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Awesome Sunset: A Perfect Ending to a Playful Day

September 21, 2012 by Pat Bean

“One’s age should be tranquil, as childhood should be playful. Hard work at either extremity of life seems out-of-place. At midday the sun may burn, and men labor under it; but the morning and evening should be calm and cheerful.” – Thomas Arnold

I stood outside in awe for quite a while watching this blazing end to my playful day. This image was not enhanced even a tiny bit. — Photo by Pat Bean

Adventures with Pepper: Day 6 Continued

            Playful black-billed magpies followed my journey this day. I seemed to see them everywhere, and they delighted my soul.

Not a very exciting magpie photo, but it was the only one that didn’t come out blurry. The magpies were just too quick for my camera. — Photo by Pat Bean

The first time I became aware of these birds was in the mid-1980s during a visit to a friend’s house in Glenn’s Ferry, Idaho. A half-dozen or so of them were frolicking above the Snake River. I was enchanted, and have stayed that way.          With magpies shadowing my drive after leaving Dinosaur National Park, I soon crossed into Colorado and through the small town of Dinosaur.

It was here, in October of 2009, that a mythical portal consumed Marvel Comics’ Dark Avengers.

Pepper in control of her own leash. — Photo by Pat Bean

I wondered if the portal was located on the city’s Brontosaurus Boulevard, Stegosaurus Freeway or Tyrannosaurus Trail.

The city had been renamed Dinosaur from Artesia to capitalize on the monument that stretches from Utah into Colorado, and then the city fathers began to get playful with its street names.

My scenic Highway 40 route this day  also took me through Maybell, which holds Colorado’s lowest recorded temperature record – minus 61 degrees F; and Craig, which claims to be the Elk Hunting Capital of the road.

“Ok! I’m tired. You can be in charge again.” — Photo by Pat Bean

My stopping place for the night was Yampa River State Park near Hayden, where even more magpies were hanging out. Pepper took a running leap at one that came too close and jerked the leash out of my hand.            I could almost hear her shout “free-at-last” as she began running circles around me. It wasn’t the first time this had happened.

A smart dog, Pepper had wised up to the fact that it was easy for me to grab hold of the trailing retractable leash, so she had started picking it up and running with it.

Yup! I think playful was the word of the day.

Book Report: 51,306 words. An aha moment gave me the perfect conclusion for my book, but made me realize I’ll have more rewriting to do so I can add a continuous thread. It was like getting both good news and bad news at the same time.

The Wondering Wanerer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: East London Art Walk http://tinyurl.com/8zkzkmr Now I might enjoy this kind of walk almost as much as I do my nature walks. It would be a fun change of pace anyway. Perhaps one day I might even get to London. I’ve never visited Europe, but I have visited 46 of the 50 states, and after this journey I’ll have knocked off 49.

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Art, Birds, Dogs, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments »

Green River and Sandhill Cranes

September 20, 2012 by Pat Bean

            “In rivers the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.” Leonardo da Vinci

Adventures with Pepper: Day Six continued

View of the Green River from the Dinosaur National Monument quarry overlook. — Photo by Pat Bean

            My detour off Highway 40 to Dinosaur National Monument on a rural back road followed the Green River as it flowed down to join the Mighty Colorado River.

Not a slouch in itself the Green, which begins in the Wind River Mountains of  Wyoming, is 730 miles long and a major tributary of the Colorado.

I had rafted this section of the river, through Split Mountain Gorge into Dinosaur National Monument, back in the late 1980s, and I had canoed a section of the river from Ouray to Sand Wash in the 1970s.

So while I have a fondness for all rivers, I have a special fondness for the Green. It was an expected pleasure to watch its passage from behind the wheel of Gypsy Lee this morning.

What wasn’t expected was the flock of sandhill cranes in a meadow near the river. I had to stop for these.

A flock of great blue herons in an irrigated agriculture field just outside the entrance to Dinosaur National Monument near Vernal, Utah.

The herons were an unexpected sight, the kind that continues to make travel so alluring to this wondering wanderer.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie now at 50,402 words. Over half-way there. Yea!

