lie two large limestone caves, each of which swallows a stream fed by snow melt runoff, and because of this, both are particularly treacherous to enter. Both cave entrances, the insurgences, occur at a little over 8,000 feet in elevation, with Big Brush Spring, more than 5 miles away and 2,000 feet lower, serving as the resurgence for these subterranean waters .
Big Brush Creek Cave.
Little Brush Creek Cave.
in the style of small town USA with a parade of fire equipment in Castle Valley, Utah.
The annual parade is led by fire chief Ron Drake.
An opportunity to cool off on a hot day!
Long time resident and historical oracle Dave Vaughn.
in Castle Valley, Utah. Nature’s fireworks on the 4th of July. Gotta love those crepuscular rays!
Click on image to enlarginate.
catching a siesta in the shade on another hot afternoon.
on both my early morning and evening rides. It’s a wonderful time to be out on both ends of the day.
Self portrait early this morning during the cool, calm and quiet dawn.
Casting a long shadow as sunset approaches.
trying to cool off on a hot, 97° F, afternoon. This little one has scratched a patch in the soil on the shaded side of the house.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii).
from the summer heat, well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. The only splash of bright color in the high desert in early summer is provided by the vibrant broom snakeweed seen below.
Broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae).
next week, with triple digits in the forecast, triggering my migratory instincts to head north. Not many days left in Castle Valley so I’m grabbing an early morning ride.
slowly drifting across Porcupine Rim today.
this small, non-venomous bullsnake was extended across the trail this morning. It’s even smiling for this snapshot.
Bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi).
continue to hang out at the feeding stations, much to my delight.
Breeding male Lazuli Bunting (Passerina amoena).
was necessary for the final edit of a video volume of original narrative poetry by local Rory Tyler. We got out early this morning in the cool soft light of dawn in Castle Valley.
is keeping a watchful eye on junior, as the fledging juvenile explores along the banks of the Colorado River early this evening.
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius).
this evening for Bugs Buddy. Constantly entertaining.
Desert cottontail (Sylvilagus audubonii).
was settled circa 1920 by John and Ann Pace.
no larger than a soda can. Caught catching a little shuteye on my neighbor’s patio chair on a shaded porch. Quite tiny. And enormously cute.
Flammulated Owl (Psiloscops flammeolus).
in the greater Moab area is at Dead Horse Point State Park. Change my mind.
is the latest gadget I’ve acquired in service of my feathered friends. If the Sun is up, the fountain is spouting!
topped with millions of anthers producing trillions of pollen particles in countless wildflowers during this season’s super bloom in the high desert is really hammering my allergies. It’s been quite miserable this year, especially if one likes to breathe freely.
Macro image of prickly pear cactus blossom showing the stigma (green bulb in center) surrounded by hundreds of stamens consisting of anthers at the tips of each filament. Amazing micro universe when one gets small.
by the engineering globe mallow bee (Diadasia diminuta) that collects pollen from the globemallow flower that is presently at peak bloom in Castle Valley. It’s quite fascinating to watch their activities, if one has the time and patience.
Vertical tubular “turrets” serve as entrances to the underground hive. The tallest seen here on the right is 1.25 inches (3.2 cm) high.
The inside diameter of the turrets is about 4 mm, but it appears that the subterranean part of the entrance to the hive is slightly larger in size.
Early stages of turret construction after the initial burrow entrance has been excavated. The bees gather finer-grained particles from the ejected material from their diggings and cement the turret with their saliva.
Bee applying saliva to the upper rim of the turret to cement small particles as the turret rises.
Part of the neighborhood still under construction. Note the freshly dug shallow burrow at the far left without a turret.
Fully loaded pollen bags on the hind legs of the globe mallow bee returning to a fully completed part of the hive.
Down the hatch with a heavy load.
Wide view of a portion of the hive.