the stand-up paddleboard and hit the lakes as temperatures rise.
Calm conditions on Fish Lake in the early evening.
Cosmic cliffs visualized...
in a star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula, among the first images released by NASA from the newly commissioned James Webb Space Telescope. Breathtaking.
Image by NASA/JWST.
Comparative image of same region from the Hubble Space Telescope (NASA).
A citrusy explosion...
in both form and scent can be found in the shaded parts of the wetlands where mock-orange is resplendent right now.
Mock-orange (Philadelphus coronarius).
An extraordinary life...
was celebrated yesterday, in memory of William Bond, who passed away in December 2021 in Spokane. Family and friends gathered at Luna restaurant in a festive remembrance of his remarkable life, summarized in this obituary written by his grandchildren.
William Charles Bond, 1940 - 2021, RIP.
William called the Dean of the College of Science at Eastern Washington University in the summer of 1998 asking to meet and have lunch with a member of the geology faculty to satisfy his interest and curiosity in earth science. He subsequently enrolled in a number of geology classes and various week-long regional field trips, and we became close friends ever since. I shall miss this fellow and feel richer for having known him.
I brake for turtles...
crossing the trail, even providing them some assistance getting to their destination. What a remarkably different environment this is in eastern Washington compared to where I was just days ago on the Colorado Plateau.
Western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) taking its sweet time crossing the Fish Lake trail.
A view of the verdant wetlands south of Cheney, Washington.
The early biker...
gets to enjoy the cool and calm morning air in Castle Valley. This is my last ride for a while as I flee northward from the coming heat of summer.
Duking it out...
with a dinosaur at the Bull Canyon Overlook and therapod track site high in the La Sal Mountains.
Local rock art guru Rory Tyler vs. Tyrannosaurus Rex.
Independence Day in Castle Valley...
is celebrated this year by a parade of fire engines, classic vehicles and personal tractors, followed by a community barbeque where 120+ residents attended the event. Small town USA at its best. Happy 246th birthday, America!
Self portrait...
at the end of a stormy afternoon with clearing skies, out on the trail, getting inspired.
More monsoonal moisture...
is falling in Castle Valley this afternoon. Glad I got in an early morning ride, though these storms don’t last long.
UPDATE 3 July 2022: Hardly a flash flood, but the arroyos in the upper part of Castle Valley have some water flowing in them the morning after the rainfall.
Curves ahead...
as the sign indicates, both in the road and in the distant strata. Look close and you’ll spot an ascending monoclinal fold in the Moenkopi Formation (Triassic) at the north end of Castle Valley.
A curtain of virga...
drifts across Arches National Park early this evening. It would be nice to get some rain.
A new reptilian home...
is under construction beneath my rock patio.
Western whiptail lizard (Cnemidophorus tigris).
Surprisingly active...
in the midday sun and heat, this flycatcher is out hunting prey and I suspect it’s tending to young.
Say’s Phoebe (Sayornis saya).
Dramatic cloudscapes...
have been occurring the last couple of weeks, thanks to the monsoonal weather pattern that seems to have arrived early this summer.
Round Mountain, the focus of powerful metaphysical forces, at least according to some people.
In case of fire...
this 6,000 gallon tanker truck is loaded, locked and ready to rock. Let’s hope it’s not needed this fire season but it’s ready to go, positioned at the Castle Valley Fire Station 1 on the Castleton Road.
Here's a brochure shot...
for Trek Bicycle Corporation.
Trek Powerfly 4 eMTB.
Sojourn to the Solstice Snake Panel...
in Pritchett Canyon today, to witness the play of light on the elusive rock art panel around the longest day of the year. Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious!
The light of the Sun is controlled by a narrow gap in the sandstone fin just before noon.
The illuminated “arrowhead” pierces the snake’s head for a couple of minutes at approximately 11:15 am, with this phenomenon occurring only during a several day period around the summer solstice. I was there so you didn’t have to be.
This is a huge petroglyph, spanning 17 feet (5.2 meters) in length. And it’s the only glyph on this beautifully varnished sandstone wall, perhaps suggesting its special significance.
Nearby and much smaller Warrior Panel, about five feet (1.5 meters) in width.
The digits: 9.43 miles with 1,624 foot ascent in moderate hiking conditions. I’m not going to post my GPS track in order to maintain the secrecy of the location of this special panel.
Sunset on the summer solstice...
in Castle Valley finds that the projected shadow of Castleton Tower points directly at the prow of Adobe Mesa. I caught the apparition on my evening ride, waiting patiently at this vantage point for the shadow to sweep across the lower slopes. Magnificent.
Click image to embiggen.
Pre-sunset panorama showing lengthening shadows as dusk approaches on the longest day of the year.
A Lego-like construction method...
is increasingly being used in the area, and here’s my neighbor’s new garage being built with Nudura insulated concrete forms.
Easy and fast: Unfold the Styrofoam forms, snap the segments together, add rebar and fill with concrete.