Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Our last excursion before departing New Mexico was to Canyon de Chelly National Monument in Chinle, Arizona. It was just under 100 miles north of our campground.
From the ruins, artifacts, and images, it has been proven that people lived in these canyons for nearly 5,000 years, longer than anyone has lived uninterruptedly elsewhere on the Colorado Plateau.
Today, Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “da Shay”) is comprised entirely of Navajo Tribal Trust Land. In 1931, the U.S. National Park Service established it as a National Monument, and they continue to this day to work in partnership with the Navajo Nation to manage park resources and sustain this living Navajo community.
Canyon de Chelly has two paved rim drives with overlooks and many hiking trails that lead down into the canyon. We arrived early afternoon and drove the two rims, stopping at all the overlooks.
The North Rim Drive is 18 miles long one way with 3 overlooks and best photographed in the morning, whereas the South Rim is best in the afternoon. I did struggle with my exposures and the intense early afternoon bright sun on the North Rim Drive.
As you took in the views at the overlooks, if you looked hard enough, you could spot numerous cliff and cave dwelling ruins.
The South Rim Drive is 16 miles long one way with seven overlooks. As the afternoon got later, I was more successful with my exposure and lighting settings. 🙂
The largest ruins we spotted on the South Rim was called the White House. It was occupied by the Puebloans about 1,000 years ago. You can take a 2.5 mile round trip hiking trail to this ruin if you desire.
The most famous overlook on the South Rim is Spider Rock Overlook. Spider Rock is an 800 foot sandstone spire that rises from the canyon floor. The overlook’s rim walkway provided so many ways to photograph Spider Rock, and I got a little carried away. Here’s just a few…..
Although there were about 10-12 people at Spider Rock Overlook, there were other Overlooks where we were the only two. That was pretty awesome!
The flowers and critters seen that day at Canyon de Chelly…..
The horses were owned by the Navajo and wandered across the roads freely.
Rock Squirrel
Finally, this next little bird flew right in front of me and into a tree early in the afternoon. I have not been able to identify this one. Anyone?
For sure, the afternoon at Canyon de Chelly was exhilarating with lots of ooohs and aaahs! And the solitude with nature? Amazing!!
New Mexico Bird Finds….And Other Critters
Enjoying the scenery each day we traveled early-on, I would occasionally see a bird in flight or on a post along the highway, and wondered out loud, “Oooooooh, what kind of bird was that?” Hubby would reply, “Honey, if you don’t know, I don’t know”. I would see so many that would be lifers for me if I could have snapped a shot!
Okay, maybe those first long days on the road with no bird photography started to work my mind. I took this next photo out my window as we cruised along. Finally, a bird capture! Maybe a duck or goose!
Well, I do see a duck or goose coming in for a landing, wings spread & feet dangling. Don’t you?
When we finally arrived at our first several-day stopover in Gallup, New Mexico, I stepped off and heard birds. Hallelujah! It wasn’t 10 minutes before I was walking around, camera in hand, looking for them in the trees.
In the few days before leaving New Mexico, here’s some of my best captures all taken at the campground, starting with two new lifers.
Ringed Turtle-Dove (new “lifer” but poor photo)
Western Kingbird (another new “lifer”)
There were so many Western Kingbirds, I had a blast trying to capture them.
The following are other birds that I’ve photographed before, but it’s always a treat to attempt to capture some special ones of them again.
American Robin
American Kestrel (I wish I had been a whole lot closer to him!)
Rock Pigeons
House Sparrow
House Finch
Not too bad for a campground in the desert!
We had a few other critters as well…..
You had to watch you didn’t step on a lizard while they scurried away!
I’ll have one more post from New Mexico to share, a visit to Canyon de Chelly National Monument, and then it’ll be Arizona’s beauty & fun where we are at the present. FYI, we are not in an area with triple-digit temps or any forest fires, thank goodness!!
