BEAUTY is . . . . .

Today was the first day in almost two weeks that we haven’t had rain, usually accompanied by thunder and lightning. (Of course, there’s still time…the day isn’t over yet!)

Motivated by the relative warmth and sunshine of the day (along with a pretty strong case of cabin fever), I decided to spend a little time outdoors today exploring our yard from a slightly different perspective than I usually do.

Harley joined me, sometimes walking beside me, sometimes rustling around in the bushes searching for something of interest, and sometimes just lolling in the damp green grass, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of Spring.

It’s amazing what you notice when you’re open to possibilities and take a look at things a little more deeply than you normally do. . . . One thing led to another, I decided to go get my camera, I snapped a few photos, and the idea for today’s blog post (better late than never!) began to rattle around in my head.

Here's what came of it.

Beauty is . . . .

wherever you look for it.

whatever you want it to be.

found not only in the extraordinary, but in the ordinary as well.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

And until we meet again. . . . .may you delight in the beauty around you.

You Know You're in Montana when . . .

I promise this will be my last post about Montana (for the time being anyway)!

After all, Lee and I have been back from our Montana vacation for almost a week now, and (as you may be thinking) it’s time we get back into our regular routines here at home, right? Right.

Indeed, we have begun to resume our normal schedules.

Our sweet greyhound Harley is blissfully home again, after having spent WAY too much time in the kennel (in his mind, anyway).

I’ve emptied our luggage and travel boxes and put things away (taking less than my usual two weeks!) and I’ve already completed several loads of dreaded “trip laundry” .

Lee has gone to work back at his office, and I am beginning to launch into designing some new handmade cards.

And soon, hopefully, I’ll have some new card creations to blog about. . . .

But, before that, I couldn’t resist just ONE more blog entry to share a few more photos and memories from our recent trip to the beautiful state of Montana. So here goes! I’m calling this post . . .


"You Know You’re in Montana when . . . ."

the décor in your condo unit/hotel room has an unmistakable “Western” flair . . . .




you don’t even have to get out of your car to photograph local wildlife . . .

you can’t drive anywhere in the countryside without crossing or coming up alongside a fork or a tributary of the Flathead River . . . .

one of the locally brewed beers on tap in bars and available in restaurants and grocery stores is actually named “Moose Drool” . . .

you find yourself driving in a snowstorm the second to last week of April (of course, HOW is that different from here at home in Utah??) . . .

murals and wall art take on an entirely new dimension . . .

Thanks for visiting my Blog!

And until we meet again . . . may all your travels, whether near or far, be memorable.

By the BOAB Tree . . . . .

(Image from Outback Australia Travel Guide)

Once every four or five years or so, I hear a song for the first time that simply mesmerizes me by its lyrics and melody, and truly touches my heart. That happened to me just last evening, as Lee and I were watching the end of the movie, Australia, and heard the song entitled "By the Boab Tree."

I didn't know the name of the song at first, so I did a little Internet research to find the name of the song and the lyrics. I think this song is so wonderful, that I wanted to share it with any of my Blogging friends and followers out there who might not have heard it already!

I found a nicely done You Tube video of this song, accompanied by some touching images from the movie. (The video is a little over 3 minutes long.) Click here to view the video and hear "By the Boab Tree."

And just in case you'd like a closer view at the lyrics in this song, here they are:

Sing and I will hear you

No matter where you are

A song to light the darkest night

And guide me from afar

And I will never be alone

Now I know you’re somewhere

You’re everywhere to me

You’re the colour in the sky

A reason to believe

And when the rain falls down

You tell a story

And I will hear you

Always near you

By the boab tree

Lay your arms around me

Like the falling rain

Let the feeling drown me

And life begins again

And I will never be afraid

Now I know you’re somewhere

You’re everywhere to me

The warming of the sun upon

The earth beneath my feet

And when the rain falls down

You tell a story

And I will hear you

Always near you

By the boab tree

Oh you are somewhere

You’re everywhere to me

You’re the colour in the sky

And you’re the earth beneath my feet

And when the rain falls down

You tell a story

And I will hear you

Always near you

By the boab tree

I hope you enjoy the haunting lyrics and beautiful melody of this special song as much as I do.