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Running with Scissortails http://tinyurl.com/8q45ucg One of these things is not like the other. Personally, I hang out with scissortails at every opportunity, but I’ve never seen scissor-tailed flycatchers anywhere but Texas.

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Birds, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Uncategorized, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

Dinosaur National Monument

September 19, 2012 by Pat Bean

            “Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.” –Henri Frederic Amiel

Where dinosaurs once roamed — and died. — Photo by Pat Bean

Adventures with Pepper: Day Six

            My last stop before exiting from Utah was a quick visit to Dinosaur National Park.

The monument had gained a new visitor center since my last visit, and a shuttle took one up the hill to the indoor quarry where dinosaur bones were on display, still half buried in rock. The quarry had also undergone renovations, including the addition of this exhibit since my last visit. — Photo by Pat Bean

I should have lingered longer but I was in one of those moods where the day’s destination seemed more important than the journey. I hate it when I get like that.

Evidence of a world we can only imagine in our minds, or scientifically try to explain. — Photo by Pat Bean

Part of my day’s rush was that it was Friday and I didn’t have reservations for the weekend, and I was remembering how crowded Lake Walcott State Park always was on weekends. .            Fortunately, it was not my first visit to Dinosaur Monument. It was one of those places I visited a couple of time when wanderlust hit me on a weekend. Like past visits, the landscape interested me as much as the bone fossils. I always tried to imagine living dinosaurs waddling across my view.

My mind’s eye let me see them. Can You?

Book Report: Travels with Maggie, 49,606 words. Did almost as much cutting as rewriting. I kept remembering the writing advice to always eliminate the boring.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: Texas Tweeties: http://tinyurl.com/9y59htv I never get tired of seeing vermillion flycatchers.

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments »

Steinaker State Park, Utah

September 18, 2012 by Pat Bean

“If travel is like love, it is in the end, mostly because it’s a heightened state of awareness, in which we are mindful, receptive, undimmed by familiarity and ready to be transformed. That is why the best trips, like the best love affairs, never really end.” – Pico Iyer, “Why We Travel.”

A view of Steinaker Reservoir through the trees on an early morning hike. — Photo by Pat Bean

Adventures with Pepper: Day Five

            Today’s drive down Highway 40 from Jordanelle State Park to Vernal was one I’d driven quite a few times before. The fact is there are very few roads in Utah that I haven’t driven.

As usual, Pepper is waiting for me to catch up with her. My daily walks with my now nine-month old Scotty-mix puppy help keep this wondering/wandering old broad healthy.

I lived in the state for 25 years, and many were the times an itchy foot would attack me early on a Saturday morning. I would throw a few things in my car, gather up my canine traveling companion, and take off for the weekend. The road was always calling to me as far back as I can remember. After a divorce and after my children had fled the nest, I started answering it back every chance I could.

Highway 40 might haven taken me to Heber, where I might ride the Heber Creeper to Bridal Veil Falls; or to Rockport State Park, where I might set up my tent for the weekend; or to Flaming Gorge, where if I had timed it right, I might watch ospreys feed their chicks.

Highway 40 held the key to many of my memories. There was the tiny town of Myton, which recalled my float trips down the Green River and the rough, unpaved road trip back from the Sand Wash take out to Myton, where civilization began again.

Just past Roosevelt, I thought of the fancy Bottle Hollow Lodge, which I discovered no longer existed. The tourist attraction was a joint business project in the 1970s between the Ute Indians and Utah State University’s Extension Services.

I was working as a writer for USU at the time, and wrote about the venture as part of a marketing campaign. I recalled sleeping one night in the huge round beds that were the standard in the motel’s unique round rooms.

Up the road from where Bottle Hollow had been, there was a neon-lit motel, a bare step above a Motel 6, that now provided passersby overnight accommodations. I was glad I wasn’t stopping there.

I ended my day instead at Steinaker State Park, located just seven miles up Highway 191 from Vernal. It was my virgin visit to the park – and it was awesome.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie, 49,387 words.

