Aspens in Wolf Creek Pass

Photos taken in Wolf Creek Pass, Utah -- Fall 2012

The aspens near the summit of Wolf Creek Pass, Utah were golden with some turning orange in the late afternoon sun. A careful look at the hill in the sunlight shows the swath cut through the trees for the natural gas pipeline.

It's seems to be more common in the mountains these days to see the aspen trees turning not only gold, but also shades of orange and red.

Wolf Creek Pass road winds over the western end of the Uinta Mountains between the small towns of Hanna and Kamas, Utah. It's a beautiful drive any time of the year, but particularly in the fall.

The golds of the aspens were spectacular when contrasted with the dark green of the fir trees.

This last one has been modified as "digital art" using one of the Photoshop filters.

Late Summer in the Garden

Now that my ankle has finally healed up from surgery in mid-June, I was able to get out and take a few photos of the garden. Even though I couldn't do much in the middle of the summer and even though there were a few more weeds allowed to grow this year, it was still one of the best summers for gardening in Utah. 

 Flowers in the front garden. Zinnias were planted from seed and petunias from hothouse starts.

 Hollyhocks blooming for the second time in September after being cut back in late July.

 Jalapeno peppers have added flavor and heat to our summer salsa.

Marigolds grown from seeds extracted from last years plants bloomed just as profusely this year.

These zinnias were also grown from seeds taken from last years plants and gave me lots of variety with tall ones, short ones, singles and doubles.

 Petunias have thrived in the rich compost we added to the soil this year.

 Fall raspberries are better usually than the ones that ripened in June. They seem to love the cooler nights of the late summer.

 2012 will be remembered as the summer of the best tomatoes in our garden. They were planted earlier, produced earlier, and tasted better than any I remember.

Romas also produced well this year. This variety tend to ripen pretty much all at once and give a nice crop for making sauces.

 The grape vines produced a heavy load this year. Unfortunately, with all the racoons and birds we have around the yard, we never seem to get to eat any ourselves. This bunch is just starting to get sweet and before they fully ripen will be devoured by the critters before we can pick them.

 One of my favorite crops...tomatillos. They are so easy to grow and make wonderful salsa and soup. I never have to plant them any more. I just let a few sprout up from last years seeds that get tilled under in the spring.

 The bees were going crazy out in the garden the day I took these pictures. They are obviously storing up for the winter ahead.

 I'm going to have to adjust the water that gets to my blackberries because they are a little bit small. But they are very sweet, nonetheless.

 My two crops of corn planted about a month apart meant that we had corn out of the garden from mid-July until September. Both crops were delicious, but I'd have to say that the second crop was the best.

I planted my cucumbers in a pile of compost and they went crazy this year. These English cukes are so sweet, without even a hint of bitterness, that I don't even bother to peel them most of the time.

The Iris Are in Bloom!

It's always nice when the iris bloom.

Lavender iris with a touch of gold in the center...one of my favorites.

This orange iris is a new one in my garden this year. I got a start of it from one of my wonderful neighbors.

A shot of Mount Timpanogos from Charleston, Utah across Deer Creek Reservoir taken in April 2012.

Another view of the orange iris. These are beautiful, but don't have a strong scent.

White iris.

Mixed colors of iris along the south wall.

Deep purple iris.

Johnny Jump Ups under the oak  trees.

Purple fringed iris...smells so good and beautiful as well.

Spring has arrived in the mountains

Yellow crocuses in the front yard. Provo, Utah, March 10, 2012.

Sunset on Mount Timpanogos from my backyard in Provo, Utah on March 10, 2012.

Purple crocuses with a honeybee digging for pollen on March 10, 2012 in Provo, Utah

Sunset in St. George, Utah in January 2012. No color enhancements have been made to this photo.

A Few Photos from the Archives

Thistle Landslide in Spanish Fork Canyon, Utah in the spring of 2000.

Light green Jurassic Curtis Formation atop the brown stripes of the Summerville Formation on the San Rafael Swell, Utah

Light greenish gray beds of the Tertiary Green River Formation overlying red beds of the Wasatch Formation in southwestern Wyoming.

Scenic San Rafael Swell, Utah.

Spring flowers on the San Rafael Swell, Utah.

Light green beds of the Cretaceous Cedar Mountain Formation above the purples and reds of the Jurassic Morrison Formation near the Dalton Wells dinosaur quarry north of Moab, Utah.

Red blossoms bloom on a cactus in springtime on the San Rafael Swell, Utah.

In this photo, the brick red Triassic Moenkopi Formation is at the base of the cliff. It is overlain by a greenish and purplish slope of the Triassic Chinle Formation (with the prominent Black Ledge Member near the top of this formation). At the top of the cliff is the massive sandstone cliff of the Triassic (and perhaps partly Jurassic) Wingate Sandstone.

Rock art in the Tertiary Green River Formation of Wyoming. This circular feature is call a concretion.

Sandstones and coal beds of the Cretaceous Blackhawk Formation just west of Helper, Utah.

Vineyards stretch across the Sonoma Valley, California in the spring of 2000.

Clear Lake, California located north of the Sonoma Valley.