Meadow

The Wasatch Wildflower Festival at Albion Meadow has become a favorite of mine over the last few years.  

It spans 3 days and four different ski resorts.  Saturday is Albion Meadow at Alta and according to the festival guides, has the most and showy flowers of all the resorts.  


Every year the display is  a little different depending on what the weather conditions have been.  It was a very warm spring and so many of the flowers I've seen in the past had already 'lost their bloom'.  But this was made up in abundance by the surprises I received along the way. 


(And to my friends who introduced the festival to me, and couldn't attend this year, you were missed. :) )  


The intermediate hike claimed to be 1 1/2 hours.  (It was 3!) It was uphill and then down.  (No cushy van to the top of the trail-head this year!) It's a trail I've taken 'down' the mountain before; it's so amazing how different something looks depending on the way one is facing on the path.  


When we finally descended the trail, the guide took us on a side path I'd never noticed before.  I saw three things I've never seen at the festival before.  Seeing pink Yarrow and white Indian Paintbrush for the first time made it  well worth the extra 45 minutes.  That's 2.  Continue on to find the third.  Enjoy!  


OH! You may have noticed I have a music box again. Yippee! If you want to hear it, just click play.   To see larger versions of the photos just click on them also.

Pearly Everlasting

Monkey Flower

Monk's Hood

This beautiful little flower was plentiful this year.  When we got back to the festival I indulged in the offered sidewalk chalk and drew my own rendition on the pavement. :) 

Pink Yarrow

This was on the side trip.  Click to see it up close.

Twinberry Honeysuckle

Sadly, not the least bit fragrant.  But it is intriguing.

Indian Paintbrush

This flower comes in many shades in the meadow, red, hot pink, pale pink, coral and russet.  But even the guide was surprised to find...

...White!!!

Here is the third thing I had never seen on this trail before... a bright orange toadstool!!!

This appeared to be a loner and  not a ring of them

 or I never would have gotten so close for fear of Faeries. :)

Oh Deer!

 This little lady posed sweetly for me.

I love how the morning sun is kissing her ears.

All in a Row

My camera and I have been in search of a theme the last few months.  I have a small offering of photos for you this month.  I have to wonder if I've simply become too picky about which photos I'm willing to share.  Ah well, I hope they please.
The first set were taken at the lake here in Daybreak.  I have been enjoying the walking paths around the lake.
The last photo was taken at the Mc D's on Time Square earlier this month. 
I hope to bag some nice photos in my travels to Lake Powell and  southern California soon.  
Remember to click on the photos to get a better look!
Sorry to say the service I used for my music widget is no longer available.
Love you all, Laura 

Sentinel

6 little ducks went out one day over the hill and far away...

I love little ducks.  Apparently I always have. 

 My mother once told me that I used to pray for

 'all the little duckies' in my bedtime prayers. :)

What is it about this that makes me laugh?

 They all seem to be waiting in line for something, 

but are too cool to admit it...like guys trying to get tics to a chick flick.

Front Row on Time Square.

The original was in color but it felt like it should be black and white.

Stars in My Eyes

Have you ever had a bright blissful moment when you suddenly felt or knew something with clarity that had been beyond imagining? Perhaps you’ve seen something that seemed impossible? Or received kindness or relief from pain when none seemed forthcoming? I have.

Have you ever tried to describe your experience to someone else? I have.

It’s not easy to convey the complicated feelings and thoughts, sometimes worlds and lifetimes that one experiences in the moments of the miraculous.

The picture I present is an example of one such experience. It taught me that one can’t always share the extraordinary, when in making the picture (verbally or visually) it is a pale shadow of the actual event.

I wish you had been there so we could have shared it. I hope you saw it from wherever on the planet you were that evening.

About two weeks ago, Jupiter and Venus were in conjunction in the night sky and it was a spectacular sight for several nights. This particular night they looked like two bright eyes or enormous diamonds set in the deep velvet blue night sky. This is the picture: Please click on it so you can see it full size.

Here is a closer look. It was amazing. These two planets were like beacons. It was lovely.

I know that there are some things that are not possible to share, but being very human, I try anyway.

Surrender

My camera and I have been restless. Cooped up in winter's chill and drabness, I felt empty. I wondered if I would simply have to wait for spring. But then a word crept in that changed everything: Surrender. Surrender to the season, the place and the now.

And when I did, I realized that the winter world wasn't devoid of color, but was simply wrapped in sweet subtle tones that inspire stillness, reflection and if allowed, a moment of peace.

Spring will come with her promise of sunshine, lush greenery and showy flowers to adorn earth's fair head. But for now, I've surrendered to the vision of a crystalline clear lake under the afterglow sky which faded to reveal a crown of winter stars. Sleep well, have peace.

Paddling near the ice rim

Trees, as though etched in charcoal reflect in the icy water.

Cattails silently observe the mountain in the lake.

Afterglow framed in ice.