2024 seems to be our year of visiting National Parks. If all goes well, we’ll visit 9 this year. Last weekend we visited Saguaro National Park. Perfect weather…not too hot! It’s amazing how many different varieties of cactus there are. About 2000! Here are a few of the shots I captured:
I leave you with this last one that I can’t help saying Peace Baby. :o)
Have a great day. I hope you learn or do something NEW!
Here’s my official NP bucket list:
LIST OF US NATIONAL PARKS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (63 total)
We crossed two more National Parks off our bucket list. 21 down 42 to go! Last week we visited Biscayne National Park and Everglades National Park. The original plan was to hit all three Florida parks, but the ferry to Dry Tortugas was all booked. Oh, shoot! We’ll just have to go back another time! :o)
We canoed through mangroves, skidded across a river of grass on an airboat, saw crocodiles, alligators, and many many birds, played pickleball near the beach in Key West, ate dinner at a beachfront grill while watching the sunset, hand-fed little fishies to tarpons, got a jolt of panic when our tour bus’ tire blew out, took a boat tour into the backcountry from Flamingo into Coot Bay, heard the mating call of a crocodile, did not get too many mosquito bites and barely scratched the surface of what we could have done!
Again, we’ll just have to go back!
On the plane ride home, I listened to a podcast that mentioned the poem “The Peace of Wild Things”. I previously was unaware of this poem and learning about it right after this trip seemed serendipitous!
The Peace of Wild Things by Wendell Berry
When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
Here’s a few pics I took of those ‘wild things’:
Here’s my official NP bucket list:
LIST OF US NATIONAL PARKS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER (63 total)
Acadia National Park {done}
Arches National Park {done}
Badlands National Park
Big Bend National Park
Biscayne National Park {done}
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park {done}
Bryce Canyon National Park {done}
Canyonlands National Park {done}
Capitol Reef National Park {done}
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Channel Islands National Park
Congaree National Park
Crater Lake National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Denali National Park and Preserve
Dry Tortugas National Park
Everglades National Park {done}
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Gateway Arch National Park
Glacier National Park
Glacier Bay National Park
Grand Canyon National Park {done}
Grand Teton National Park {done}
Great Basin National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Great Smoky Mountains National Park {done}
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Haleakala National Park
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park {done}
Hot Springs National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park
Isle Royale National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Katmai National Park and Preserve
Kenai Fjords National Park
Kings Canyon National Park {done}
Kobuk Valley National Park
Lake Clark National Park
Lassen Volcanic National Park {done}
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mesa Verde National Park {done}
Mount Rainier National Park
National Park of American Samoa
New River Gorge National Park
North Cascades National Park
Olympic National Park
Petrified Forest National Park
Pinnacles National Park
Redwood National Park {done}
Rocky Mountain National Park {done}
Saguaro National Park
Sequoia National Park {done}
Shenandoah National Park
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Virgin Islands National Park
Voyageurs National Park
White Sands National Park
Wind Cave National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Yellowstone National Park {done}
Yosemite National Park {done}
Zion National Park {done}
I hope you have a terrific day and do or learn something NEW today!
I just realized I hadn’t posted since January 9th! What a busy month! But I thought I’d at least post some miscellany:
First of all, here’s my entry forthe Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #285: Warm Colors. We were so busy in January because we traveled twice to Californiato help with the funeral preparation/clean up of a family member one weekend, and then for the actual funeral the next weekend. The first weekend we drove, but the second weekend we flew, because that’s a long drive! While there, we just had to visit the beach! We timed it perfectly to see the sunset.
Secondly, I’m happy to report that I’ve kept my resolution to take a photo every day of January. I hope to continue because it will become a visual diary of my year. I will be able to remember where I was and what I was doing every single day!
I recently posted that I wanted to visit 100 different botanical gardens or arboretums. I decided I’d just start fresh and not try to count the gardens I’ve already visited. So, the first NEW garden I visited was Alta Vista Botanical Gardens in Vista, California. Here are some pics:
I took lots more photos, but let’s save some for another day, shall we?!? :o)
Have a great day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!
