American Holiday 2007

[Maggi Young]

And.... that ice blue calochortus is STUNNING!

[ranunculus]

I believe you just go 'Snap, crackle and pop' and they are done Maggi (corny, I know), but then this IS a serial joke.  Perfect for Lewisia kellogii perhaps?

...And, confession time, the calochortus was actually brilliant white, the image just captured the amazing azure sky reflected in the petals.  An ice blue mariposa lily would really get the officianados hopping!

Many thanks for 'splitting' the thread away from 'Wildlife', perhaps a few more lurkers may be tempted to view both threads now...?

Why lurk folks when you can PARTICIPATE?

[Maggi Young]

Why lurk folks when you can PARTICIPATE?

Good point, Cliff:    join in, why don't you folks out there?



I did wonder about the calochortus... I looked at it for some time, to see if I could detect that it was reflection and decided it was so perfect it must be a blue in the flower... did think it might have been as flower was beginning to fade, but it looked too good for that...just shows us how conditions can conspire to deceive... it would be a real find, though, eh? Perhaps you'd better go back again to search... just in case?!!
By the way, I found an up to date  email address for the one I asked you about....  I just hadn't looked in right place, so only found out of date version!!

[Linda_Foulis]

Thank you for sharing, those pictures were absolutely incredible! 

[ranunculus]

Many thanks Linda, it's a pleasure to share just a glimpse of the awe we felt...

Back to Red Canyon and the sheer beauty of Bryce Canyon on this visit....

[ranunculus]

Oh Bryce, you take the breath away....

[Casalima]

Cliff,

Where is my thesaurus!

Wonderful, beautiful, delicious, exciting, inspiring ...

Why didn't I even see a fraction of all that when I was in that part of the world?

Chloë

[ranunculus]

Last batch for this evening....

Many thanks Chloe!!!

[ranunculus]

...How could anyone not enjoy this magical place?

[Brian Ellis]

It is truly incredible.    Thanks Cliff.

[illingworth]

But we have two bluebirds Mark. The bird in the photo is the Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis). The other species possible in the west would be the Mountain Bluebird Sialia currucoides.

I am a bit late in responding to this - slow dialup and gardening take time. There are three bluebirds in North America: eastern, western, and mountain. I think that Cliff's bird is a male western bluebird, (Sialia mexicana) with its very blue throat and the chestnut patch looking as if it extends over the back. The male mountain bluebird is wholly sky blue, with no chestnut markings at all.
We occasionally see eastern bluebirds in our garden, but they don't nest here as we don't have enough cleared areas, and yes, Lesley, it is a happy day when they arrive.

Sharon

[Luc Gilgemyn]

More great scenery Cliff ! 
The little hike we did at the time into Bryce, following the Navajo loop trail is something I'll never forget.  It was one of the most intense emotions I ever felt faced with the wonders of nature.  Glad to see that you were just as impressed.

Thanks again for your efforts in showing us !

[Thomas Huber]

Unbelievable, that I didn't find this thread earlier 
Wonderful shots, Cliff!!!

[hadacekf]

Fantastic photos of plants and great scenery.
Thank you, Cliff.

[ranunculus]

Thanks to you all...so glad you are enjoying our trip NEARLY as much as we did...

One of the sorties we made from our first base at Zion (in splendid Springdale) was a loop through Kanab and on across a small corner of Arizona via Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park and Pipe Spring National Monument back to Hurricane and Zion.  A super, but terrifically hot day which included an impromptu visit to  a car show in Kanab; a foot burning experience hunting for plants in the impressive pink sand dunes and a mindful (rattlesnakes are very prevalent), but lonely (Sue wouldn't risk it) hike to the upper cliffs of Pipe Spring....never encountered a rattler but a young hare certainly made me jump a bit as it broke cover from the tinder dry scrub....