The Wondering Wanderer's blog pick of the day. Bean’s Pat: 23 Thorns http://23thorns.wordpress.com/2012/09/16/frog/ Ribbit. A long blog, but I loved it. I was hooked when the writer began to explain why his family wasn’t like other families.

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Dogs, Favorite Hikes, Favorite Places, Lakes, Nature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Jordanelle State Park, Utah

September 17, 2012 by Pat Bean

            “Coexistence: What the farmer does with the turkey – until Thanksgiving”

The view of Lake Jordanelle out my RV window. — Photo by Pat Bean

Adventures with Pepper: Day Four Continued

The zoom lens on my new Canon Power Shot was a plus in capturing this view of wild turkeys at Lake Jordanelle. — Photo by Pat Bean

             I only drove 77 miles today, but then I only have to drive 75 miles a day to meet my goal of getting back to Texas in time for Thanksgiving.

That gives me plenty of time to start my day by writing, taking a hike with Pepper and then dawdling along the way, stopping to enjoy things like Devil’s Slide up Weber Canyon, the fall colors in the mountains and, of course the birds.

It was a good day for bird-watching. I saw ravens, crows, turkey vultures, a red-breasted nuthatch, magpies, house sparrow, belted kingfishers, great blue heron, a western tanager, kestrels, European starlings, barn swallows and house finches.

It was also a plus that my canine traveling companion, Pepper, was distracted elsewhere when I spotted the turkeys. — Photo by Pat Bean

I even got to see some wild turkeys at Lake Jornanelle State Park, where Pepper and I spent the night. Thankfully, I saw them while Pepper was sniffing a hole in the other direction and was able to snap off a couple of photos before we got closer.

The turkeys disappeared into the bushes as soon as they saw us.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie is now up to 48,803 words. I had time to do more but smelling the flowers got in the way. I no longer flagellate myself for letting that happen. Perhaps it’s because I know that I have more life behind me than ahead of me, and while writing is important to me, it’s not the only thing in my life.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day

Bean’s Pat:  Wales’ Castles http://tinyurl.com/8exuruo From the era of King Edward, An armchair-traveler’s special.

Posted in Birds, Favorite Places, Lakes, Nature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments »

Weekly Photo Challenge: Everyday Life

September 15, 2012 by Pat Bean

            “In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” – Robert Frost

Part of my everyday Sunday life was sitting on the back steps of my grandmother’s home early in the morning watching her wring a chicken’s neck so we could have the best fried chicken in the world for dinner. It spooked me the way the headless body of the chicken would flop around. My grandmother’s house on the outskirts of Dallas is now condemned. — Photo by Pat Bean

Mine from the Ages of 3 to 11

These are the steps I ran up every week day to catch the school bus. I tripped on them once and chipped a tooth, which the dentist said was why it finally fell out when I was in my 60s. — Photo by Pat Bean

When I was 11 years old my grandmother, the only person I thought loved me – of course I was wrong – died. My whole world then changed, and it wasn’t for the better.

I recently searched out my grandmother’s old home. As Robert Frost said, life had moved on. But the memories of my everyday life as it was back then are still etched into my soul.

“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.” – John Lennon

  

This is the tree in the next door neighbor’s yard that I climbed most everyday. I loved this old tree, which back then was young and perfect. The house on the right was a corn field. — Photo by Pat Bean

          “Any idiot can face a crisis – it’s day to day living that wears you out.” – Anton Chekhov .

 

Posted in Favorite Places, Journeys, Weekly Photo Challenge | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments »

Fall Color Showing in Utah’s Mountains

September 14, 2012 by Pat Bean

“We cling to our own point of view, as though everything depended on it. Yet our opinions have no permanence; like autumn and winter, they gradually pass away.” Zhuangzi

It’s turning to fall in Utah’s northern mountains — Photo by Pat Bean

Adventures with Pepper: Day Four Continued

I left the summer of the valleys briefly yesterday to find autumn already blooming in the higher elevations. Thought you would enjoy sharing the colors with me.

