In the tracks of dinosaurs

The hike was over five miles in -- and then all those same steps back -- but it felt worth it to stand in the tracks of dinosaurs, creatures from some 150 million years ago. The site? Picketwire Canyon, one of our last stops in Colorado.

I love the story of the name 'Picketwire' -- it comes from the French name for the river that runs there -- 'Purgatoire' -- in turn, named for Spanish treasure-seekers who died there without benefit of clergy (thus, relegated to the pains of purgatory). Somewhere along the line, somebody couldn't say 'purgatoire' and decided it sounded like 'picketwire'. If you say it with a movie-version cowboy-Western accent, it just about works. How many idiosyncrasies of language come about from just such mis-hearings, mis-speakings?

We dry-camped tonight, isolated on a ridge in the Comanche Grasslands of Colorado. Lying in bed, I stared out at an ocean of stars, and couldn't help but think that the light from some of them might well have originated the same time those dinosaurs were making their muddy tracks.

But now it's time for us to make our way into Kansas.

It's a clean machine!

We've made our way through the last of the mountains. From here on in, things should be mostly flat.

Yesterday and this morning saw us poking about in Great Sand Dunes National Park. The photo I missed taking was capturing the lightning and thunder (and rain and hail and wind!) that paid a visit during the night. It was as if someone was taking our photo -- everything lit up -- "say cheese!"

After all that sand and dust and taking us safely through all those steep mountain pases, The Rattler had earned some tidying up.

Vacuumed and washed, what an improvement. Laundry this afternoon as well. Even the sheets are fresh and clean. Ahhh!

So, where do you suppose we go from here, but a place with big-time muddy tracks.

Four toilets?

For all of our spontaneous meanderings, one place I’d been set on seeing was the site marking the convergence of the boundaries of four states – Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. Four Corners Monument is the only place in the U.S. where this occurs.

For a start, I have to say that it was disappointing to discover a gate where a fee was charged for entry. After all, it’s only open air, there’s really nothing to ‘enter’.

Sure, it’s only three bucks a head, but I wasn’t happy about it. Besides, it seemed contradictory that the nation doing the collecting is one that doesn’t purport to believe in notions such as lines dividing state from state.

Really, after seeing them collecting those handfuls of dollar bills all day long, I’d have expected more improvements to the site than just brick-and-concrete stalls for selling souvenirs.

And I’ll admit to being off-put by the thought of souvenirs. So many places where I’ve stopped to look for gifts, when I’ve examined them, they’ve held tags that read “Made in India” – as if that makes them ‘Indian’.

Instead of spending entry fees on building fancy sales stalls, what would be so terrible about replacing the Smell-o-Potties with a couple of proper restrooms?

Somehow, I don’t imagine I’ll be making a second visit here. And after all the dust around here, it might well be a time to do some clean-up.

One month to Toronto...

The flowers above are tiny wild violets. I took the photo while we were passing through California. Anyone who's read Rattlesnake Plantain knows that I have a thing for wildflowers.

But it isn't wild violets that are leading us to Toronto, it's my new book, Shrinking Violets.

The launch event is set for one month from today: Toronto on Tuesday, May 17th. I love that it's being held at a place called 'The Supermarket' as the book's main character works in one.

So, how many miles is that from southern Utah?? I guess we better put the pedal to the metal -- or at least stop gawking at every red rock -- as we have a lot of country ahead of us.

P.S. Just consulted the atlas. Even the most direct route (which I know we never take) is 2,000 miles. And no, I don't want to even think of that in kilometres, especially if we need to make any 'rest stops'.

How do they do that?!

How long has that how-many-tons hunk of rock been balancing like that? Especially with that lean to the right, along a hillside at that... I'm just sure I don't want to be any place nearby when it gets tired of doing its trick.

Today, when we went in to Natural Bridges National Monument, we discovered that this is
National Park Week, so we didn't even get to use our fancy pass. Who knew.

But now, please forgive me, as the next post might seem like a commercial.

Touristical, but cool

After a couple of lazy days in Page, Arizona -- the Dear Man golfing while I puttered with books and words -- we decided to be brave little tourists, so we could see Antelope Canyon. Because it's on Navajo land, you have to go in with a group and a guide. A bit crazy to be there amidst so many people and languages, but memorable sights, that's for sure.

There are plenty more beautiful images of this probably over-photographed site, with everyone practically jostling to get the 'perfect' shot of the beams of light streaming down from above. Still, I'm happy with the weird little vision I got, looking up into some tumbleweed tangled near the ceiling.