I’m attempting a fun NEW photo project this year. Actually, I’ve tried it before but failed, so I’m hoping I can keep it going this year. I’m going to copycat Nora’s 365 photo challenge. I’ve got an alarm set on my phone to remind me to take a photo (if I haven’t already). The trick is to NOT ignore the alarm, which is tempting if I’m right in the middle of something. The 2nd trick is to remember to reset the alarm; because if you don’t, you might be in bed that night and realize you didn’t take your photo and have to get up and go snap a photo of something random around your home! (Ask me how I know!) :o)
Wish me luck! My favorite so far is this one:
Have a great day! I hope you do or learn or take a photo of something NEW!
I used to think photography in November-January was just plain boring because of the lack of color in the world. But I recently decided to play around more with Black/White photography and it’s amazing what a difference it makes.
I still have a few hydrangea blooms hanging on. I love them in B/W because I totally notice the detail in each little leaf a lot more.
And even my poinsettia, left over from a holiday party, is more interesting to look at when it isn’t overpowered by vibrant red. But, just so I can enter Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge, which is the color red, I’ll include the original shot:
A different perspective is always welcome in my world. Sometimes it can even be captivating. (See how I slipped the JusJoJan24 prompt in there :o)
Have a terrific day and I hope you do or learn something NEW!
Many articles I’ve read lately explained how people’s New Year resolutions get abandoned by the middle of January. I don’t really make “resolutions”, but I do like a good list of things to do or experience. Yeah, yeah, I know the term bucket list refers to a list of things people want to do or accomplish before they “kick the bucket”…before they are “called home”…before they “enter into their eternal rest” but I simply have lots of different lists in my bucket because I LUV LISTS. :o)
I’ve posted about my Waterfall Bucket List and my National Parks Bucket List. I always have a reading challenge going on, but now I’m going to post about a few more bucket lists because if I announce to the blogosphere I’m going to do something, it’s like magic – those things always happen (eventually, haha!).
I want to make 50 NEW gourmet dinners or desserts. The trick will be deciding whether something is “gourmet” or not, ha! For instance, I’ve been intimidated by making French macarons, so that will be at the top of the list.
I’ve tried this one before, and I may fail {again} but this year I’m going to try a 365 Photo Project. Why? Because I always want to try to look for the beauty in life. Every.Single.Day. I also want to get better at using the different settings on my camera.
I want to cross off 100 rails-to-trails bike rides. This one might take a while, but it will be SO fun!
I have other list ideas, but that’s all I’ll commit to (for now).
Now for my JusJoJan24 entry: The prompt is Gregorian. When I think of this word, I always think of 1752 which is the year Britain (and the British Colonies) adopted the Gregorian calendar. But, I learned something NEW today! Per Wikipedia, Saudi Arabia didn’t switch over until 2016! Wowza, who knew!?!
Have a great day! I hope you do or learn something NEW today!
The first day of the year is almost over. I wasn’t planning on posting anything, but I just became aware of #JusJoJan24 and today’s prompt of “Train” and decided I must play along. My mother wrote this poem many years ago about how the train came to her little town in 1923. That same little town celebrated its 100 anniversary of the train coming last summer and featured Mom’s poem in the celebration. She passed away in 2020, but some city official apparently had a copy of this poem in their files.
Have a great rest of the day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!
There are many miscellaneous, NEW little things I’ve learned, or read, or experienced lately, so I thought I’d present them in an A-Z format. I got the prompts from Deb’s World and thought it was a fabulous list. So, here goes:
Admiring: the loaf of sourdough bread a neighbor brought over a few days ago. Isn’t it gorgeous!?!
Becoming: more of a minimalist. More stuff to buy, take care of, store etc., just isn’t appealing to me. However, I DO love to try NEW things and that means frequently having to buy “stuff”. The balance struggle is real! :o)
Curious: of the mindset of people. After you read this 1924 wedding announcement that I recently came across, you’ll know what I mean! It’s a curiosity! “The marriage took place between two large fiery crosses in the presence of about 2,500 robed Klansmen”…I just don’t understand!!
(Source: Springfield News-Sun, 17 Jun 1924, Page 7, Springfield, Ohio, Newspapers.com)
Delighted: to participate and provide service to those in need. I really appreciate the individuals and organizations that see a need and try to fill that need. I’ve contributed to quite a few service projects lately and I hope the things I’ve provided truly bless those people and I hope their circumstances improve soon. Every person in this world is important.
