Two New Paintings!

Here are two new palette knife oil paintings, both 8x10 inches. "Eve at Lynx Lake" and "At Maroon Bells National Park."

The North Rim - Day 2, Part 2

The sunset from Point Imperial was magnificent. When we arrived, rain showers played with the canyon walls and light shimmered on the distant horizon. I wondered if the sun would peek through the clouds behind us for a magical light show. It sure did and a rainbow appeared, creating a dazzling display of color.

The North Rim, Day 2 - Part 1

On Sunday, we woke up to a few ravens terrorizing the camp at about 6:30. It was partly cloudy, so I thought to check out the canyon from a vantage point near the campground. There were rain showers in the distance and the sun highlighted the Transcept formation. After breakfast, we packed up our camp and checked out because we could not get the same site for both nights, being that we reserved last minute. We hiked the Uncle Jim Trail to return around 11:00 to set up camp again. Later, we went wildflower hunting. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and reading a novel. A cloud cover formed over us and it looked like rain. No rain. We had planned to drive 18 miles to Point Sublime but the road was closed due to fires. The next blog will be of Sunday nights sunset from Point Imperial...

My dependable 4Runner, over 206,000 miles and going strong!

The North Rim, Day 1

We arrived to the campground around 1pm, set up, and went for a stroll along the Transcept Trail to the lodge. We returned to our campsite to enjoy the shade underneath the quaking aspen trees. After dinner, we drove to Point Imperial and then to Cape Royal to watch the sunset.

from Cape Royal

from our campsite

from Cape Royal

from Cape Royal

last light, from Cape Royal looking West

from Cape Royal

from Cape Royal

Angel's Window

A Weekend at the North Rim

This past weekend was spent camping and hiking at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. There are many things to like about the North Rim. The only downside is the 5 hour drive. Other than that, comparing it to the South Rim, the North Rim is quieter, cooler, more densely forested, and quieter (this deserves mentioning twice!). Sunday morning, for example, we hiked on Uncle Jim Trail and only saw 2 other groups of people. Experiencing the Grand Canyon in isolation and quiet allowed for a more meditative experience. My wife and I enjoyed a sunset all to ourselves at Point Imperial last night. I have 450+ photos to sort through and edit. Here is one of my favorites from our first sunset of the weekend from Point Royal. The monsoonal clouds were amazing! More to come...

Lynx Lake, go around again!

Hiking around Lynx Lake has become a weekly event. I don't I will ever become bored of this place, especially during the evening hours when the light is never the same. This time, we were given a special treat: a moonrise during sunset. Did you know that parking is free on Wednesday's at all of the National Forest areas around Prescott? Even so, the lake was quiet with only a few people.

Moonrise!

MONSOON!

It is amazing to witness nature's fury as the rain downpours in sheets and lightning shakes the earth. All day today, the clouds looked as if they were building up to something but nothing happened. After dinner, I was photographing the clouds and enjoying the abstract shapes they formed. The downpour came suddenly and lasted a good 15 minutes, leaving almost a half inch of rain in its wake. My wife and I drove to a viewpoint on Glassford Hill to watch the lightning to the South and East.  I got a few lucky photographs of the lightning! Hurray for the Monsoon!

The calm before the storm

Another Round at Lynx Lake

The air was fresh from recent rain, moist and heavy. The water was quiet and the light soft, pink and pale orange. Solitude and refreshment. The humidity was new from last weeks hike around the lake, a welcome moisture even with it's stickiness.

Colorado Trip Part 2

Maroon Bells

Cascades at The Grottos

Ice Caves

The Grottos

Rifle Falls

Rifle Falls