another NEW update to our NP bucket list

Happy Saturday!

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)

  • 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 {done}
  • 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}

a NEW update to my NP bucket list

Happy Wednesday!

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!

Miscellaneous Monday…NEW stuff i gotta share

Happy Monday!

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 for the Lens-Artist Photo Challenge #285: Warm Colors. We were so busy in January because we traveled twice to California to 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!

my NEW copycat photo challenge

Happy Tuesday!

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!

a NEW thought Thursday

Happy Thursday!

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!

a NEW Thursday Doors entry

Happy Thursday slash Thanksgiving!

I’m entering this door at Prinsengracht 263, Amsterdam for my Thursday Doors entry. I’m sure you all are familiar with what happened behind this famous door, if not the address. This is the Anne Frank Huis.

On this Thanksgiving Day, I’m very grateful and thankful for my freedom and I absolutely don’t take it for granted because I know there is still war, oppression, and overall hardships in many places around the world.

I thought I’d also include this statue of Anne Frank (1929-1945) that is around the corner from the museum…since this photo also has doors it in! Ha!

Have a great day! I hope you do or learn (or eat) something NEW today!

a NEW collage of our most recent waterfall chase

Happy Saturday!

I thought I’d better hurry and post all the waterfalls we saw on our recent trip to northern California before I forgot the names or can’t remember which were which in my photo stash. So here goes:

Top left: Burney Falls, (#51 on my Waterfalls Bucket List)

Top middle: Potem Falls (#50)

Top left of top right quad group: Lower McCloud Falls. (#52)

Top right of top right quad group: Upper McCloud Falls (#52)

Lower left of top right quad group: Lower Kings Creek Falls (#54)

Lower right, top right quad group: Hedge Creek Falls (#53)

Lower left: Whiskeytown Falls: (#55)

Lower middle, top of double group: Crystal Creek Falls (#56)

Lower middle, bottom of double group: Upper Kings Creek Falls (#54)

Lower right: Middle McCloud Falls (#52)

Have a terrific day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!

a few NEW photo challenge entries

Happy Tuesday!

When I saw Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge topic today of “Sticks and Stones”, I knew I should have an image or two from our recent trip to enter. I remembered snapping quite a few “tree art” photos.

As we hiked to a waterfall on our trip, we passed by a burn area and I snapped another “tree art” photo that I thought would work well for Leanne’s Monochrome Madness photo challenge.

And lastly, here is my son having a stone skipping contest while we were visiting Grand Teton National Park. I’m pretty sure this is Jackson Lake. So, obviously, this image is for Cee’s “Sticks and Stones” challenge also.

Have a great day! I hope you do or learn something NEW!