Xhibit X

Please xamine this xenolith:

(At least I think it qualifies as a xenolith, an inclusion of one type of rock inside another. Or perhaps it is a xenocryst, an inclusion of a foreign crystal. If I am incorrect on both counts, you may give this post an x-rating.)
This xceptional find would be an xcellent Xmas gift for my geologist sister. Any good rock hunting site is her Xanadu.
Our X chromosomes are surely similar, and we have xiphoids that would look alike on X-ray, but someone must have X'd out the rock hound gene in me.

I should send her the xenolith (jasper with a crystalline intrusion - a geode in the making?) along with XOX (hugs and kisses.)

For more of Denise Nesbitt's ABC's, click here.

Making Hay

The pasture grew beautiful grass this year. All the rain was good for it.

Rain isn't good for hay making, however. We had to wait for a week's dry spell.

Here's our neighbor cutting our field on his moco (hay mower-conditioner) when we finally got a weather break last week. This amazing machine both cuts the hay and crimps it to promote fast, even drying.

Unfortunately, shortly after I took the photo, the tractor broke down. A bad bearing stopped it, and a part had to be ordered for repair.

A week later, the entire pasture is cut at last.

With no rain predicted for awhile, we should be able to put up some fine hay for winter.

Our horses will eat well. Of course, Mischief never doubted that.

For views of numerous diverse worlds, click here.

Satisfaction

After a long gallop up a mountain trail, Boss shows off his sweaty chest.
Mischief needs a little loving.


And Daisy finds ways to stay cool.
Tasty green grass

and a scratch behind the ears goes a long way toward total equine contentment.

For more camera critters, click here.

Through A Horse's Ears

A view of the Uinta Mountains from Bennion Park (10,600 feet). This isn't your average city park. A vehicle can reach it by braving 10 miles of 4 wheel drive road. Or you can ride your horse up the dirt track, which is a lot more fun. No traffic to worry about. We rode for 6 hours and saw 2 vehicles. Elk and deer were far more plentiful!

To see beautiful skies from all over the world, click here.

Happy Birthday!

From an early age, our son Seth was a deep thinker.
His thought processes didn't always follow the expected course, however.
For instance, at age 4 when attending a preschool graduation in a church, he wasn't looking at the cute kids getting awards and diplomas. He was too busy studying the vaulted ceiling and asking, "How does somebody get way up there to change those light bulbs?"
He would invariably demand an answer to profound questions while I was hurriedly weaving through traffic on the way to soccer practice or other activities. One question I recall was, "If an elephant fell out of an airplane and landed on the pavement, how big of a splat would he make?"
As I said, not run of the mill thinking. Nowadays, we'd call it "outside the box."
From in his toddler years, he was a hard worker.
Ever the jokester, he was the kid making faces in most of our family photos.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, I cannot locate his kindergarten class's group shot, where all the kids look sweet and innocent, smiling politely -- except little Seth, who was stretching his lips sideways and making a horrid face!
The other parents noticed, of course, and tried to sympathize...
even while chuckling and shaking their heads. He loved the outdoors. One of his first words was "side", meaning "I wanna go outside!"
He was quick to learn,
a helpful brother and son,
a fine runner and soccer player, a hiker, skier and climber.
(Seth in middle, all 3 practicing Zoolander "look".) He's all grown up into a handsome, confident man, but he hasn't changed so much.
He still loves the outdoors,
He's still fun and funny.
He's an integral part of our expanding family.
And now he has a lovely family of his own,
including a son who shares his date of birth and his love of a mountain sunset.
We're proud of both of our birthday boys!Boy 1
Boy 2
Best wishes for a happy day and an outstanding year.

Wacissa River

While wandering in Florida last week, my sister and I went canoeing on the Wacissa River. With the weather so warm, we wanted to whet our paddles early.

We women are not in the least wimpy, and we wished to pit our wits against the waves. Whoops, we forgot repellent to ward off mosquitoes, but as it turned out, they weren't wicked.

Fog wafted over the river and washed us in humidity, but a wisp of west wind kept us cool. Water hyacinths in full bloom floated on the surface.

Would we try a walk on the swampy shore? We were wary, since the thick growth wasn't so welcoming. The shoreline was well-stocked with cypress, oak, magnolias, willows, woodpeckers, water mocassins, and what-not. We were okay with the trees and birds, but we are weak when it comes to snakes.

We watched the water birds watching us. Ducks, heron, and egrets waded in the clear shallows.

Wide-eyed, we witnessed the whorling water as a whale of a gator swam past. Minding our welfare, we didn't wait around to photograph him.
Only slightly weary and not too wet, we returned to wheel-based travel, well-satisfied with our wonderful morning.

(My sis took all the photographs. Doesn't she do great work?)

For more of Denise Nesbitt's ABC's, click here.

Surprised

Driving home from our Jones Hole Creek walk last week, we saw a head peeking out of the tall grass near the road. At first I thought it was a cow. And it was. An elk cow. As she got to her feet, she looked both startled and terrified. The road doesn't get a lot of traffic, and probably no other passersby had noticed her or stopped to have a look.
She stared at us for a few moments, apparently trying to decide what to do.
Finally she trotted off, still glancing back.

Usually elk are seen in herds except at calving time. Do you think she had a young one hidden in the grass and was trying to distract us?

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We've Been Roasted!

Click on the image to read the interview. Many thanks to David Mcmahon at Authorblog for featuring us!

Always a Treat

A walk down Jones Hole Creek from the fish hatchery to the Green River is beautiful any time of year.
Sandstone majesty rises all around us.

In June, the creek is surrounded by emerald green.

A common merganser herds her ducklings across the stream. The water is so clear you can see each duck's shadow on the sandy bottom. Mama looks like she's having a bad hair day.
Butterflies flit everywhere and seem especially attracted to thistle flowers. The nectar must be sweet.
Yellow salsify
and wild rose are blooming.

Steve "hunts" trout while I examine flora and fauna.

The 8 mile round trip hike is good for body and soul.