Summer Sights 2006

by Rev. Dr. Mark D. Roberts

Note: You may download this resource at no cost, for personal use or for use in a Christian ministry, as long as you are not publishing it for sale. All I ask is that you give credit where credit is due. For all other uses, please contact me at mark@markdroberts.com . Thank you.

Summer Sights: Mountains
Part 1 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Friday, August 18, 2006

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my tradition is to follow my summer vacations with vacation-themed blogging. It's a way for me to share with you some of what I experienced while away. And it also helps me get back into my blogging mode.

I want to begin by sharing some pictures of mountains. One of the things I love most about summer vacations is seeing and being in the mountains. Here are some pictures from my recent explorations:

		The Boulder Mountains in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area of Idaho, not far from Sun Valley/Kethcum.
		The mountains of the High Sierra in California, near Ebbetts Pass. The lake in the foreground in Duck Lake, about a two mile hike from Lake Alpine.
		One of the most familiar sights in all of nature: the view of Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point. In the background you can see Half Dome, with Clouds Rest to its left.
		A view of the hills and mountains south of La Quinta, California (near Palm Springs). When I took this picture at 6:30 in the evening, the temperature had gone down to 115 degrees.

More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Water
Part 2 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Monday, August 21, 2006

Water. There's nothing quite like it. It can be awesome, terrifying, entrancing, and quieting. It thrills and calms. During my summer break I saw water in many different modes.

		This is the Virgin River in Utah, deep within the Narrows of Zion National Park. The water is muddy at this time of year, which makes hiking up the Narrows a bit tricky. (About half of this hike goes right through the river itself.)
		My son, Nathan, loves water. Here he is splashing in the Stanislaus River of California, in Calaveras Big Trees State Park. The water was COLD in June, since it was mostly melted snow. The look on Nathan's face suggests a biting entrance into the frigid river.
		Here Nathan enjoys Swan Lake in Montana at sunset.
		Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, California. Yosemite Falls is actually three connected waterfalls. The Upper Falls drops 1,430 feet. The total drop of the whole falls is 2,425 feet, making Yosemite Falls the highest in the U.S., and the fifth tallest in the world.

More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Sky
Part 3 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Sky. It's amazing to me how something so ever-present can continue to thrill and enchant. One of the great things about getting away from the city is the chance to see the sky in new ways, though, as you'll see below, sometimes the local sky is also amazing.

		The sun setting over the mountains near Palm Desert, California. When I took this picture at 7:30 at night the temperature had gone down to about 112 degrees.
		A golden sunset over Swan Lake, Montana.
		Another evening at Swan Lake, looking in basically the same direction as the picture above (this one is a little to the right of the previous picture).
		This amazing sunset appeared right in front of my house in Irvine, California. Not bad for a city scene, is it?

More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Animals
Part 4 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Wednesday, August 30, 2006

I saw plenty of the "usual" animals: squirrels, birds, mosquitoes, etc. No "big game," like moose or bison this year. But several unusual animals or unusual situations.

		This duck at Alpine Lake in the High Sierra of California just didn't want to smile for the picture. (Actually, this is a Canadian Goose, as pointed out by one of my blog readers. Thanks, Greg!)
		This deer in the Narrows of Zion National Park was about ten feet away from me, and didn't seem the least concerned about my presence.
		I don't remember seeing a red dragonfly before exploring the southern end of Swan Lake, Montana.
		On a bike ride with my son near Sun Valley, Idaho, we spied this fox. I believe this is a version of the red fox called the "cross fox," because it's a cross of red and silver fox. As you can tell, this fox wasn't very happy to see us, and soon scampered off into the woods.

More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Rocks
Part 5 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Thursday, August 31, 2006

Rocks. They may not sound like much, but they can be astoundingly beautiful, even surprising. Here are some of my summer rocks . . . .

		Rocks in the high desert outside of Bishop, California
		Rocks in the evening near Palm Desert, California
		A rock in the Virgin River in the Narrows of Zion National Park
		Now that's what I call a rock! Half Dome from the floor of Yosemite Valley in the early evening

See what I mean? More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Trees
Part 6 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Friday, September 1, 2006

Trees. There are some amazing trees out there.

		These oak trees are in Austin, Texas. Trees like this cover the city, often filling the front yards in entire neighborhoods.
		Dogwoods flowering near the Capitol in Washington DC. (Okay, this isn't a summer pic. I took it in late April.)
		A canopy of leaves in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, in the Sierra of California.
		My daughter is standing in front of a redwood tree (Sequoia gigantea) in Calaveras Big Trees State Park. This is actually a fairly average-sized Giant Sequoia, if you can believe it.

More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Water 2
Part 7 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Friday, September 8, 2006

Water. I've got still more of it to share . . . .

		Dusk at the Big Wood River near Sun Valley, Idaho
		My family and I rafting on the Salmon River in Idaho. We're the four people on the sides (not the front).
		Reflection on the Swan River in Montana
		Evening in Washington DC.

Isn't it amazing how the same substance, water, can create such a variety of moods.

More later . . . .

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Summer Sights: Sierra
Part 8 of series: Summer Sights 2006
Posted for Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Before I finish up this series, I have a few more pictures to share. These are all from the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, one of my favorite places on earth.

		Long Lake near Bishop, about 2 1/2 miles from the South Lake trailhead.
		Piute Crags, from the trail to Blue Lake (see next picture).
		Blue Lake in the Sabrina basin, near Bishop, California.
		Mt. Humphreys at sunrise from Buttermilk Road. (Note: the colors are real here. In fact, they are less brilliant than they were in reality.)

More later . . . .

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