El Morro National Monument
After traveling 2,073 miles in five days into our eighth state since leaving Maryland, we made our first several-day stopover in Gallup, New Mexico. Our travels have gone well, and the ever-changing landscape since leaving has been simply stunning!
Our plans for this stopover included getting a little rest and to visit two parks, one being El Morro National Monument in Ramah, New Mexico, 60 miles south of our camp.
El Morro has two trails to get up close and personal with this incredible monument. When we arrived, it began to sprinkle with an impending small storm approaching. (It was sunny when we left the campground 60 miles ago!)
We had time to do the Inscription Trail (1/2 mile); but the Park Rangers advised against the Headland Trail (2 miles) to the top to see the pueblo ruins in case of lightning, so it was a no-go. We quickly took to Inscription Trail.
It was the Ancestral Puebloan people who first lived on top of El Morro in a village called Atsinna, or “place of writings on rock”. From 1275 to 1350 A.D., between 1,000-1,500 people lived in this 875 room pueblo.
After only 75 years, Atsinna was abandoned for unknown reasons. But before the Puebloans’ departure, hundreds of petroglyphs were carved on the rock face of El Morro.
Photos of the ruins at the Visitor’s Center were incredible, I wish we had been able to walk up Headland Trail to see them. The following two photos are courtesy of the U.S. National Park Service.
It wasn’t until the years 1539 to 1774, lured by tales of golden cities, that the Spanish began numerous expeditions into what is now New Mexico.
One expedition resulted in the first historical record of El Morro. On March 11, 1583, Antonio de Espejo recorded his “discovery” of a hidden place he called El Estanque de Penol (pool at the great rock).
Today the pool holds approximately 200,000 gallons of water on average.
The photos above and below show after passing and looking back at how hidden the pool is.
El Morro quickly became a main east-west trail and popular campsite for explorers and travelers who learned of the “pool at the great rock” or “oasis in the desert” watering hole hidden at the base of this sandstone bluff.
A valuable and reliable water source and resting place with shade and some protection from the elements after days of dusty travel, many who passed by carved evidence of their passing – adding 2,000 symbols, names, dates, and fragments of their stories in the sandstone rock next to petroglyphs left by ancient Puebloans.
The first Spanish inscription carved at El Morro is Don Juan de Onate in 1605. Those Spaniards now taking the El Morro route to Zuni and the west, added their inscriptions. The last one they added is dated 1774.
After acquiring New Mexico, from 1849 to 1906 U.S. military expeditions and engineer surveyors came into the state, followed by emigrants passing through enroute to California.
Lt. James H. Simpson of the Army’s Topographical Engineers accompanied one of those expeditions and, with artist Richard Kern, took a side trip to El Morro in September 1849.
For two days the two men copied all of the inscriptions for historical recording. And, of course, they too left their names and date, shown below. Richard Kern added “artist” after his name.
In 1868, a Union Pacific survey party visited El Morro to look for a rail route to pass this campsite, but another route 25 miles north was selected. Even though, the railroad surveyors added their names and date.
When the first train steamed over the Continental Divide in 1881, it ended the historic function of El Morro as a watering hole and camp on the long, dusty trail between the Rio Grande and western deserts.
On December 8, 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed El Morro a national monument under the Antiquities Act of 1906. He wanted to ensure that these inscriptions, petroglyphs, and pueblo ruins would be preserved as they have been for us to enjoy this fascinating history today.
The rain started to fall pretty heavily while I was attempting to take photos of as many inscriptions as I could towards the end of the trail, and I really didn’t mind it; but my camera did, so we quickly walked back to the Visitor’s Center, looking like two wet puppies.
Some more photos….
And the backside of El Morro as we drove away.
This visit was unfortunately short. But it was quite interesting to see names of the celebrated, the infamous, the legendary, and the unknown immortalized side by side where they would otherwise be separated by time, class, and ambitions. We would have returned but the next day was off to Canyon de Chelly and then the following day back on the road for Arizona.
