ALERT

Sadly, I've been hacked! I do not know who or why, but it has happened. One of my yahoo email addresses has been hacked into by the Chinese. The email I had stored at the location has been compromised. Contacts that were stored at that location have been compromised too. I have asked Yahoo to shut the account down. I hope that will happen soon.

To protect folks who were listed on that webpage, I've changed the password and deleted as much information as I could. However, the page is now written in Chinese characters and I cannot understand what it says any more. SO, some contacts might still be there, and for this I apologize.

In the meantime, DO NOT USE L530@YAHOO.COM ANYMORE.

I know there is a lot of information on a webpage. I think of Facebook, Twitter, and the various profiles we all have on email accounts. Each one of those places has a wealth of information that can be used for both good and evil. I feel violated. Someone has some information about me that I did not wish them to have. Will it be used to hurt me? Will it be used to hurt my friends? I do not know that answer. Please take heed. It can happen to anyone. Protect your email accounts. Do not reveal too much information that can be used against you.

I-70

Today we drove from Bryce Canyon to Green River, UT. Most of the trip was on I-70, a major interstate highway, going through towns like Richfield and Salina that are very tiny. In Salina, we saw a sign that said "There are NO services between here and Green River, 100 miles away." We did not believe it. Then, we drove the 100 miles and discovered there were no services! There was some gorgeous scenery with lots of hoodoos, sentinels, chimneys and spires.

Tonight we are in Green River. There is a river! (It's not green.) That's about all there is too. We found 2 grocery stores (one without much food), several service stations, a few motels/hotels and 2 campgrounds. The next "big" town will be Grand Junction, Colorado, 100 miles from here. I wonder how big it is? I like small towns, but Green River is far too small and far too remote for me.

Desert Flowers

Columbine

Pink Cactus Flower

Sego Lily

Yellow Cactus Flower


Can you help me identify these last 2 flowers. All the pictures were taken in southern Utah at Zion or Kodachrome Basin. Thanks.

Kodachrome Basin--does anyone remember film?

In 1949 the National Geographic Society was exploring Utah and discovered a place with spires, chimneys, towers and hoodoos filled with color. They named it Kodachrome Basin (after getting permission from Kodak). Just 25 miles from Bryce Canyon, it's worth the extra drive to see this drop dead gorgeous place. Take a 'peak' at more Utah beauty.

One Heck of a Place to Lose a Cow

That's what one of the first settlers in this area called Bryce Canyon way back when. Can you imagine trying to find a cow amid these hoodoos, spires, towers and arches? Not only are there a lot of strange formations, there's a lot of empty space out here. You can see for miles and not see the "hand of man."




As with Zion, there's a lot of color in the rocks, however the viewing experience is completely different. In Zion you have an up close, almost intimate, relationship with the cliffs as you are on the valley floor right next to them, and looking up in awe. In Bryce you are looking down the deep sided canyon seeing whimsical formations that should not be able to withstand time or erosion.


And, there are cheeky ravens!

Mountain Majesty--Kolob Canyon

Today we drove the Kolob Canyon to the Kolob Reservoir in Zion. What a beautiful drive. The red sandstone cliffs and hoodoos were spectacular. Unlike the main part of Zion, the Kolob is not heavily traveled.




In addition to the mountains, there were wildflowers, including cactus flowers dotting the roadway.

As we drove past 8000 feet we were treated to mountain meadows, aspens, ponderosa pines and finally a reservoir. A good day in Zion communing with Mother Nature in the spring.

Zion

We are in Zion National Park for the next few days. This is a wonderland of color: red walls, clear river, endless blue sky. I’ve been trying to take pictures that do justice to Zion, but I fear they are lacking.