Book Report: I needed to get on the road early but got up early to at least write for half an hour on Travels with Maggie, which is now at 45,312 words. The number might have been higher if my Internet connection for fact-checking hadn’t been so poopy.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day

Bean’s Pat: Margaret’s Miscellany http://tinyurl.com/99nqldk A Death Valley story that’s G-rated.

 

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Nature, Travel, Travels With Maggie, Writing | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments »

Devil’s Slide

September 13, 2012 by Pat Bean

 “The journey itself is my home.” Basho Matsuo

Adventures with Pepper: Day Four Continued            

Devil’s Slide as viewed from the far side of the Weber River. — Photo by Pat Bean

When it comes to interesting landscapes, the Devil too often gets the credit.

For example, Colorado has a Devil’s Playground, New Zealand has a Devil’s Bath, Wyoming has a Devil’s Tower, Norway has a Devil’s Valley and Oklahoma, Idaho and Arizona all have Devil canyons. And this is just barely scratching the surface.

Wandering/wondering minds are curious about this name phenomenon. Aren’t you?

Utah’s Weber Canyon, which I passed through, was what got me thinking about this.

Near the mouth of the canyon I passed Devil’s Gate, and near its end I passed Devils Slide.

The gate was named by early explorers to the region, and later illustrated by Thomas Moran for a railroad tour guide. He also did an illustration of Devil’s Slide.

I was on the wrong side of Highway 84 to get a picture of the gate, but Pepper and I stopped at the scenic turnout to admire Devil’s Slide for a while.

Artist Thomas Moran’s etching of Devil’s Gate, a rock formation in the Weber River that daunted early pioneers who came down Weber Canyon. This spot on the river now offers kayakers a major challenge.

The limestone sides of the slide were part of a sea floor about 175 million years ago. The sea drained away, the reef bed tilted and the softer between layer of rock eroded away to create the unusual geological site.            I wondered what was on the mind of the person who named it Devil’s Slide instead of Angel’s Slide, or simply The Giant’s Slide.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie is now up to 45,422 words. I got up early this morning so I could write.  

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day

          Bean’s Pat: Take a hike http://tinyurl.com/8fk88m8 Along the West Coast Trail. I would be envious if I weren’t having my own, less strenuous, but still fabulous journey right now.

Posted in Adventures With Pepper, Art, Favorite Places, Journeys, Nature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments »

Good-Bye Ogden, The Road is Calling Again

September 12, 2012 by Pat Bean

            “A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles” Tim Cahill

My morning walk with old birding friends on Two Rivers Trail began here beneath Ogden’s 21 Street Bridge across the Ogden River. — Photo by Pat Bean

But First, Bird Watching on Two Rivers Trail         

Along with seeing that great Southwest bird overhead, everyone also got a very close-up view of this juvenile great blue heron. — Photo by Pat Bean

    “Hey! Did you see that big bird with silver wings and a red tail?” asked Jack Rensel, whom I know is as old as this wondering wanderer, but whom looked as young as ever and was still carrying his birding scope and tripod over his shoulders as we walked the Two Rivers Trail early this morning.

“You mean the Southwest bird,” someone quickly jibed.

It felt ever so good to be back among my old bird-watching friends after a year’s absence.  Jack and Keith Evans, whom I also got to see this morning at the bird-walk breakfast, were my mentors and my reference sources back when I was writing a birding column for the Ogden newspaper.

It’s a good thing one or the other of them was always available, as I was a novice birder at the time and hated making a fool of myself in print.

My birding skills have improved since those days, and so has Ogden’s trail system.

The river was still this morning, making it the perfect canvas for landscape reflections. I especially liked this double bouquet of yellow blossoms. — Photo by Pat Bean

Good for me and good for Ogden.  The city has grown since I left it eight years ago, but the Wasatch Chapter of birders that I left behind hasn’t changed at all. It’s still the best Audubon group I’ve ever had the privilege of birding with.