El Morro is definitely a worthwhile visit if you’re nearby in New Mexico!
An Artistic Rendition of My Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab
I have again been privileged to have another one of my photographs artistically recreated, this time by Florida artist Deborah Matz. She specializes in sea life acrylic paintings and artwork.
Here is my photo…..
And here is Debbie’s 24″ x 36″ painting rendition…..
Truly makes me long for a big, fat juicy Chesapeake Bay Blue Crab cooked in Old Bay seasoning right now!
Deborah’s painting is absolutely wonderful! Such detail!! I would love to see it in person at 24″ x 36″, it has to be impressive at that size. I am honored and appreciate her in requesting permission to paint my photo. She does lovely larger-than-life work of all types of sea life, check her website out if you get a chance! You’ll love them all!
UPDATE 4/10/18: In my comments section below, I received another artist’s request to draw my ‘crab’, Burton Keeble. I am honored at another request, thank you Burton! He just completed his drawing and sent it to me. WOW, stunning with such detail! Gorgeously done, Burton, thank you for sharing with me!!
On Our Way
We are finally on our way to the southwest area of the U.S. in our RV. Yea!!
We departed Delaware early last week for about a 100 mile relocation to Woodbine, Maryland, local to our son’s home, to spend a little more quality time with our grandsons before the big trip. Grandson #1 got to stay with us until Saturday. Everything went well, the campground was great, and having Ben camp with us again was awesome, he’s at such a fun age!
We hit the road early Sunday, logging in 1,054 miles (1,696 km) in two days, our first night staying around Sevierville, Tennessee, along the west side of the Smoky Mountains. Tonight we are in North Little Rock, Arkansas. After two days of steady cruising, we will now slow down a bit to arrive in Gallup, New Mexico, hopefully by Thursday to spend a few days exploring.
Before the crazy chaos of “To-Dos” prior to departing Delaware & Maryland, I was able to find some time for a little more bird photography at the campgrounds.
Mourning Dove
Chipping Sparrow
Red-bellied Woodpecker
American Robin
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbirds
White-breasted Nuthatch
Black-capped Chickadee (after a rain shower)
What fun it was to have so many ‘back-yard’ feathered friends at the campgrounds.
A final capture, just one of the many squirrel photos I took. This momma squirrel seemed to know about this one water hookup that had a continuous leak and visited it often. Maybe not the most hygiene for us, but I thought it was too darn cute not to share.
I hope to be able to share some awesome captures of our Southwest adventures real soon. I’m still playing catch-up on blogs so please excuse me!
I appreciate your stopping by, enjoy your week!
A Walk in the Woods Through a Young Child’s Lens
We’ve taken our oldest grandson camping several times, and he loves it! He attends preschool, but last week he got to come camp with us. Although most days were chilly and showers were off & on, we still had a blast. Benjamin’s favorite thing was gathering sticks, having campfires, and roasting marshmallows. Our site and the others around us were stick-free by the time he left! Ben will be five next month.
Before I share the rest of today’s photos, I thought you’d enjoy a little background if you don’t mind the read.
I’ve written in past posts that I’ve been working with Ben and the joy of photography. He’s seen me with a camera in hand since he was born. If he saw my camera laying within his reach, he was always trying to pick it up and bring it to me.
When Ben was 2 1/2, I bought him the $40 V-Tech Kidizoom 1.3MP camera with a 4x zoom that has a dual view finder like binoculars and began teaching him some basics. We’d download and review his photos. I printed the ‘special’ ones for him to keep. The camera produced grainy photos and looked like a toy, but it did work.
It was amazing how quickly Ben began to understand what a camera did, why he had to hold his camera steady for each shot (focus), and why he needed to hold it level (straight). With lots of practice, his photos began to improve dramatically. So this time last year for his 4th birthday, I bought him a refurbished Nikon CoolPix S6800 16MP camera with a 12x zoom for $79. It was overkill, of course, but great quality that I thought would benefit him viewing his work, get him even more interested. Along with it, I bought a small case and then a small shoulder-carrying case to teach him to care for his camera from injury. When he opened and saw his new camera, he beamed. It was a “real one”, he said. With the high cost of cheap toys, it’s the best $79 I ever spent on him!
