Month: February 2017

Nearer the Edge – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 221

Jeff

Nearer the end - Taft Pt. Trail

At this juncture we could get a glimpse of what might be ahead.

After hiking along the Taft Point Trail enjoying the sites the path provided, the trees began to give way and we could see a distance before us. Through the trees we could envision a potential distant precipice that held the promise of a spectacular view near the edge.

There was a drop off straight ahead as well as off to the right offering a look into the valley.

 

Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 221 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170217

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Breathe in, breathe out, move on.” — Jimmy Buffett

“Time and space are fragments of the infinite for the use of finite creatures.” — Henri-Frédéric Amiel

“You are the one who teaches other people how to treat you. What do you teach?” — Chalene Johnson

“In spite of the cost of living, it’s still popular.” — Chalene Johnson

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

Beginning the Taft Point Trail – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 220

Jeff

Beginning of the Taft Pt. Trail

This is the path as we began to hike to Taft Point

The Taft Point Trail was fairly typical of a number of trails at Yosemite National Park. We knew that “the point,” of the so-named Taft Point Trail, would be an outcropping of some sort and we anticipated the potential of great vistas.

On the way to the point, however, we hiked through the woods with an abundance of trees. Some of the places were very muddy and we had to scurry to find the driest path forward.

In the photo, viewers can see the log that is sawed into pieces to allow hikers to pass. I am always appreciative of the workers and trail keepers who do this labor to allow us to more safely hike the special lands!

 

Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 220 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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STATUS QUOtes — 20170216

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Every delay is too long to one who is in a hurry.” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca

The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity.” — Amelia Earhart

“If a drop of water falls in a lake, there is no identity. But if it falls on a leaf, it shines. So choose the best place where your ability shines.” — Unknown

“When you have got an elephant by the hind leg, and he is trying to run away, it’s best to let him run.” — Abraham Lincoln

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

Clusters of Phlox – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 219

Jeff

Clusters of Phlox at Yosemite

Apparently this environment was favorable for this species of phlox

You might remember that in post YOY 216, I showed a closeup of spreading phlox and how it likes to nestle into crevices in and around rocks.

The picture above also shows how clusters spread out along the sandy areas of the Sentinel Dome and Taft Point trails. The random patches of purple color really did make a beautiful scene especially up against the contrasting, abutting green foliage and brown sand.

 

Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 219 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture date: June 9, 2016
Exposure: 1/1000 sec @ f/4
Focal Length: 5.8mm
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Canon PowerShot A590 IS

 

STATUS QUOtes — 20170215

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“A large heart can be filled with very little.” — Antonio Porchia

“None of us really changes over time. We only become more fully what we are.” — Anne Rice

“Everything is in a state of flux, including the status quo.” — Robert Byrne

“There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 am. It could be a right number.” — Doug Larson

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

Half Dome Photo with Quote – Year of Yosemite (YOY) – Day 218

Jeff

Robert M. Pirsig quote about what each brings to the hiking experience

“The only Zen you can find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there..” – Robert M. Pirsig

Photographof Half Dome from Setinel Dome
Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross, ALL Rights Reserved ©

The reason this quote resonates with me is that when I speak of hiking, especially if it involves going uphill on a mountain, some of my friends look at me as though I have three eyes. They can’t seem to grasp why I would want to work that hard to get to the mountain top. Of course this is their prerogative. They don’t have to appreciate how I feel when I get to the top of the peak and look out over a vast panorama that strikes like a bolt of awe straight into my being.

It isn’t just the hike to the top that motivates me. It is the miracles one can find along the way! If you don’t like the outdoors and nature and you don’t have a calm, awe inspired attitude when walking in the woods, or watching birds or other experiences nature offers, then climbing a mountain may not provide the same astonishment and wonder it brings to others.

You have to bring that sense of adventure, wonder and deep appreciation with you as you climb and that is what helps to keep your feet moving as you hike.

 
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.

 

JBRish.com originally published this post
*All photographs Copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross with all rights reserved.

 
See previous Year of Yosemite (YOY) posts HERE. If you want to read the introduction to the YOY series, CLICK HERE.

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Meta Data – Day 218 YOY – Year of Yosemite

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Capture time: 11:53:33 AM
Capture date: June 9, 2016
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STATUS QUOtes — 20170214

Jeff

Today’s STATUS QUOtes

 

“Love, having no geography, knows no boundaries.”* — Thomas Fuller

“A smile is the light in your window that tells others there is a caring, sharing person inside.” — Denis Waitley

“The older the fiddle, the sweeter the tune.” — Irish Proverb

“The only reason I made a commercial for American Express was to pay for my American Express bill.” — Peter Ustinov

 

JBRish.com originally published this post

See previous STATUS QUOtes HERE

Thousands and thousands of quotes delivered since 2011!

Cactus Ghosts in the Desert

Jeff

Life in the Desert

Cactus appear as ghosts in the desert
Photograph copyright by Jeffrey B. Ross – © All Rights Reserved.

Living in the desert will often present a real life oxymoron which will make us stop and take notice. Although people think of the Sonoran Desert of Arizona as a very hot place, it does have a winter season. During this period of time, from December through February (approximately), we have cloudy days with intermittent rains. This year, we had more rainy days in January than any time in the last ten years that I can remember.

Another surprise to some is that we get snow on top of the mountains surrounding the Phoenix valley and we have a frost every once in a while. In our neighborhood so far this year, we had one day with light frost, but there have been years when we have had several days with a bit more than a light frost. When that happens, we need to protect some of our sensitive plants. This is often done by covering them with frost blankets.

Once the cloth is placed over the plant, it needs to be anchored at the bottom so the cold air, that is heavier than the warmer air, does not get under the cloth.

THE PICTURE ABOVE – There are certain cactus species that people use in their landscape in the desert that are more sensitive to the cold than others and nurseries can’t take the chance of having them damaged by cold or frost. To protect the plants, they wrap them in frost cloths during the colder months. The picture demonstrates this phenomenon. When I passed by this nursery in N. Phoenix, the bundled cacti reminded me of ghosts.

 
See previous posts about life in the desert HERE.