The Rolling Toaster at Sunrise

Capitol Reef National Park, UT
Canon PowerShot SX40 HS

Capitol Reef is one of my favorite parks.  It was a one night stop on my week-long road trip to Bryce Canyon in September of 2013, and I am anxious to return.  Its appeal to me I think is in part because it's not very crowded.  It seems to exist in the shadow of the other Utah national parks.  Fine by me.

Sunrise photos are a rarity for me.  I seem to get up early when I'm camping, though.  I was just on my way out of the park to begin the drive down Utah Route 12 to Bryce Canyon when I stopped to get this shot.  This was the start of one of the best driving days I've ever had.

I always like to get a few shots of the car when I'm on a road trip.  I'm not really into cars as you can probably tell by my choice of vehicle, but the car is a big part of the story on a road trip.  This rolling toaster has been very good to me.

Photo selection inspired by Geogypsy's Foto Friday Fun 132, image #1010.

Approaching Monument Valley

Monument Valley Tribal Park, UT
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, f/8. 1/80s. ISO: 100

Monument Valley is one of the most spectacular places I've even been.  The views don't hold off until you enter the park, either.  This view can be seen before even arriving at the entrance, and its merely a preview of coming attractions.

Southern Sea Otters

Southern Sea Otter -- Moss Landing, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, f/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO: 1250

More cuteness from this weekend.  Today it's otters.

Black-tailed Fawns

Black-tailed Deer -- Pacific Grove Golf Links, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, f/5.6, 1/160s. ISO: 800

Can't play a round of golf without running into some deer on the course at Pacific Grove.  These two fawns are cuties, aren't they?

Pacific Grove Golf Links

Pacific Grove Golf Links, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 17-40mm f/4L USM, ISO: 100, f/4.5, 1/320s

Sam and I went golfing at one of our favorite courses this weekend.  We met Jim and his dad there.  That always makes for a good time, especially on a course as pretty as Pacific Grove Golf Links.

Mama & Her Cubs

Grizzly Bear -- Yellowstone National Park, WY
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, f/6.3, 1/50s, ISO:640

One of the highlights of this summer's road trip was seeing this grizzly bear and her two cubs feasting on this bison carcass.  We saw five bears on this trip.  The other two were black bears in Grand Teton National Park.

There's potentially a sad story that goes along with this photo.  A couple of weeks after this photo was taken a hiker was killed by a grizzly with two cubs.  She was put down and her cubs sent away to zoos.  She was put down because it wasn't a defensive killing, she hunted the hiker down for food.  The killing happened only a few miles from where I took this picture.

An estimated seven hundred grizzly bears live in Yellowstone.  Out of those seven hundred, how many are mothers with two cubs?  Within that subset, how many were known to frequent that area?  I'm guessing the odds are pretty good that this was the same bear involved with killing of the hiker.  It breaks my heart to think that.

We know we're entering their world when we venture out into a national park like Yellowstone.  How respectful of that environment are we being?  There was a large ranger-managed crowd at this feeding scene we saw.  These bears had been working on the carcass for four days.  They were probably pretty used to the crowds by the end of those four days.  Mama might have even gotten it into her head that one of us might taste good during those four days.  We try to be respectful but whether we like it or not we will have an impact on the lives of the animals we encounter even from a distance.  Something to think about, for me anyway.

Image inspired by Geogypsy's Foto Friday Fun 131, photo #8680.

Coyote on the Cliff

Coyote -- Point Reyes National Seashore, CA
Canon EOS Rebel T5i, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5,6L IS II USM, f/5.6, 1/2000s, ISO: 800

This photo has its problems.  It's back lit.  It's not particularly sharp.  The colors aren't all that interesting.  Still, it's a photo I really like.  I think it captures the spirit of this coyote well.  Not in a spiritual sense but in a sense of energy and composure.

As a dog lover, I find myself drawn to coyotes.  I suspect I'd be drawn to wolves too if I'd had more than one distant encounter.  It saddens me to think that coyotes are thought of as "garbage" animals.  They're intelligent and they're survivors.  I wish everyone could see them as special creatures.