On our nicest rain-free day last week, Ben and I went to a local county park that had a playground and walking trail. We each had our cameras in tow. Of course, we had to check out the the playground first, and I can’t help but share this next photo as he bounced on the tractor with such determination. All boy!
Ben had been working on trying to photograph the Blue Jays alongside me at our campsite; but wasn’t successful, they took flight before he got them in his camera frame. (“They’re too fast!” he’d say frustratingly.)
So when we arrived at the park, he told me I was in charge of taking bird photos. (He knows I take bird photos, he asks to see them, and I show him my blog. He’s doing very well on bird ID and calls, by the time he left us, he could ID the call of the Blue Jay, American Robin, and Red-bellied Woodpecker.) So first I’ll share my bird shots from our walk in the woods to my birder friends.
Male Bluebird
Chipping Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Male Northern Cardinal
I actually wasn’t hunting too much for birds, I had to keep up with an anxious photographer who was exploring on his own.
We walked and talked about what we saw and worked on zooming in and out. We found places where animals might live, footprints, and anything else that might be neat to photograph. Ben took 36 photos. Only eight were out of focus and one off-level quite a bit. Pretty darn good, I’d say!
I thought it’d be fun and hope you enjoy the following photos of a walk in the woods through a young child’s lens, sharing a dozen of Ben’s captures. I did not edit any photo, only cropping as full photo to downsize the size of the photo MB and put his copyright signature.
Here we go!
He found some neat-looking lichen and took his shot. He suggested I might want to take a photo of it also. I did, of course!
Ben’s first ‘track’ found. ‘We’ figured out it was a tire mark, not an animal’s. (I love the feet in the photo.)
The next one was a “bear track” per Ben. (It’s not.)
Here’s a tree that “grew laying down and then stood up”, he said.
We talked about up-shots, and he watched me do one first to understand. Isn’t his fantastic?!
After taking this next creek photo, he wanted to know if he could go walking in it. (I sorrowfully said no….)
Ben found what we figured to be a tree root bulging out of the ground, but he said it looked like a peanut (it did) and wanted a photo of it.
Okay, this one is funny. Ben found a pile of you-know-what. Without me saying anything, he took a photo of it and told me he found “fox poop”. (I have no idea who’s it is!) Thank goodness he didn’t suggest I photograph it too! (But I would have if he asked, lol.)
A butterfly or moth…. (upper mid photo)
An animal’s home….
We reviewed his shots when we returned to our campground. He did so well on centering, leveling, focus, and ideas! I told him I would print them and bring them to him this coming week. He said to make sure I printed the ‘fox poop’ photograph. That’s a boy for you…
If you love photography, think about introducing photography to a young child you are close to. You will be amazed on how quickly they learn. And you will be rewarded with a special bond. I know I have!
I hope you enjoyed my ‘featured photographer’. With Ben’s printed pack of photos, I’m off now to spend a few more days with him and his baby brother in their newly acquired home a couple hours away and get some more luvin’ before we begin our road trip West. Keeping up with the grandkids and everything else, I’m definitely behind on comments and the blogs I follow; I’ll catch up soon as I can!
In My Face!
I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and glanced out my RV window. On the oak tree 10 feet away at my eye level was a female Pileated Woodpecker busily foraging the bark for ants.
Even in our tight RV quarters, my cameras are always within reach.
I was able to fire off five photos that filled my frame through the window before she quickly moved on. Only one is decent, but to date it’s my best capture of the Pileated Woodpecker. The other four became blurs of moving and jumping. And that is okay, I am happy with this shot!
I couldn’t have had her in my face any closer!
Did you know that this is the woodpecker that the cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker, was created by Walter Lantz in 1940? 🙂
Have one of those silly, crazy, Woody Woodpecker kind of days!
