Natural Wonders in Utah....and Salsa too!

Whenever I travel, I like to look for new and different things. I enjoy doing this with everything from the differences in lifestyles, architecture, colors and textures of rocks and soil, earth formations, animals, plants...everything. It's so fun to find new things! On our trip to Utah last week, we truly enjoyed the varied landscape...awesome and beautiful! There were some smaller things that were amazing too...trees, plants, animals... Here are a few...

This is a tree we found down in Bryce Canyon. I noticed that it had a very different look...


As I went closer, I realized it was some sort of pine tree...


The ends of the branches were bushy with thick, hard, smooth needles. The cones forming had a reddish color and make me think of rasberries...


When we first arrived in the Bryce area I only saw one of these flowers. As the week went on they were springing up everywhere. It's interesting to note that they start out with a striped bud (on the top of the photo). When it opens it has four points and is a bright yellow (bottom). As it wilts and completes it's cycle it begins to turn orange (center of photo)...


These grow on bushes and as far as I could tell, the petals never opened any larger than this...


I love the color of this one. Click on the picture to blow it up and notice the purple hair like things in the center...


We saw quite a few deer...even ones with small antlers! We also saw some black horned deer like animals, buffalo, squirrels, lizards and several kinds of brightly colored birds. There were lots of chipmunks too! Cute!...


This huge raven landed on a post right next to us and he seemed to be posing for pictures. A tour bus had stopped at this turnout and after I finished taking pictures of him, I turned around and saw a bunch of people facing me and the raven with their cameras clicking away. So funny! Speaking of people taking pictures...my husband saw a man walk up beside me inside Bryce Canyon and as I was taking close up photos of a flower, he took pictures of me taking pictures! How weird is that?!!!


There were so many colors of soil...white, gray, peach, orange, red/orange, yellow and even a pinkish/lavender. Here's a spot of orange soil after it rained...


Another "Extreme Knitting" break!... :-)


Salsa was such a great traveler and such a joy to have with us on our trip. But, by the time we went back to Zion her feet were getting a little sore from walking on so much gravel and rocks. We could tell it was bothering her...especially, when she decided to climb up on a folded loungchair...


That became her new hangout when she was outside...


We spoiled her and made her more comfy by putting her bed on top of it. Happy dog!...


Thanks for visiting! Come back soon to see some of the great things I bought!