A Return to the Canyon…..

As we drove away from Grand Canyon National Park last summer, we knew we’d be returning five months later. Good byes are always easier when you know you’ll be returning. And July would soon be upon us and we were headed north to Churchill Manitoba with its polar bears, beluga whales, red fox, and a whole new subarctic world.

Returning was like coming home - we are back among friends – being welcomed with open arms, lots of hugs, and smiles. Even the wildlife seemed to know we were back.

It has turned to winter and this morning we were greeted with snow on the ground. Like little kids we bundled up to head to the South Rim to check out the views. The ravens were playing, the snow was flying up out of the canyon, fog rimmed the northern edge…..

It is good be to back….

Sounds of an Ancient Culture

A rough dirt track follows the south side of the deep sandstone canyon. For a mile or so there had been little to see, just the beauty of the canyon and the occasional eroded ruin. It took over an hour to get to the end of the road.

As we rounded a corner, a sunburst illuminated the rust colored sandstone arch that protects the multi-room ruin. A stop for pictures was required. Stepping around the 4X4, white flecks in the dirt seemed out of place. Our guide picked one up; it was half of an ancient seed pot. The hillside was littered with the shards from the Pueblo civilization.

The first inhabitants of the cliff dwellings at Mummy Cave were called the Basket Makers, an early Anasazi culture. They were experts at wicker basketry, remnants of which were left in their dwelling and burial sites. The Pueblo people came next; then the Navajo. At one time, the Canyon de Chelly canyons were home to over 1,000 people. Farmland in the bottom of the Canyon has been cultivated by the Pueblo and Navajo for over 1,000 years - it is still farmed today.

The Navajo people respect the ancient sites. They know that spirits dwell in the ruins; spirits that shouldn’t be disturbed. They’ve heard them, felt them, and know to leave the ruins untouched. Unfortunately, others don’t have the same respect and fences must keep them away.

If you stop and listen, you can hear the sound of an ancient people. They are still here.

Looking for the last of summer…

As the air gets cooler and the rains starts again we find ourselves yearning for a little more summer. You see, we really haven’t had summer this year. We went from spring in the Southwest to summer in the sub-arctic, which really isn’t summer at all. Then we entered fall with its cooler temperatures and the beginnings of the rainy season. Oregon is like that.

So the trailer was hitched up, and rolling south we have finally found a little summer. Yes, it’s fall here at Zion National Park, but we call 80 degree days summer. Along with summer, we have the added benefit of golden fall leaves situated in a photographer’s paradise.

We’ll be here long enough to dry out, get some sun, and make a few pictures before moving on to Canyon de Chelly, and hopefully, a little more of this colorful summer.