Landscape Arch at Sunrise

The Grand-daddy of Arches

The Grand-Daddy of All Arches

No, I am not talking about McDonald’s Arches.

There are arches other than those golden ones which have become an American icon.

These natural beauties are the arches that should be one of our icons.  Landscape Arch is surely one of the world’s greatest natural wonders.

It has the greatest span of any natural arch documented, over 290 feet long. At its narrowest, the rock is only 6 feet wide. This is an arc natural arch, a geological specimen very old and near the end of its life cycle. The arch could collapse any day or it could last another century. You have to remember we’re talking about arches made from eroded sandstone here – they have an incredibly long life span, but can collapse without warning.

In the last 17 years, sizable chunks have fallen from Landscape Arch.

In September of 1991, a 73-foot slab of rock crashed to the earth from underneath the narrowest part. This rock fall may have actually prolonged the life of the rest of the arch, as the piece was considered structurally unimportant and it reduced the weight of the suspended rock. In June of 1995, a 47-foot mass fell from the front of the thinnest section , soon to be followed by a third rock 2 weeks later. Since then, the trail that once wound beneath the arch has been closed by the Park Service. Smart move!

Landscape Arch is in Devil’s Garden in Arches National Park, a few miles north of Moab Utah.

The hike to see this arch is just over a mile, but it really is an easy hike to this point on extremely maintained paths. If you can walk 2 miles in your mall, you can walk the 2 miles in and out to see this giant arch. If you are ever in this area, consider getting out of your car and really look at the rocks. This is a must see, and the Park Service has made it as easy as possible to see Landscape Arch. I saw toddlers carried on their parents’ backs and I saw octogenarians walking with canes, all checking out the magnificent view.

There are other arches in Devils’ Garden – it has the largest number of significant natural arches in the world.

However, once past this landmark, it gets a mite more rugged (ha!) and it is almost easy to feel that you are an intrepid explorer in the wilderness if you are visiting at an off-peak time. Next post, I’ll share with you the other arches in the area – the ones I had to crawl up and down rocks to see. Ah, but they are so awesome. Such a wonderful experience to have filed away in my brain for further consideration.

Shadows of Leaves – Great Sand Dunes Nature Trail

Illusion

On Great Sand Dunes Nature Trail © 2008 Bo Mackison

Photography, as we all know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of reality with which we create our own private world. ~ Arnold Newman  (American photographer)

Meme – in Search of the One Word Answer

Detail of Chihuly Art Glass Sculpture

Detail of Chihuly Art Glass Sculpture

I needed something to post. This great glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly could easily have merited the entire post, but then Amuirin – that girl is always full of ideas – posted this crazy meme. It is supposed to be a one word answer meme, though I’m terrible at following rules, so I’ll give it a go, but no one-word promises.

Well, I was looking for a likely spot of procrastination. Almost anything would have qualified. My new washing machine to replace that blankity-blank one hasn’t even made its warehouse appearance yet and I’ve been without a washer for over a week and it was Thanksgiving and I had a houseful of overnight company  and there are “linens and things” to launder and I simply don’t wanna go to the laundromat.

Ah, pay attention.  Procrastination is a fine art.

Join the fun if you wish. Use these questions or make up your own like Amuirin and I did.  I am non-celebrating the first day of December in Wisconsin with snow, dark clouds, more snow, slippery streets, gray, gray, gray. So I say – who needs to drive to the laundromat in search of clean underwear?  Not me!

Here’s mine:

  1. Where is your cell phone? — upstairs
  2. Where is your significant other? —  an epic tale
  3. Who is your favorite blogger? — blogger with comment
  4. Your favorite beverage?— sipping tequila ($$$$$)
  5. Your hair color? — fine, and you?
  6. What is your favorite thing? —  camera
  7. Your dream last night? — people sleep long enough to dream?
  8. Your dream/goal? — serenity
  9. The room you’re in? — studio
  10. Your hobby? — setting goals I never reach
  11. Your fear? — caving snowbanks
  12. What do you want to be in 6 years? — sane
  13. Where were you last night? — driving in Iowa in blizzard.
  14. What are you not into? — organized groups
  15. One of your wish-list items? — the perfect photo printer
  16. Where did you grow up? — overlooking the Mighty Mississippi
  17. Last thing you fantasized about? — sunshine
  18. What are you wearing? — wool
  19. What you are not wearing? — bikini
  20. Your TV? — what TV?
  21. Your pet? — Jazz, the Velcro cat
  22. Your dinner? — pizza, delivered, hurry!
  23. Your mood? — tolerable
  24. Missing someone? — always
  25. Your car? — in the shop, again
  26. Favorite store? — Apple (computers, not fruit)
  27. Favorite Breakfast? — chocolate ($$$)
  28. Love someone? — usually
  29. Last time you laughed? — a half-hour ago
  30. Last time you cried? —  morning, much better now

Apache Plume in Wupatki National Monument

APache Plume on the High Desert

Apache Plume on the High Desert

The Apache Plume is a true desert plant, found in all four southwestern United States’ desert regions – Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Mojave, and Great Basin. Though it has white, five petaled flowers (very much like the wild rose I see throughout the Midwest) the true fascination I have with this plant comes from its thick, wild, silky seed heads – pink fluffy plumes that look very frazzled and blow in even the slightest of winds.

Talk about always having a bad hair day!!!

These plants, little shrubs actually, were in bloom all over the high desert when we were traveling in early October. I admired them while hiking near Wupatki National Monument, about 40 miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona.

This desert stuff – there is much to admire!

From a Spider’s Web

Sunlight on a Spiders Web

Sunlight Caught in a Spider’s Web © 2008 Bo Mackison

The artist is a receptacle for the emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider’s web.   ~~  Pablo Picasso