But talk about things that are dangling...

Natural wonder overload

Even though the weather reports hadn’t been favourable, we’d both really wanted to see Bryce Canyon National Park. Happily, our day there was bright and sunny. But because there’d been so much snow, it wasn’t possible to do any kind of hiking around. We had to drive from viewpoint to viewpoint and see what we could.

Still, it was all pretty breathtaking.

Since still more snow was predicted for the following day, we took this as a sign to head a bit southward before we start moving towards the East.

And truthfully, I’m feeling as though my eyes (and brain) are nearly saturated with all this scenery! But wouldn't you know, there's more gorgeous stuff ahead.

The right day to be in Zion

As with so many stops along this tour of ours, someone was smiling on us when we went to Zion National Park.Even the shuttle bus drivers were getting out and staring up at the cliffs. They said that the combination of snowmelt on the high cliffs and the day's bright sun were creating a day of rare sights.

The 'sun' in the photo above isn't really the sun. My photographer buddy explained that it's actually just a 'lens flare' -- a technique that real photographers like to manipulate. For me, it was just a matter of blessed good luck.

But then, that's been the kind of adventures we've been bumping into all along our trail.

The video below is something just for fun. Because our vehicle is wider than a standard car, there's no room to squeeze past any oncoming traffic. We had to have the tunnel (over a mile long) cleared for us to go through. Of course, we led a few other cars, and we all had fun tooting our horns -- great echoes! Those sounds led us on to our next national park.

Still too wintry for the mountain roads...

Although the roads down here in the valley were mostly clear, the mountain roads were too hazardous for us to venture out towards more national parks.

Both of us were glad that the U.S. government managed to get its budget squabbles resolved for the time being, as national parks would have had their gates locked. And here we are in Utah, a state that may have more national parks per square inch than other one in the union.

Besides taking too many photos of the incredibly varied landscape, the usual weird
sights along the way also caught my eye, like this sign. But an even better sign came my way today, as I found my first (ever?) four-leaf clover.

Exploring the nearby lowlands proved to be fun. And by the time we got back to town, things were melted enough that the Dear Man (die-hard that he is) got in nine holes of golf.

And all of this, I suppose was good preparation for our next stop.

Grand Canyon Days

How many people are lucky enough to spend almost two full days poking around the Grand Canyon! Heck, we even got to camp there for an overnight.

The object in the photo above is a Graflex View Camera -- just one of the many tricks the Dear Man carries around. It's a 4 by 5 camera, so each image it takes is captured onto a photographic plate that's 4 inches by 5 inches in size.

If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you might be able to see that the image in the viewfinder is reversed. The side-to-side aspect is tricky, but the upside-down sky is clearly there.

These images will be black-and-white, and likely processed in our little camper -- more of the magic tricks I get to travel with.

As for my own snap-snapping efforts, I took waaay too many photos. It's just a good thing
mine weren't on film -- or, on those hard to find 4 by 5 plates in the big Graflex -- especially with the weather we're about to contend with next.

A damn big dam!

Today was a driving day, but one with several great stops, one of which was the famous Hoover Dam. It was busy, with lots of tourists, and this is supposed to be 'low season'.

Today's miles were all in the name of getting us to our next stop, the Grand Canyon.

Further down the road, we ducked onto the Historic Highway 66. I got a kick out of the Burma Shave signs!

Viva Las Vegas!

At least the lazy way I'm takin' it. This is the night view of the spot where we're 'camped' -- smack in the midst of Las Vegas. Not very woodsy here, more like a parking lot. Still, it's pretty exciting being right in the thick of things. Crazy, eh.

The morning was time for laundry, and the Dear Man actually developed some black and white film (photos from Yosemite) in here.

Then, after an afternoon spent mostly poolside, reading and paddling around, it's time to head out for some sightseeing.

But first, there's a basketball game I plan to see. Go Butler!

PS After game comment and on to what comes next: oh damn.

What a way to start a month -- and a new year!

Yesterday was the day I begin a new year -- not because of any fiscal calendar, but because April 1st is the day I was born.

I won't be forgetting this day of celebrating, as I spent it in one of the oldest national parks in the U.S., Yosemite.

What a place! Our next spot is going to provide quite a contrast...

Celebrating National Poetry Month!

Because I won't be in Canada this National Poetry Month, I won't be participating in any readings or other events.

