dodge the water spurts.

Fall In Utah

This could possibly be my all time favorite landscape photo I've taken. I love the sunset shadows raking over the fiery foliage and the clouds resting on the top of Timp. If only the snow would stay on the top of the mountains!!! I rarely print any of my landscape images, but I decided to splurge. I had a discount coupon from Nicols Professional Lab, and today I'm picking up a wall sized enlargement on canvas to frame. (I'm soooo excited!) I never get tired of this image. I hope you enjoy it too!

Welcome Home My Precious Daughter!

Yesterday evening we learned that our sweet niece has returned to her Father in Heaven. She is free from the bonds and temptations of this world that hold us captive, and now with soundness of mind and body, and eyes that see clearly, she can progress by leaps and bounds toward the eternal joy that awaits us on the other side of the veil. I can imagine her voicing the words of my favorite scripture which is found in 2 Nephi 1:15, "But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, AND I AM ENCIRCLED ABOUT ETERNALLY IN THE ARMS OF HIS LOVE." There is such peace in knowing that she is safe and loved.

A Perfect End to Summer!

Sunny Daze

We just returned from 10 wonderfully peaceful days at Lake Powell. With no cell phone or TV service, it really was a 'get away from it all' vacation. (Our only regret is that we were not able to listen to Conference.) The temperatures were in the mid 70's, just perfect for lounging, reading, relaxing, playing games, watching movies, touring, hiking to Anasazi ruins, watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets.....(and taking photos). We went down with friends who stayed for a few days and left just as some other friends came and stayed for a few days. Michelle, Sawyer and Jessica came down during this time as well. Toward the end of the week, Tyler and 7 of his closest friends came down and livened things up. The old folks were content to tour in the boat and do all of the above mentioned activities, but the younger people wake boarded, rode the tube, built sand castles, and gave us a country western dance exhibition.....(yes, even Tyler!!!) First time being in charge of a houseboat was a big learning curve, but we've decided that it was a great idea! We're already looking forward to next year, so put in your reservations early! (Sleeps 10 in beds, and 10-15 in sleeping bags on upper deck. (I'll post more photos tomorrow)

After passing so many amazing sites, (see earlier posts), the Mormon pioneers came to this! Scouting up and down the Colorado River gorge showed no easier way, so they chiseled and blasted this crevice wide enough, and with ropes, pulleys and manpower as their main equipment, lowered 80 wagons and 1000 head of cattle down the 1200 foot drop, then built ferries to take them across the 300 foot wide Colorado River. WOW!

Along the walls, some of those pioneers left their mark, including the date. Today this would be considered graffiti, but not those names! Some were big and bold and seemed to say, "we were here, and we are committed and up to any challenge required of us in the name of our faith and our God." It is a humbling experience to stand on this spot and see what men (and women), can accomplish with faith and tenacity. Can we say the same??

OWEN IS 4!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OWEN!!

Phriday Phun

A Farmer's Work Is NEVER Done!

Chimney Rock

The pioneers past many awe inspiring sites on the way to Hole in the Rock. This spire stands alone & is surrounded by miles of flat prairie land. I tried to imagine a covered wagon or a hand cart sitting here instead of our little RZR & I chuckle when I wonder what those pioneers would think if they could see us zipping along and covering in a few hours what took them many, many months. And, at this point they still had no idea what they had waiting ahead of them!!! (See past post)

Dance Hall Rock

A group of Mormon pioneers were sent by Brigham Young to southern Utah to colonize an area that became known as Bluff. They started from a point now known as Escalante and shortly into their journey camped near this huge, flat rock. Being in great spirits, and not realizing the challenge that lay ahead, they called this place 'Dance Hall Rock' where they enjoyed nightly dances and fiddle music under the protection of this natural alcove.

Morning at Devil's Garden

The three of us (Jeff, myself, and the RZR), took a quickie belated anniversary jaunt down to a few of our favorite places in southern Utah. This was taken on the road to Hole in the Rock. (More about that later.) Today it's clean up, laundry and canning.......no picture taking!

A New Day

I've mentioned before how I love having no drapes or blinds on our VERY large bedroom window. (Don't worry, we have no backyard neighbors, and our bedroom is second floor high!) This morning the room brightens with a hint of a new day. The light wakes me up, I roll over and see a beautiful sky and catch a glimpse of a beautiful morning sunrise. I sit up to get a better view, and this is the scene that greets me. I hurry out of bed, grab my camera and step out onto the deck, (door to deck conveniently located in our bedroom), to savor the moment and take a picture or two.

It's going to be a GREAT day!