Spring Sprang!

While we were away,  Spring came creeping into 'my' woods...

It seems a bit reluctant this year, but not this trailing flower!

The salmonberry are the first of a procession of berries to provide bear  (and people) food.   While the bears wait for the salmonberries to ripen, skunk cabbage does the trick...We've had our first bear visitor of the season already.  There was a great big one up a tree out back today!

--Salmonberry blossom--

--Bleeding Hearts--

Lots of wild strawberries are blooming on the side of Scout Mountain.  I have yet to be there in time to find a ripe berry though...

If you look close, even the lichen are dressing up for spring with their little red caps.

These pretty blue 'weeds' attempt to take over the park grass every year at this time making clouds of blue in amongst the green.  I liked them so much I transplanted some to our lawn!

And with these bright little faces of dandelion & daisy, I bid you a happy springtime!

Hoodoo Land!

Like a fantastic sculpture garden Bryce Canyon displays God's handiwork like no other place on earth.
You have to see it in person to begin to take it in.  And better yet, take a trail down into the canyon, to the floor from which these massive columns rise. 



Though most of our walk was warm and the trail bone dry,  this slot canyon scarcely sees the sun so the going was thick with clinging clay mud alternating with muddy sheets of ice...


Do you see the two natural bridges?
 
And now we're back up to the top...
This is definitely not the sort of territory you'd want to be exploring in the dark.  The edges of the rim trail are just a slip away from disaster...

We wrapped up our visit to Bryce Canyon with a picnic lunch before hitting the road for  our long drive north.   It is with reluctance we leave these sunny climes...but there are miles to go before we sleep (hoping to log 8-10 hours yet today)...
Farewell to Hoodoo Land...