We have just passed from Spring to Summer, celebrating the Summer Solstice on June 21st. Sadly, we weren't able to make it to Stonehenge this summer (and no, we've never been there, though it is on our bucket list), but I was able to get a great shot of the full Strawberry Moon from our front doorstep. The name comes from the Algonquin tribes of North America who saw it as a signal to gather ripening fruit.
Farmington Canyon, ten minutes up the road from us and so right in our own back yard has been closed to traffic for the last two summers due to road slides that occurred one winter. It is now open and so after Church yesterday, Roger and I decided to take a ride up to the radar tower atop Francis Peak, (looking back, above center). The canyon is fairly steep, narrow and all dirt roads. Once we made it to the Peak we followed the ridge line to Bountiful Peak (to the south) making the round trip to home in about 2 1/2 hours. Of course, some of that time was spent on the side of the road so I could take photos. Every time I stepped out of the car, I was surrounded by the amazing pungent aroma of the wild flowers which are just coming into their own up the canyons.
Here is a view of the Great Salt Lake from above Farmington Canyon. You can see the lake continuing behind Antelope Island as well as Strawberry Island to the left in the background.
This view (above) is looking down the other side of the canyon towards Morgan and the back way to Oakley and our cabin. We passed through aspen and thick pines reaching alpine meadows of flowers and beaver dammed ponds. Viewing this, you would never suspect that we are in reality living in a desert with Utah being the 3rd driest state in the Nation.
Sunday morning we looked out our back door and saw a squirrel family of SEVEN
playing among the stones we are using to lay a new patio and the bushes bordering our lawn. While they were entertaining to watch, I'm not sure if I want a family of squirrels living in our backyard. At least we know (have been told) that if there are squirrels, etc. around, we obviously don't have snakes in the yard to worry about. I should be grateful for that, I guess.
I'm glad to see that you grabbed your camera for the moon. Alan commented that we would have the big moon hat night, and then we all just carried on talking and then forgot all about it, so I never did stare at the same moon as you!
ReplyDeleteThe views are great, especially the one over to Antelope Island and beyond.
I can't imagine why you don't want squirrels in your garden, they are fun to watch and won't go near you (well unless you fall asleep with a bag of nuts on your lap). Maybe there is something about them that I don't know about. Come on, they look so cute and i bite their bite isn't THAT bad!