P.S. Never heard of a boab tree? Click here!

Uptown Sedona

Well, our vacation interlude to the beautiful Southwest is about to end. Tomorrow we head back to Utah.

But, I wanted to make just one more Blog post before we leave this beautiful place, and share a few more snapshots, particularly of Uptown Sedona. Who knows, maybe if you haven't already seen this part of the country, this little travelogue of mine might just encourage you to come see it yourself some day!

Uptown Sedona is the older part of town, and begins at the lower end of Oak Creek Canyon, about 28 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona. Uptown Sedona is centered around a short stretch of U.S. Highway 89A that runs from the base of Oak Creek Canyon to a mile or so west, and is peppered with numerous restaurants and touristy shops (t-shirts, southwestern souvenirs, fine jewelry, clothing, etc.)

The next few snapshots were taken as we were driving east on Highway 89A toward Uptown Sedona.

As you can see, Sedona is nestled among numerous huge red rock formations. Most of these rock formations have names, based on their shapes, although I certainly don't know all of them!

That's Uptown Sedona in the distance.

We're just beginning to come into the center of town, where all the tourist type shops and restaurants are located.

Sinagua ("without water") Plaza is a two level outdoor shopping plaza toward the eastern end of Uptown Sedona, near the entry to Oak Creek Canyon.

The sidewalks and most of the structures in Sedona are apparently made with stucco and cement using the local red dirt, since they're all about the same color.

There are several bronze statues scattered around Uptown Sedona, which is also known for its galleries and community of artists.

Here is Lee standing beside a hot pink sculpture of a mother and baby javelina. Javelinas (collared peccaries) are known to roam about the nearby countryside. We even saw some of these nocturnal animals outside our condo one night a few trips back. They look like pigs, but they're actually not related, I'm told!

Once again, an accommodating fellow tourist offered to take a photo of Lee and me as we strolled Uptown Sedona. This shot was taken at the edge of the sidewalk looking toward the red rock formations to the south of Uptown Sedona.

This and the following photo are also taken from our vantage point in Uptown Sedona, looking toward the south of town. The cottonwood and sycamore trees in the foreground line the banks of Oak Creek, which runs along the south edge of town. The trees are just beginning to leaf out.

It's always a little bittersweet for Lee and me when we're approaching the end of one of our little trips. As usual, we've thoroughly enjoyed our time here in beautiful Sedona, but we're both looking forward to heading back home tomorrow.

And most of all, we can hardly wait to see our dear greyhound, Harley, after being gone for a week!

Sedona Landscapes

It’s hard to believe we’ve been in beautiful Sedona, Arizona now for 5 days . . How time flies when you’re having fun!

We try to come to Sedona once or twice a year, and always enjoy both the scenery and the climate here. This year particularly, coming here has given us a nice reprieve from what has seemed like an especially long winter farther north.

Sedona and the surrounding area are some of Lee’s favorite places to photograph, so of course, one of his main goals when we come here is to add to his repertoire of fine landscape photographic images. And I generally tag along with him on his quest for photo opportunities, to keep him company, and to enjoy the sights and sounds of the local countryside.

Lee’s photography ventures are usually around late afternoon and sunset, when the “light” is more interesting and the longer shadows add more contrast to one’s photos. A couple of days ago, we took a drive out to Long Canyon, an area a few miles north and west of Uptown Sedona, so Lee could capture some late afternoon images.

While he was setting up and conducting his own “photo shoot”, I wandered about and took a few snapshots of my own. I’d like to share these with you, since there are such incredibly beautiful landscapes around here . . . .

Here's the master photographer!

And his loyal companion . . .

As many times as we've been to Sedona, I never cease to be amazed at the beauty and grace of this area of the country.

In my next Blog Post, I hope to show you a little of Uptown Sedona, so please stay tuned!

Ciao!