Excited: To be with all the family in Park City at Christmas time and cross off all our Christmas Bingo items! Our theme this year is “Laughing All The Way” and I’ve assigned each person (or couple) to come prepared with an activity to make us laugh. Can’t wait!
Feeling: chilly. My watch says it’s 29 degrees outside right now!
Going: to Billy Joel’s concert in April! Apparently, this is his last tour, so I thought “Now or never” and splurged for the tickets, ha!
Helping: me to learn Spanish is Duolingo. As of today, I’m on day 664 of my streak!
Imploring: the senseless act of mass shooting to cease! On Dec 6th, I got a text from my son saying “Active shooter on campus. I’m safe. In case you hear about it. But very crazy.” That’s NOT a text you want to ever get. I’m grateful my son is safe but so sorry for the families of the victims. I wish, as a society, we could find a solution. (UNLV Campus Shooting).
Joking: around with felt boards is my NEW favorite!
Knowing: that I have a loving family is such a blessing in my life. Both immediate family as well as extended!
Loving: the yearly tradition at work where the professors in our department share what they’ve enjoyed reading, listening to, or where they’ve traveled to in the last year. I get a bunch of NEW ideas of books to read, music or podcasts to listen to, and places to put on my travel bucket list!
Making: freezer meals with my BFF on a monthly or bi-monthly basis WILL happen in 2024. We got back at it last Friday! It’s SO nice to have some backup meals ready in the freezer!
Next: year is right around the corner. I gotta write out my resolutions (then get depressed when I don’t achieve them). Ha! JK! I don’t really get depressed by it. It’s just life. I say it’s better to try to improve than not try at all.
Observing: the interesting shadows that were made during the recent solar eclipse is still fun thanks to my phone’s camera roll. :o)
Posting: an update of my 24 for 2024 list was a suggestion from The Happier Project podcast. I might just implement that to stay accountable because I think I failed miserably on my 23 for 2023 list.
Questioning: the Budget Rental Car company’s policy! (Short story: IT’S A RIPOFF!) Apparently, if you have an early flight and the Budget Car Rental people tell you to put the keys in their dropbox (because no one would be at their counter), you are still liable for any damages! We returned our car, (which was in the same condition as when we received it), and dropped our keys in the box as instructed. Months later we got a letter saying there was damage and we owed them $1200. There was no number to call to explain that we did NOT do any damage whatsoever. Eventually, months later, they had a real-live collection agency representative call us. We explained there was no damage when we returned the car. He said that didn’t matter because we were responsible for any damage until they took back possession of the vehicle. What?! Obviously, someone backed into the car and did some damage after we returned it, but we still had to pay the bill! Ugh! Lesson learned I guess…although I don’t know what we could have done differently with such an early flight.
Reading:113 books thus far this year kind of shows my goal of 52 was slightly low. Ha!
Staying: active is the goal.
Trying: hard to close the fitness rings on my watch/phone. My desk job and 10-hour days makes that difficult, but I need to stop ignoring my watch when it tells me it’s time to stand!
Understanding: that everyone can have their own opinion and it’s okay to agree to disagree is something I wish more people understood.
Viewing: my first ever, in-person women’s powerlifting competition. Isn’t my DIL a strong, beautiful woman?!
Welcoming: my NEW introduction to Harvard Professor, Arthur C. Brooks (however, I’m not sure how I first became aware of him). I binge-watched his videos with Oprah when they discussed their book “Build the LIfe You Want”. Here’s links to Episode 1, and Episode 2, and Episode 3. I thought a lot of his ideas and recommendations made sense and were very good. He also writes a column in the Atlantic magazine with similar content.
X(our choice): Exploring: the three National Parks in Florida is on the agenda for our Anniversary trip this year. I’m not sure what we were thinking of when we decided to get married in February, but the weather in Florida should be nice!
Yes: to the wonderful scents of Christmas time! Pine. Cider. Baked cookies. Cinnamon. Yum!
Z(our choice): Really enjoying playing the New York Times free games. One of my four sons, his wife and me all text our results of Wordle and Connections to each other every day. It’s a fun, daily “connection” to have with them.
That’s it! Have a great day and I hope you do or learn something NEW today!
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