Two Weeks Ago...

I was here.

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And here.

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Exploring new places.

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Learning new things.

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Testing myself.

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Making new discoveries.

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Feeling on top of the world!

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It was great to be away.  And it's great to be home, too.

Friday's Favorite Flora and Fauna Finds

Well, I haven't been thrifting on vacation, so I don't have fabric to share today.  BUT, I thought you might enjoy seeing some of the amazing wildfowers and animals we have been spying around here.  The most plentiful animal this year has been the chipmunks, but they were too fast to capture in photos!

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These little lizards are quick, too, but they stop to warm up sometimes so you can click a quick shot.

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Now this is no little lizard- he's about 10" long.  My dad snapped this shot when he accidentally scared this one out of some juniper shade.  When you see the heads of these big lizards, your first thought is always $#@^& SNAKE &@^&*$!!!

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Not into the scaly creatures?  Then you will appreciate this furry little jackrabbit as much as we did.  He hopped across the road right in front of our car, then sat as still as a statue.  I think he thought he was blending in.  Indeed, had we not seen him arrive at this spot, we might not have noticed him at all.

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It must have been an unusually wet spring and summer in the desert, because we have seen wildflowers here this year that I haven't seen in the 18 years I've been visiting!  Love these little orange ones, and you can see the rabbit ear cactus thriving in the background.

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The barrel cactus is far less common than the rabbit ear.  We found this one while rockhounding out at Klondike Bluffs.  Wouldn't want to fall on this baby!

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I'm pretty sure this one is called fireweed.  It sure does light up the surrounding area!

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And last but not least, there's this pretty purple one.  Maybe lupine?  I love the star shaped leaves as much as the blossoms!

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I hope you've enjoyed my little tour.  I could go on and on, but then you'd all blame me for putting you to sleep on your keyboards.  I will have some scenery and people shots to share next week :)

Leavin' On a Jet Plane

For a glorious week. Over a week...8 fabulous days! Tomorrow morning we're heading to Moab, Utah...home of high red rock desert, fragrant junipers, deep blue skies, slickrock fins, wide open spaces, snow-capped mountains. The place where I always feel like I belong. Where I breathe deeper and dream better. Where our biggest daily decisions are where to hike and where to eat, where to watch the sunset, whether to take a boat ride down the Colorado River or have a campfire in the canyon.

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It's been two long years, and I can't wait to get back! Here's a picture of our little family from our trip in 2007. Now my daughter is almost 4- she is going to LOVE this adventure. I don't know if I will be savvy enough to blog while I am away, but I will definitely share a photo or two at some point.

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I'll be back Oct. 17th, all refreshed and rejuvenated, ready to get ready for the holidays (I hope). Until then, be well- I'll miss you :)