A Little Meditative Time
Expensive but a really nice meal at El Tovar Hotel with great views
Every year, when the heat becomes too much, we head north and stay up in the White Mountains, Flagstaff or the Grand Canyon. It's a very special and much needed 3-4 day escape from our lives.
There are no requirements. We just drive and go out to observe whatever comes our way. This year, the mammals were outstanding!
Elk are massive beasts. Some of these tourists got a little too close in my opinion, but I'm on vacation. They can take their chances. All I wanted was to rest. There is nothing quite like the beautiful monsoon around the canyon. Micheal surprised me with a weekend lodge stay INSIDE the park. And we had dinner at some fine restaurants along the south rim.
I watched a Zone-tailed Hawk glide around the lodge and along the rim looking for a meal. Ravens took advantage of the tourists and played happily together in the evening. These are one of the few bird species that actually play together. It was a treat to watch.
We walked along the rim. Sometimes I imagine myself flying to the remote parts. I only did a remote entry into the Grand Canyon decades ago on a rafting trip. It was pretty special. I was just a kid but I remember how sacred the experience felt hiking into these remote areas. We were lead into an area where I was taught for the first time about meditation.
As we drove through the park, we stopped to watch some of the wonderful miracles happening around us. It was still hot for the Grand Canyon. Animals took advantage of water that had pooled on the road. These Mule Deer were safe from hunters and felt comfortable around us.
What can I tell you about Arizona? I fell in love as a kid years ago. It's a very special place to me. Not every single place in Arizona is as beautiful as the Grand Canyon, but there's so much of it. We aren't California, Florida or Texas. They destroyed much the wild spaces with ugly homes along the water front or natural preserves. I am grateful that much of our land is protected by state and federal parks. Unfortunately we still have ranchers on state park lands. I will not support them until all cattle are off state lands. It's wrong.
People from the eastern side of the US often ask me, "How do you get close to a Common Raven?" It's easy here in Arizona and in the West. Sometimes they'll sit right next to you. In the Grand Canyon, they are the most common birds. These beautiful large corvids are often not afraid of people and will watch the tourists closely. Sometimes too closely. There are a lot of bad tourists who don't pay attention to the wildlife. During our time there, we saw a Common Raven get hit on the road. These ravens are intelligent creatures and part of a family. To see people disrespecting our parks from all over the world and from the US by speeding down the roads is frustrating.
Sometimes I had my big camera and other times I just used my cell phone. There's really a lot to see at the Grand Canyon.
If you drive along the south rim, stop at each of the locations and do a little walk around the area. Some of these areas have trails.
My photography focus was on the beautiful Common Ravens. They often made me laugh. But I also admire them for their intelligence and grace.
The face on this bird says it all. Ever the watchful eye.
Desert Grassland Whiptail
The north rim is always better for California Condors but if you carefully scan the skies around the Angel Lodge on the south rim, you may find a pair or two flying around in the distance. Sometimes you can luck out and have one fly right over your head.
It's amazing to me how far down the canyon goes from the edge. And yet I'll see lots of mammals jumping around the steep ledges as if it were no big deal.
We stopped at one of the areas and watched these two lovebirds preen each other.
Bighorn sheep were the highlights as a male and female stayed out of the sun and in the shade near one of the hotels. At sunset, these two took off down into the canyon but not without a crowd of tourists behind them snapping pics with their cell phones.
It never gets old. The Grand Canyon is timeless and HUGE! I think it's impossible to know it all in one lifetime. And while I prefer the north rim over the south rim because it's higher up and cooler, I do like the creature comforts of the south rim at times. We went at the right time. There weren't a lot of tourists. And we were able to relax and slow down. Everyone needs to slow down and throw away the electric devices from time to time. I took a much needed break from social media after this trip.
Winter has finally arrived to our amazing Sonoran desert. I see some gardening and pruning coming up as the trees and bushes go into dormancy. I dream of Mexico every day which means this next summer will be dedicated to friends, family and birds along with some really good Mexican food. Outside my classroom, I plan on putting together a hummingbird garden for the staff and kids. I'm proud of a student who taught my class how to keep bees out of the classroom. One got in and he turned off the lights, opened my door to the outside and the bee went towards the light. That gets an A in my book! Until next time.....
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