The Grand Canyon - May 2012

One mile deep. Ten miles wide. Two hundred and seventy seven miles long. Teddy Roosevelt called it "the one great sight every American should see." Descending from the rim to the Colorado River you pass 11 layers of ancient rocks ranging in age from 250 million years old to nearly 2 billion years old.
The canyon exists because of one very important feature: The Colorado River. Winding 277 miles, the Colorado River runs free within the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is a "mountain in reverse." It is hot, dry, difficult and possibly deadly as chronicled in a new book written by a physican entitled _Death in the Canyon_ >> a history of all the fatal incidents in the canyon including the infamous plane crash over the canyon by two tour planes. Now only one plane at a time can be in the canyon.

Over 4 million people visit the Grand Canyon each year mostly from May thru September. The Canyon is listed as one of the seven wonders of the world and can be seen from space.

Below, images from the Grand Canyon in Springtime.

Desert View Road Canyon View-South Rim

Sunrise View from Mather Point-South Rim

Sunrise View from Mather Point-South Rim

Desert View from the Watch Tower. Grand Canyon Southeastern View.

Desert View Southeastern. Grand Canyon. South Rim.

Mather Point. South Rim. Grand Canyon.

3D Projection of the geologic history of the Grand Canyon.

Then 1977

DT -home built oven within Grand Canyon.

Then 1977

Scotty Sprinkles tending to biscuits.

Now May 2012

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge ---------- Sanibel, Florida

Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is named after tenacious political cartoonist Jay Norwood Darling. Darling, a two time pulitzer prize winning cartoonist waged war on what he saw as the destruction of Florida. He was a lifelong conservationist politically active during the first part of the 20th century. Darling served as chief of the Biological Survey during the administration of Franklin D. Roosevelt. Darling fought relentlessly against game hogs and for the expansion of the federal wildlife refuge system. In later life, Darling formed the National Wildlife Federation and was its first president.  The Sanibel refuge is an appropriate epitaph to the man and his cartoons.

White Egret

Blue Heron

White Pelicans

Green Heron

Sea Grape

Sheepshead

There is fishing in Ding Darling if you have a license. In an intertidal zone you can catch such delicacies as redfish, flounder, sheepshead, blue crab ... an unbelievable abundance. A Brazilian woman caught the fish above as I happened to pass by.

Florida Keys Album February 2012

Thinking about Florida and the future. What is my home state like now? It is barely recognizable to me. Growth is evident throughout the state, so much so, that the state provides a radio station to report on road conditions. Congestion and accidents can bring any road to an instant standstill as the roads are so heavily populated. While travelling along I 75 on the west coast of Florida I instantly understood the congestion issue. If any state in the country needs rapid transit-- it is Florida.

In spite of the crowding, there are still spectacular areas for birding and wildlife. You just have to get up really early to get there.
 The Florida Keys.   T                                                                               
 The Florida Keys - Still Spectacular

Florida Keys Devil Ray 7 Mile Bridge

 

Bahia Honda Trestle Bridge Old Florida East Coast RR

 

Old 7 Mile RR Bridge juxtaposed against 1970's concrete span (left).

 

Banded Brown Pelican, Marathon Florida

 

 Pelican Head Studies. Marathon, Florida.

 

 Pelican Footsies.

 

 Key West Iguana sitting on coquina rock sunbathing.

 Marathon Mural

 

 

 

Old 7 Mile Bridge Sequential Sunsets