Travels
Hibiscus
It’s officially Spring, so I thought a beautiful Hibiscus would be a good picture for the day. Taken last October at Mount Vernon, Washington DC
Grotto Geyser at Sunset
On September 18, 1870 members of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition entered the Upper Geyser Basin where in a day and a half of exploration, they named seven geysers of which Grotto was one. Nathaniel P. Langford described the Grotto in his 1871 Scribner’s account:
“The Grotto” was so named from its singular crater of vitrified sinter, full of large, sinuous apertures. Through one of these, on our first visit, one of our company crawled to the discharging orifice; and when, a few hours afterwards, he saw a volume of boiling water, four feet in diameter, shooting through, it to the height of sixty feet, and a scalding stream of two hundred inches flowing from the aperture he had entered a short time before, he concluded he had narrowly escaped being summarily cooked. The discharge of this geyser continued for nearly half an hour.
Cascade Falls – Yosemite
Taken from Hwy 120, near the North gate of Yosemite. Cascade Falls is just beyond the first tunnel as you enter the park. On a good water year, this waterfall is roaring. But, even in a low water year, it’s still impressive. This shot is taken from the bridge, focusing on the lower half of the falls. What’s nice about a low water year, is the exposure of the rocks, the color and even the debris makes for an interesting photo.
Douglas Squirrel (Chickaree)
This is my friend that was watching me as much as I was watching him. I put my camera bag down on the ground and I had left the top open. This lil’ guy and his friends were very intrigued with the ‘open bag’. They ran around a bit, waiting for me to leave it unattended and ‘chripped’ at me a lot. Finally, I zipped up my camera bag and they left to go chase each other else where. (and possible score some other goodies)
Moss & Leaves
Usually in the Winter, I think of everything as white with brown trees. The drought and recent rains have added some color back into the nature palate. I was really enjoying the green through the forest on the valley floor.
Path Along the Merced
I parked my car at Fern Spring and went down to the bank of the Merced River. There is an old path that runs between the roadway and the river until you get to the meadow. I loved how the moss was growing over the rocks and up the trees. It provided a nice contrast to the photo.
Morning in Yosemite
I drove into Yosemite on Sunday but I was too late for the sunrise 
but I wasn’t about to let the day go to waste. Drove down to Yosemite Valley and wandered the banks of the Merced River for the better part of the morning. In the distance you can see Bridal Veil Falls and if you look really close, you can see its reflection in the Merced.
Boardwalk at Sunset in Yellowstone
The sun was setting, the warm colors were reflecting off the stream & water in the hot springs.
Postcard from Yosemite
I never get tired of this view of Yosemite Valley. You’ve probably seen a billion photos from this angle but there’s something about this area that I see something inspiring every time. In this shot the looming storm clouds in the distance made this shot appealing.
Snapshots by Kats 