“You can’t change the music of your soul.” — Katharine Hepburn
“If you don’t know how much you need, the default easily becomes ‘more.’” — Ryan Holiday
“Son, brother, father, lover, friend. There is room in the heart for all the affections, as there is room in heaven for all the stars.” — Victor Hugo
“Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out; but I can usually shut her up with cookies.” — Cora Harvey Armstrong
California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi)
At times it was hard to tell whether we were enjoying the wildlife or they were studying us. Many of the squirrels at Yosemite appeared to be more curious than afraid. Perhaps they have been acclimated to the presence of people or a worse scenario would involve their previous feedings by visitors. At the Grand Canyon we were surprised to learn that more people were injured by squirrels than any other animal; bites!
Yosemite is the home to no less than six different types of squirrels including the California ground squirrel pictured above:
Belding’s ground squirrel (Urocitellus beldingi)
California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi)
Golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis)
Chickaree (Tamiasciurus douglasii)
Northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus)
Western gray squirrel (Sciurus griseus)
Unlike a number of squirrel species, the California ground squirrel has a spotted pattern in its fur which is quite interesting.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
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 57 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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Capture time: 1:57:22 PM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
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Nikon D3300
Did you hear the one about the photographer and the bear?
This video relates to two areas in which I have a significant interest; wildlife and photography. It seems far-fetched, but this wild bear saunters up to an area where a photographer is taking photos near a river and sits down only a few yards away. The bear soon becomes bored as evidenced by the yawn. Although bears have a brutish reputation, this particular bruin was very calm and collected.
I have to admit that the photographer was pretty calm as well!
“The difficulty in life is the choice.” — George A. Moore
“In rare moments of deep play, we can lay aside our sense of self, shed time’s continuum, ignore pain, and sit quietly in the absolute present.” — Diane Ackerman
“People give one another things that can’t be gift wrapped.” — Nadine Gordimer
“My mother was the worst cook ever; in school, when we traded lunches, I had to throw in an article of clothing.” — Rita Rudner
Half Dome as seen from the Olmsted Point parking area
As stated in prior posts, Half Dome, the icon of Yosemite National Park, peeks out from many vantage points . This was initially a color photo, but because of the lighting and the lack of clouds in the sky, the picture appeared too flat. I believe the black and white rendition presents it more accurately; amazing!
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
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 56 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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Capture date: June 7, 2016
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Canon SX50 HS
“Use soft words and hard arguments.” — English Proverb
“You cannot move away from something without moving toward something else.” — Andy Stanley
“The fishermen knows that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.” — Vincent Van Gogh
“When a man tells me he’s going to put all his cards on the table, I always look up his sleeve.” — Leslie Hore-Belisha
Followers of JBRish have seen a good number of flower pictures I have posted and many of them were desert natives or xeric varieties. One of the amazing qualities of Arizona is the variety of ecosystems and scenery the state has. Naturally there is the beautiful and very different Sonoran Desert, but we also have the high country which includes Flagstaff and serves as a summer retreat and winter skiing destination.
Last weekend we did something a bit different and very special as we celebrated the birthday of my best friend. It was a surprise getaway weekend that we planned with another very special couple-friends.
As we arrived at the door of the “birthday boy,” we saw a very interesting cactus in bloom in the front yard.
A cactus blooms after recent rains in the Sonoran Desert
I admit it is hard to believe that the flower pictured above is real, but it is. The color is so vibrant and “hot.”
Less than a few hours later we arrived at our northern destination and escaped the grasp of the 105 plus temperature for a much more moderate 75 degree atmosphere. This moderate climate enabled us to stroll the grounds of our hotel where we enjoyed the blooms of plants we don’t often see in the Phoenix area. I thought you would like to see some of them.
One of the first interesting sights we came across was a leaning evergreen tree.
It is difficult to conjecture why this tree is growing at such an angle. Perhaps it is the result of a rainy period followed by a strong wind storm that pushed it from its vertical posture.
Along the path Rudbeckia (Black-eyed Susan) had been planted which an insect found very appealing.
Shasta daisies were putting on a show for passersby as well.
Ratibida or Prairie Coneflower enjoyed their home in the nearby meadow. I believe this variety is also known as Mexican hat (Ratibida columnifera)
Several Blanket flowers (Gaillardia) were basking in sunnier locations. This plant also feels at home in our desert environment with proper care.
The last floral display we saw as we left the wooded area was, what I believe, is a cultivar of
Sambucus canadensis known as Elderberry or Common Elder.
While the wildflowers and cultivated gardens were left behind, we did enjoy one more floral display later that evening.
See previous posts about gardening-related topics here HERE
Equisetum hymale is an interesting wild, yet ornamental segmented grass. It is also known as Horsetail or Scouring rush. The sun filtering through the woods illuminate the stalks so they appear to be lit from within. They are very pretty in this presentation.
The photograph was taken during our hike around Mirror Lake at Yosemite.
Do you have a question about our visit to Yosemite? Ask it in the comment section.
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 55 YOY – Year of Yosemite
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Capture time: 11:42:21 AM
Capture date: June 5, 2016
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Nikon D3300
“A golden cage is still a cage.” — Anita Krizzan
“We all become great explorers during our first few days in a new city, or a new love affair.” — Mignon McLaughlin
“An advocate who has been well paid in advance will find the cause he is pleading all the more just.” — Blaise Pascal
“When your mind stops working, don’t forget to turn off the sound.” — Vikrant Parsai