Wha ha hahaha! Wha ha hahaha! Hahahahahahahaha!
I’ve Got the Blues
Camping in the woods of a no-frills campground in Delaware, we are definitely living ‘with nature’. It’s so quiet and serene. Wildlife abounds if you just sit and watch. I’m enjoying every moment when I can and the weather cooperates.
I have never been anywhere where there are so many Blue Jays! About a dozen or more busily living around us. We’re among oak trees, and I’ve learned that acorns are one of the their favorite foods. So there’s one answer why so many. I’ve also located five of their nests actively being built.
So no doubt, the Blue Jays have provided many photo ops. They certainly don’t sit for very long, so it’s been fun trying to capture their eye and be in focus.
The pigment in the Blue Jay feathers is melanin, which is brown. The blue color is caused by light scattering through their modified cells on the surface of the Blue Jay’s feather barbs. Interesting!
Flight shots have been challenging for sure….
Now that was a mouthful!
I think this last one is saying, “okay you’ve shared enough, girl”, so I’ll end with that thought….
Sometimes it’s a joy to have the Blues!
Farewell Chesapeake Bay Osprey, Til We Meet Again….
“Closed the shop,
Sold the house,
Bought a ticket to the West Coast…..”
(from “My Life” by Billy Joel)
I heard those lyrics a few weeks ago and knew they would be the start of this post when I finally had a chance to write it. Some of you already know…..
Yes! We closed our business!
Yes! We sold the condo!
And Yes! We ‘bought a ticket to the West Coast’!
We listed our waterfront condo on the market the day we left for Florida, and it received a contract quickly. Since returning, life became a whirlwind of boxes and bubblewrap. The kids got ‘new’ stuff and charity got even more! Geez, I never knew we had accumulated so much stuff in 36 years. I am still trying to ‘unload’ some of it!
Our condo is now sold; and we’ve relocated in Delaware with family and are living in our RV full-time while we tie up loose ends, appointments, help our kids settle in their upcoming new homes, hug the grandkids as much as possible, and finish preparing our RV to hit the road early June for the West with our first reservation at a campground near the Grand Canyon. And from there, who knows? We’re still not sure ourselves!! But we’re super-excited about the new adventures, sights, people, cultures, and all the meandering inbetween we will experience around the United States. I’ve been telling everyone we’ve become RV road gypsies!
So who’s already thinking, boy oh boy, Donna’s gone cuckoo?! 😲 No need to admit, we’ve already had a few eyebrows ‘arch up’. On the other side of the coin, in the five years we have been RVing primarily the East Coast, we’ve met so many full-timers who absolutely love it, as well as others who say we are living the dream they would love to do themselves some day.
Maybe we’ll only do this for six months, a year, or maybe five, not sure yet. I think we’ll know when we’re ready to resettle into a home dwelling when the time comes. Preparing to leave family is the most difficult. We’ll obviously return to family for holidays and events.
But right now I am so psyched with our new “home is where you roam” lifestyle. I’m presently researching places out West and Northwest. Reading RV blogs that are enriched with info. And loving the simpler life already!
So now it’s time to say farewell to my beloved Osprey….
Having boated the Chesapeake Bay region for 30 years, we have loved and enjoyed its never-ending beauty, especially Maryland’s Eastern Shore. When we moved there 10 years ago, it was this Osprey nest platform off my third floor balcony that interested me with photography and recreational birding.
My view of Marshy Creek
My view of Prospect Bay
My view of the southend of the Kent Narrows Channel
The Osprey quickly became daily entertainment. Over the years that followed, I bought new cameras. New lens. Then bigger lens. I talked to experts and gobbled up all there was to know about Osprey. I took probably thousands of photos of just them.
And just as quickly, the Osprey family that lived on our platform became part of ‘my family’. I knew them inside and out. What their calls meant. The facial expressions they made. How hard they worked. The heat, wind, & storms they endured. The success with little ones. And the committed bond they had for each other.