So, I'm having an alternate celebration. My plan is to leave a book every day -- a book of Canadian poetry, or an issue of a Canadian magazine that focuses on poetry. Before we left, I filled up a bag with duplicate copies and other finds I gathered around the house.

I'm inscribing each book with a little note about Poetry Month, and including the address so people can visit the League of Canadian Poets' website to learn more.

Because the theme of this year's celebration is "Nourish/Nourrire" it seemed appropriate to start with a collection called Eating the Seed.

What will you do to celebrate National Poetry Month? But first, take a look at how I get to celebrate my birthday.

Early April Fool's prank!

And nobody in particular was even responsible. Maybe the gremlins.

Driving down a curving road -- one that looked like spring again -- we heard a crash from the back of The Rattler.

In the spirit of springtime, a jar of spaghetti sauce had broken free of its restraints in the cupboard and made a break for freedom. Unfortunately, the floor was as far as it got.

A roadside stop for cleanup (where a convenient stream provided water, as if to pitch in and help us with our plight) and soon all was well. Back to the drive (or in my case, ride) and enjoying the fresh green scenery.

It's also been a day for making note of literary tradition, with many markers along the route observing Mark Twain and other American writers. Passing through Calaveras County, one town even has brass plaques in the sidewalk, commemorating the winner of each year's Jumping Frog Competition. Talk about making books come to life!

And look at what I plan to do with books during all of April!

And then winter again

After all that lovely warm weather we experienced, we now find ourselves immersed in 'winter camping'.

Many of the roads through the mountains are closed. The photo above shows us at our campsite, a place that had been shovelled nearly clear.

So much for spring at Lake Tahoe, but almost time for April.

Springtime in the mountains

We've been visiting a friend who lives in the mountains, not too far from Redding, California.

While we were there, she took us to a lovely nearby Buddhist temple (if I'm understanding correctly, it's one based in Tibetan tradition). Some of the statues and buildings were under construction for restoration, but the part that fascinated me the most was the 'powered' prayer wheels.

Being from a background of Roman Catholicism, I'd always understood prayer wheels as something like rosaries (those beads that are used to 'count' your prayers), but different in that you twirled them.

The Buddhists here in California have taken their prayer wheels to a new, high-tech level. The prayer scrolls inside are usually on paper -- as in the smaller, hand-spun ones, toward the bottom in the video below. But the large decorated wheels contain prayers on microfiche, so they hold (and offer) many more prayers than the smaller ones. And these large ones are powered by electricity, so except in case of a power failure, they're always turning out prayers on our behalf.

As with so many places I've visited, I've learned a lot at this spot. Still, just when you think it's springtime, look what happens.

Big trees

We've spent much of the last two-and-some days wandering around in the company of giant redwoods. About the only word that comes to mind is magnificent.

And really, when it comes to 'big', I'm not joking. Even The Rattler looks small in comparison. Still, I'm confident it will take us to our next destination.

Experiencing a 'C' change

The term 'sea change' refers to a shift of some kind, usually major. Today's been a day for several such changes, only I'm calling them 'C' changes.

For a start, we crossed the border from Oregon and entered California, so that was one 'C'.

Later, by some lucky fluke, our little tv managed to pick up C-SPAN, so I got to see Parliament in action, creating yet another 'C' change -- change from the current Conservative minority with the non-confidence vote which will lead to an election.

I stayed up late, watching as members of Parliament voted down 'the Harper government'. That's the phrase our pig-headed prime minister wanted to use instead of the more traditional 'the Canadian government' -- just one of the many signs of arrogance he displayed. Coupled with all the secrets regarding budget proposals, no wonder the government fell -- and on the charge of contempt. For those wanting further items regarding Steve and his party's misbehaviours, click here.

But if you'd rather simply find out where we're going next, try here.

Same ocean...

...here as there -- meaning in Japan.

The same waves that we admire here, near Cannon Beach in Oregon (I think actually at the lookout near Gearheart), belong to the same Pacific Ocean that recently wreaked such havoc on Japan. How ironic that the name Pacific should mean peaceful.

Folks around here at least understand the potential power of the sea. Tsunami procedures and evacuation routes are posted on signs all over the place, like this one, right next to the local skate bowl.

As we made our way down the highway, I found myself tensing up a bit each time I saw that we were entering another 'tsunami' zone. At first, I'd thought the image of the little person near the big wave meant it was a great place for surfing. Looking more closely, I saw it was actually a tiny person trying to get away from that giant wave.

A good reminder about the power of the sea.

And a good time to move on.