Grand Canyon, North Rim

Bro M took some pictures of crows playing in the wind blowing up the edge of a cliff on a stormy day in Walnut Canyon - a beautiful small park just outside Flagstaff Arizona

There were many crows here and there swooping around sort of playing tag. Very loud creatures too when they are feeling communicative.

Peaceful view of the Grand Canyon. Could be the Colorado River in this view but it could also be a tributary.

Beautiful Fall colors were showing - early to mid Oct. Chamisa was blooming on the way up. When we got there aspens were also looking brilliant. And purple asters where blooming.

Valley of the Gods. Between The Recapture Lodge and Monument Valley lies a road thru this valley to Natural Bridges.

This image attaches to the right of above. The road switches back and forth up the cliff face until you get to the top - very dramatic.

Made it back to a GREEN farm. Thought it would be all dried up. Had a really fabulous trip ready to go again.

Higher - Optimo Maximo

Visited Rome and Florence. Saw major things that somehow had not seen before. Would go back tomorrow and see many new things.

Santa Croce altar. The entire body of the church probably looked like this before it was "updated." Michelangelo and Galileo are buried here.

Finally got to visit interior of Borromini's St. Ivo on a  Sunday morning - didn't take any pictures.

Baroque stone clouds - Sant'Andrea al Quirinale.

First visit to Bargello was amazing.

Amazing courtyard space in Bargello.

Optimo Maximo refers to God (Deo) being the greatest and best - the initials DOM are everywhere in Rome.
But seems ok to appropriate:
How's it going? Optimo Maximo!

Returned to Farm and it had been raining, raining, raining. Cloudy skies - not exactly Mediterranean.

Fragrant Spring - Easter Everywhere

Lost in the rain... Anyway this is the most fragrant spring I can remember as well being so gloriously beautiful. The Narcissus bloomed early in winter, then Osmanthus Fragrans and now Wisteria - all these are heavily scented and sometimes their scents mix in the air. Blue Bonnets are blooming now and have a light fragrance surrounding them, and there are other wild flowers that have faint but very amazing scents. Soon there will be Honeysuckle, another heavily scented flower, and then in summer, if enough Petunias come up they will scent the air all around. And yes the Wisteria and Honeysuckle will need some management.

Narcissus and one group of yellow Daffodils

 Osmanthus Fragrans

 Wisteria

 Blue Bonnets

 Grape Hyacinth - these really do smell like grape soda.

There are so many flowers with more or less fragrance. Some very small but so beautiful - Toadflax, Bluettes, Spring Beauties, Blue Eyed Grass. Used to see many Violets but now none for many years.

Really Spring?

Not to complain but the last two winters have produced really cold weather right at the last minute so that it seems winter will never end. Anyway might be over now. But did do something unusual on a miserable day which was to try to cook a pie. Tried to cut down on the sugar and oil probably a little too much. But it looked ok and was healthy even if not hugely delicious.

Went to Costa Rica over the winter and stayed a few nights at a place called Essence Arenal. Arenal is the name of a volcano. Went to a hot spring that was more like a rapidly running river - Tabacon. Very nice.

Then we went to a friend's place on the beach that was almost a religious experience. Nearby was this strange bird and its baby sitting on a fence post absolutely still with sharp beaks pointing up. Ojoojo is what they call it. Have never seen anything like it. May be a night bird that just blends in during the day. Do you see them?