They were a joy to my heart and soul.
A couple years ago, it appeared both Osprey failed to return from migration. Our platform tried to attract new ‘owners’ but it wasn’t to be each season since. Luckily our area was still a summer home to many Osprey, and I certainly continued to get my fill of them year after year as I’ve shared through my posts. I’m hoping this season a new Osprey couple will find the platform a suitable home for others to enjoy as I did.
Since the reason and beginning of my blog starred the Osprey, I thought it befitting my ‘last’ Chesapeake Bay area post be a tribute of my recent Osprey that were taken from my balcony during the last few weeks before we moved out.
My camera equipment was the last to get packed, surely you’d know that! 🙂
Never-ending work, even at sunset!
This next short series are of the same Osprey in the above photo. He returned to snatch up more nesting materials from our riprap just an hour before we did our final walk-out. I couldn’t have been more thrilled! WOO HOO!! And thank you!!!
My 3rd floor balcony was sooooooo perfect for the fly-bys of all kinds of bird species I shared with you. It was certainly special!
I admit I am already missing my daily Osprey fix. But although I may have said this was a farewell, I have already seen Osprey flying over Delaware. 🙂
In the meantime, at our Delaware campground, I am chasing Blue Jays when I have time. They’re providing me my best Blue Jay photos to date.
So as a chapter closes and the celebration of a new one begins for hubby and I, I hope you’re interested in continuing to follow my blog as I share my bird and scenery photos from our RV travels. I’m sure there will be a few throwbacks from the Chesapeake Bay; I still have folders I’ve never had time to view from last year.
I cannot wait until early June to get our wheels rolling. The Blue Jays and I will keep you posted!
“To travel is to live.”
– Hans Christian Anderson
Red-headed & Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Last month heading home from Florida, I had mentioned we stopped for a few days in South Carolina. I enjoyed a few sessions with Woodpeckers while out walking.
It was the flash of red that I saw; a Red-headed Woodpecker landing in a clump of tall trees. Too far away with my zoom, I moved closer, but found I had to get almost under the clump of trees to get any photos, shooting straight up.
Although I was getting some shots, the weight of my camera and lens got the best of me quickly. Not giving up so easily, and after looking around & not seeing anyone, I laid down with my back on the turf of grass I was standing on and shot straight up. Wow, this was so much better for the situation! I imagine I looked a little goofy to those passing by. But the photos were worth it to me.
The male Red-headed Woodpecker was quite busy patrolling the skies…..
Retrieving berries…..
And searching the tree barks for insects.
I watched long enough to discover the Red-headed Woodpecker’s ‘home’ where he was delivering insects to his mate I suspect.
Back on patrol…..
And another flight shot…..
At another ‘session’, I found a Red-headed Woodpecker high up on a electric pole. As I took a few photos, the next series occurred where a Red-bellied Woodpecker flew directly at the Red-headed Woodpecker, forcing him to leave.
After a few minutes, the Red-bellied Woodpecker flew back to his ‘trees’.
The Red-headed Woodpecker took his chances and flew back to the pole as soon as the Red-bellied Woodpecker left. I thought this was hilarious! The Red-bellied Woodpecker didn’t return, but you can tell in the next photo the Red-headed Woodpecker was expecting him. I wonder what his plan was this time if the Red-bellied had returned?
I located the Red-bellied Woodpecker and watched him fly to the base of a tree, then make his way up the trunk to the branches. I supposed he had better things on his mind than messing with that Red-headed fella.
Once he got to an upper branch, I was surprised by the appearance of a female. I shot off a series as they got busy mating.
When they finished, I captured this next ‘mirror-image’ shot. And then they were gone in separate directions!
The Woodpeckers were a fun challenge times two and a great add to my files. We all love being at the right place, right time!
Carry your camera wherever you go and discover your enjoyable “right place, right time” moment this week!
Bay Photos by Donna 