Road Trippin'

The other day we got together with our neighbors and fellow workcampers, John and Sandy, and took a drive out to The Arches National Park. This is a picture of John and Sandy taken at Balanced Rock. Even though we've only known these two for a very short time, they just have that good-friend-feel about them. They've really made our stay here in Moab much nicer.



I know I repeat myself a lot, but I can't help but say again, "What an awesome place this is!". The arches themselves are amazing, but I am equally impressed by the other rock formations.







We found this space between some huge rock formations where we could get out of the sun for a little while. It was so nice to be in the shade and the rocks there helped lower the temperature by what seemed like 20 degrees. None of us were in a hurry to get back out in the sunshine.







Mark found a really shady place...too bad he can't stretch out and relax for a while!



I am constantly surprised by the plants and trees that grow in this climate. The wind and sun are so harsh that many of the trees don't have bark on them. They are just dried-out twisted limbs with no leaves, but right next to them will be a delicate blossoms that seem more suited to gentler climates or these vibrant yellow wildflowers that seem to thrive in the desert sunshine.







We visited an old ranch in the park called Wolfe Ranch. It was named after what I can only assume was a crazy-as-a-loon man who moved his family from Ohio out into the back of beyond after the Civil War. The term ranch is used loosely here as the house is actually only one small room with a tiny detached root cellar. I can't imagine how hard life must have been for these people.





Now, in case any of you noticed something odd about the quality of these photos let me confess. It is NOT my lame attempt at using the soft-focus option. It is because I screwed up and grabbed my camera by the lens without noticing it! Yes, I did it! It may be that the earlier post from the jeep safari where I thought the dog had nosed my camera lens may have just been another instance of me not paying attention to how I treat my equipment! But now I know! I will do better!!