From Last Week: Zoo and Aquarium

It wasn't until our time at the zoo last week was nearly over that I realized there were tiny snowballs on the tops of all the fence posts. It's just the way the snow fell and the way it was beginning to melt. I loved their cuteness and their undisturbed natural perfection.

Typically, when I return from a vacation, I feel a little understandably low. The experience of being away from regular routines was so wonderful, that I wish it didn't have to end. So last week, to help keep those feelings away, I tried to get out a little more.

We went to the aquarium on Tuesday (which I posted about last week) and then to the zoo on Thursday.

And yesterday when I was deleting pictures from my phone, this creature caught my attention. I don't know if you can see it, but it's some kind of crab. It was in a dark room at the aquarium where you couldn't use flash photography.

This week, we've mostly been indoors and at home because of snow. I've related to the crab. I'm thankful for good books to get through the cave times and for coming warmer weather and sunshine.

Living Planet Aquarium in Feb

This place is practically a zoo because of the variety of life it holds,

though it has an impressive collection of fish and sea creatures too. 

I put a picture on Instagram of Alena and jellyfish.

Unfortunately, the butterfly hallway (they call it a room, but it's more of a short hallway) was not impressive yesterday. 

The worker at the front door warned us to watch where we step and not touch the butterflies. So it was a let down when there were so few and basically no need for the warning. The worker at the exit door seemed apologetic and said the butterflies are more active and visible in the afternoon. I have had truly beautiful butterfly experiences. This was not one of them.

The idea of butterflies got us there, but other creatures were much more worth seeing. 

A sloth was awake! One of the workers fed it by hand and then I watched it crawl along upside down for a little while.

Pretty pink and so delicate. Fun to watch wave in the water.

The river giants are amazing, and truly large. 

I didn't get a picture that wasn't blurry and unfortunately I deleted them before posting here. 

It's a tank worth experiencing in person. The arapaima was particularly large and impressive.

 The birds were fun to watch too.

Through Tunnels at Zion on February 11

Entrance to the short tunnel

For our 29th wedding anniversary on February 11th, we decided to have a weekend of southern Utah adventures. This is the last of three posts from that trip.

We took the long way home by driving through Zion National Park's east entrance. There are two tunnels on that road. The first is short. The second is quite long and a little disconcerting if you think about the weight of rock above. After you pass through the long tunnel, it's a steep winding road down to the bottom of the park. This drive is awe inspiring.

The pictures below show holes in the mountain which are windows or cut out areas in the long tunnel.

Zion National Park is a beautiful place.

Coral Pink Sand Dunes on Feb. 10th

It was a dream come true. I'd been wanting to see Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park for quite some time.

The wind was wild and cold. You can sort of see the sand blowing off the top of the dunes in the picture to the right. This was as close as we dared get to the top because the wind was blowing so powerfully, we were being sandblasted, and I was worried about being blown away.

I was surprised that much of the sand looks more orange than pink, especially near the park entrance and overlook. Further north, the reds are more apparent. There's a parking area just before the pay area as you drive toward the park. I climbed the dunes there and took a few pictures that follow.

Unfortunately, at the actual state park area, the coolest dunes are beyond the wooden fence where ATVs zoom past at ridiculous speeds. Walkers are supposed to stay out I guess, but there were no signs posted and we crossed over the fence.

At the State Park, a nice family was also on the dunes with us and the dad offered to take our picture.

From a February 10th Hike at Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument

We trusted the pamphlet that suggested The Toadstools as a worthy destination. I'm glad we did.

Most of the trail follows a dry riverbed. You'll know when you've arrived when you see the first formation up high. There is a lot of climbing to do around and over mounds, ledges, and walls. It felt like a treasure hunt. We were well-rewarded for our bravery.

The weather was perfect-- warm with a cool breeze. For much of our time there, we had the place to ourselves. It was truly a grand experience.

Noticing

Kumquat tree in the orangery.

My youngest daughter is a person who notices. She sees things that other people might not see.

It's easy to walk through this world blindly and overly focused on our inner worlds when the outer world can be truly beautiful and amazing.

I feel like a noticer too, but she and I notice different things. On our way home from Red Butte Garden today, we were talking about the responsibility noticers have to share what we see. Artists of all types take notice. Here are some things she pointed out to me today and a few that I saw too.








She noticed that the chains that hang from the glass roof to the ground on the front patio have changed. The first picture was taken in December of 2016. I found it on my phone. The one on the right shows the new chains.

I noticed these on our way in from the parking lot.

The color of this one grabbed my attention.
It's located at the bottom of the stairs by the orangery.

She noticed the cool pattern on these leaves.
This is in a planter by the yellow plant.

The colors on these caught my attention.
This is in the orangery.

I wanted to see what "lovage" looks like. Sounds lovely.
I Googled it. Turns out it really does look like parsley. 

Snow drops in early Feb.

Another winter surprise.
These were up in the water conservation garden.

The view toward home.

Daffodils blooming in early February!