I hated to leave this group of awesome birders early,  but I had miles to go before I could sleep.  I’ll tell you a bit about those miles tomorrow.

Book Report: Travels with Maggie is now up to 44,916 words. Still inching along like a snail.                

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day

Bean’s Pat Cliffy http://tinyurl.com/8e4ghhd  Today’s arm-chair travel blog made it to the top of my list today simply because it looks like an intriguing place to sit and drink a Jack and Coke. Should I put it on my ever-growing to-do list?

Posted in Birds, Favorite Hikes, Favorite Places, Nature, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

A Frustrating Ogden Day

September 11, 2012 by Pat Bean

“My recipe for dealing with anger and frustration: set the kitchen timer for twenty minutes, cry, rant, and rave, and at the sound of the bell, simmer down and go about business as usual.” – Phyllis Diller.

Finally Ends Well            

Mallards floating along the Ogden River Parkway taken at an earlier time. I had no time to walk the parkway yesterday. — Photo by Pat Bean

In recent months, my frustration levels seemed to have reached record highs. Computer woes, unreasonable costs for health services including one fraudulent lab bill, a misunderstanding with a good friend, and a lost lens from a new pair of glasses plagued me.            I did not react well. I spoke words I later regretted, and I screamed at people who weren’t the cause of my frustration.

The frustrating situations continued during my visit this week to Ogden, the first stop of my upcoming 5,000 mile journey. My Verizon hot spot wasn’t working, and shortly after I had my RV serviced, it began leaking oil.

It was late Saturday when I discovered the oil leak, meaning I couldn’t get it fixed until Monday morning. I decided to put it out of my mind until then and let myself enjoy the barbecue that was given for me to see old friends while I was here in Ogden.  Not sure how, but I did just that.

I also found an open Wi-Fi connection, not hard to do in a city the size of Ogden, which temporarily solved my internet connection problem until I could take it into a Verizon place on Monday as well.

But I did get to occasionally glance up at Ogden’s mountain backdrop, which probably helped me stay cool. — Photo by Pat Bean

Monday was yesterday, and I spent the entire day solving these two problems.            The RV service center admitted they probably cracked the oil cap putting it back on and said they could get a new one in about two hours.

And so they did. It was the wrong one, however, and it was another three hours before they could get the right one delivered from Salt Lake City. I stayed pleasant this entire time, and was rewarded when Gypsy Lee was finally fixed at no charge to me.

I then tackled my hot spot problem at a small Verizon store with only one employee. He was working on my problem when a man came in with a broken phone. I waited patiently for a half hour while this customer was sold a new phone, his old contacts transferred to it and a dozen other paper-work items taken care of to get it activated.

After another half hour of fooling with my computer and the hot spot, Tyler (we had exchanged names by this time) said the problem was solved.

So I tried it. So it wasn’t solved.

And I did get to go down on Ogden’s 25th Street when an old friend took me to lunch at Karen’s while my RV was waiting for a new oil cap. — Photo by Pat Bean

Tyler finally admitted I had a lemon and that since it was less than a year old I could get a replacement by calling customer service and having them mail me one. Of course that wouldn’t work for my travel plans.

Fortunately I had come prepared with my old air card, which had served me extremely well before I had been talked into upgrading it with the hot spot. Tyler then kindly reinstalled the software so I could use it again. We chatted about Netflix choices while he worked.

When the air card was finally working perfectly again, it was 6 p.m. And I had done nothing except solve two problems.

I felt great, however.  I hadn’t spent any money, and I had stayed cool as a frosted glass of lemonade for the entire day. My blood pressure appreciated this fact greatly.

Looking back, I realized nothing would have gone any faster if I had behaved badly, even though I would have been justified in doing so. While I don’t advocate such nicety from everyone, it worked so well for me this day that I might even try it again.

Book Report: I decided to blog first and write this afternoon. So no progress yet today.

The Wondering Wanderer’s blog pick of the day.

Bean’s Pat: A Rocking Run http://tinyurl.com/9ewvtcq  What a great place to be in your head.

Posted in Favorite Places, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments »

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