The most capable off road recovery crew...
in red rock canyon country is Trailmater Offroad Recovery and that’s a fact. While I wasn’t in need of their rescue services today, they are conservationists at heart and promote the protection of endangered species in the high desert. So I bought a t-shirt in support of their efforts to protect the endangered Diamond-billed Rock Pecker that was hunted to near extinction due to the damage they cause by drilling holes in the surrounding sandstone.
The recovery fleet of purpose-built wreckers parked in front of the shop on US Highway 191 south of Moab: Old Blue, Trailmater and Mini-Mater (left to right).
An uncommon collared lizard...
of enormous proportions has appeared at the Colorado Riverway Information pullout near Goose Island Campground. Fun!
The new corral in the upper valley...
off Castleton Road is nearing completion. Its sturdy and all steel construction suggests that a dinosaur might be penned here someday.
But this velociraptor could easily hop the fence, even if electrified!
First ascent of Castleton Tower...
by a polar bear occurred today when a new climbing route was pioneered on the north side of the sandstone monolith that goes 5.11c! You saw it here first.
UPDATE: Another one of my creatively manipulated images made it into this week’s Castle Valley Comments. Hah.
Erupting in a matter of hours...
from the lawn, this phallic fungus emerges on schedule in October. About a half dozen of these pungent and indecent structures have developed so far, likely triggered by the recent rains. Impressive.
Common stinkhorn (Phallus impudicus).
Odorous chemicals in the slimy cap attract insects which will collect spores and spread them to other locations.
UPDATE: The following day, still standing erect but the cap has been consumed by insects, still attracted to the pungent odors.
While the elves toil away...
in the workshop, the boss hits the trail for a hike on a spectacularly nice day. Busy season is just about to start. Ho ho ho.
Yikes!!
A major modification of the eastern skyline has occurred today with the unfortunate collapse of Castleton Tower!
Waiting in line early...
at the telescope for this evening’s star party. First in the queue, first at the eyepiece. Heh.
Handsome mule deer buck caught early this morning through the door window.
The circumference of a pumpkin...
divided by its diameter equals pumpkin pi. Happy Thanksgiving!
Unlike Lake Wobegon...
where all children are above average, the kids in Castle Valley apparently fall on the other side of the mean. How embarrassing for our community.
These peculiar holes...
that occur in the region’s sandstones are, as believed by some, excavated by the extremely rare and endangered Diamond-billed Rock Pecker. They remain elusive to this bird photographer and so a drawing will have to suffice.
Save the Pecker! This sticker is available at Moab Motorsports.
Geologists, on the other hand, would suggest that the eroded pockets are a product of chemical weathering by dissolution of the binding cements in the sandstone, with the wind sweeping out the grains, slowly through time. That seems to be the working explanation elsewhere.
A rare and extraordinary sighting...
along the margin of Fish Lake this morning. Fortunately I was present and captured it with my camera.
Vagrant pink flamingo.