Solitary Sentinel

Winter is still a few months away, but this solitary tree in a field of deep snow and even deeper snow drifts in Yellowstone National Park reminds us that winter in the park really isn't that far off. I really like the stark beauty, the shadows and the various shapes formed by the drifting snow. Yellowstone is even more magical in winter than during the rest of the year. It remains my favorite place in the United States to visit.

Back to the Past

I came across this old Ford pickup truck parked near a classic Coca-Cola sign one morning while driving to Chaco Canyon in northwest New Mexico. I made a quick U-turn as quickly as I could and got a couple of pictures of this scene. 

Somehow the old truck and the old-style sign on the side of a convenience store/gas station just seemed to go together.

Native Dancer

This young Native American dancer performed his tribe's deer dance at the annual Indian Market, held every August in downtown Santa Fe, NM. It draws tens of thousands of visitors and hundreds of Native artists, sculptors, weavers and silversmiths.

Natural Beauty

This beautiful flower is one of the gorgeous flowering plants in the yard of a friend in South Carolina.

I love the bright colors and concentric circles it forms.

Patience Pays Off

This beautiful female leopard was photographed in a tree in northern Kenya's Samburu region. A crowd of vehicles had gathered near her when she was on the ground. It appeared that she had disappeared into the rocks and brush, but our guide spotted her in a tree. We waited until the other vehicles had gone. Then we got to watch this amazing animal by ourselves. This happened on our final game drive on our final day.

One in a Million

A wildebeest is silhouetted against the setting sun on a plain in Kenya's Maasai Mara. More than 1.5 million wildebeests, along with countless zebra, migrate in a huge loop through Kenya and Tanzania each year. They face dangers such as crocodiles, lions and cheetahs, as well as legs broken in the crush of animals trying to hurry across rivers with steep banks.

New Mexico Hoodoos

This image was taken at Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe. It is on the Cochiti pueblo.

Kasha-Katuwe means 'white cliffs' in the Puebloan language Keresan. The rock formations are made of layers of volcanic rock and ash from a volcanic explosion 6 million to 7 million years ago. Over time, weathering and erosion of the layers formed canyons and tent rocks, or hoodoos. The tent rocks consist of soft pumice cones and tuff under the harder caprocks. The height of the formations varies from a few feet to 90 feet.

A strenuous 1.2 mile hiking trail through slot canyons takes the strong hiker to a mesa overlook that offers amazing views of the rocks. Hikers should be aware of the elevation (5,570 feet to 6,760 feet) and the need to carry a lot of water. There is also a more gentle trail.

Hoodoos or tent rocks are found primarily in dry areas. Bryce Canyon National Park is another well-known area with a lot of tent rocks.