first post of 2014

So, 2013 was the year of my smartphone picture challenge. To only take pictures using my phone... I think it went over pretty great. Over a thousand pictures were taken. Thirteen made it to a calendar I do yearly.

This year, while it has already started, I haven't pinned down a project I'd like to do just yet. So until then the pictures will be somewhat random and with a story.

This was taken on my walk this morning. I've been trying to take pictures of these birds for a few weeks now but they're just so jittery that I'd never really been able to get a good clear shot. I still don't think I have one. It's a bird with a beautiful blue body and a black head. The picture was taken with my D3100... I think I just might have to come up with a name for it. 

officially winter.

coming to a close...

The year, not the blog. I know I haven't been posting as much but that hasn't stopped me with this year's project. This year, I was challenged to use my smartphone to take pics. I was never one for using it because of the lack of features I'd use on my camera. But to help myself grow and learn, I took on the challenge and it has definitely been fun with a side of learning experience. Using my phone I didn't have the normal features, like optical zoom or the super macro for the really up close shots so I had to get creative.

I've taken over a thousand pictures, I've also had to unload pictures from my phone to my external hard drive three or four times. I've even deleted a ton of pictures because they've looked too blurry, not the right angle... or I just didn't like it.

I love taking pictures and I hoped this year's project helped me grow. So, as the year comes to a close it's time to look for a different project but I won't stop with this blog. It'll change and I hope you stick around.

Also, I'm now on instagram @pigpandacow. Follow me on there to see some random pics.

abandoned.

So I've been trying my best to get back into the swing of things and I haven't found anything worth posting. Til now, I'm not one for using "filters" or photoshop... or well, even instagram. ( It might change, you never know.) But I took this pic today and felt that it needed treatment.

good morning, world

fall morning

This morning a spent a few minutes in the dog yard just hanging out. Looking around, enjoying the crisp cool morning and taking in the quietness of it all. I noticed some dew on the grass, put my camera phone on macro shooting mode and went to "work".

on a Saturday afternoon.

utah sunset.

I took this a couple nights ago, I think... But it was after a weekend of storms and rain. A faint double rainbow and the Kolobs. The weather lately has been a reminder that fall is on it's way. 

goodnight bug.

Of course, I had to take a picture of a beetle who crashed and landed a couple inches away from me. One would think I was completely ok with bugs, I'm not. At all. But the things I would do to get a decent shot of something. 

the itsy bitsy spider...

Taken this morning, just a slight crop.

kanarra falls...

Yesterday morning was a great time to go hiking but also a sad reminder that hiking season is almost done. Unless, of course, I gear up in jackets, pants, boots and whatever else I'd need. Might have to do that for certain hikes, see how different it looks with snow and ice. Anyhoo...

This was taken  at the stopping point of yesterday's hike. I've done this hike maybe a handful of times and never thought to get down this far. Glad I did, though... it was gorgeous. The weather to start was a tiny bit on the cold side and the water was too. The further into the hike as the sun was starting to rise more the air and the water started to warm up a bit. On the way down, it felt like perfection as you crossed in and out of the creek and the water would hit your ankles or higher. 

If this is the end of hiking season, I'm glad I got to do it. It was fun, challenging and really rewarding. Not only in the pictures and views but also knowing that this stuff is just not even an hour away from where I live. Winter will definitely bring new adventures and a new chance to give what I used to have no patience for another shot... so we'll see where that leads. Stick around, there's still plenty to see. 

good morning, starshine...

quail lake

The hike I wanted to go on was closed due to flood damage so we had to figure out where to go from there. I thought about checking this place out, I had seen a few things on it and figured, why not. Wouldn't have ever thought this was a few miles away from the highway. We only stopped for a few minutes but for me it was enough to want to go back and do a bit more exploring. There were people in kayaks, boats, people just lounging about... and you can overnight camp there. Might have to try it out and knock off one of my "things to do". 

taylor creek: trailhead, cabins and alcove

And, this is the rest of the post for the second trip to the Taylor Creek Trail. The trail head, two homestead cabins and just a few shots of what can be seen. 

At the top of the trail it warns you about mountain lions and all the other stuff that you can encounter. 

This is the Larson cabin, it's about almost a mile into the trail. You can walk up to and around but you can't head in there. 

Just this shot was pretty cool looking, don't mind me. 

And this is the Fife cabin. Hit this one and you know you're almost to the end of the trail and at the Double Arch Alcove. 

The best shot I could get of the Double Arch. 

And here's just a small panoramic of the alcove. It's a nice place to check out, have a snack and just enjoy being outdoors.  

taylor creek: a bit of flora, a bit of fauna.

Second time hiking the Taylor Creek trail inside the Kolob Canyon section of Zion. It had stormed the night before so there were lingering clouds, cool temps and humidity. I'll save the actual hike for a different post, for this I'll have pictures of some of the plants and the animals (or their tracks) that I came across. 

Raccoon tracks. 

Deer tracks. Oddly, these were the only two prints I saw. 

This is one of the two squirrels that was "nice" enough to humor me and my constant need to take pictures. It seemed pretty comfortable around people, as long as you wanted to "drop" a snack here and there. A little squirrel skirmish broke out between the two but I wasn't able to get a clip of it. 

I'll have more on this hike up soon, including better pictures of the Double Arch Alcove, a panoramic and the two homestead cabins you can see along the way. 

summer storm.

red reef.

This Sunday's adventure took us to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. They had campgrounds, places to cookout and hang for the day and also hiking. The trail that was taken was the Red Reef trail. I had seen on a few blogs that it led to a couple swimming holes and would be a nice hike. The hike, the scenery... everything about it was gorgeous. Nice and quiet, saw one group on the way in and luckily, got out of there before we saw two groups on the way out.
This was on the road into the area. Seeing this definitely got me excited for the day and didn't let me down at all.

This was the start of the hike. 

This was taken right before you get to the first swimming hole. 

I don't have a good picture of the first swimming hole and waterfall we got to but this was the second one. I'd seen pictures of people climbing the rope and jumping off this waterfall. You can't really see the bottom but the water was pretty deep. The parts I waded through I was up to the tops of my thighs.  

This was the view at the top of the second waterfall. It was beautiful and quiet. 

This is a picture was taken while I was basically standing in the middle of the creek water close to reaching my waist. 

Had to climb over a couple hills to see what was next since the water was pretty deep and didn't have the right clothes on to be swimming through the creek. I really do need to get better prepared for this stuff.

The views in this place were unbelievably awesome. You would never have guess this place existed. The only reminder you had that you were close to a city was the noise of airplanes overhead.  

And this was taken on the way out.

Wasn't fully prepared for this trip, who knew that you could have possibly been swimming in the creek... Oh well, all the more reason to head back here one of these weekends and maybe even bring friends. Definitely going to be better prepared for it. 

timber creek overlook.

Did this quick little not even a mile long hike because the trail I wanted to do was already packed (got off to a late start). I guess it was nice to see a closer view of what I can see looking out the backyard and just to kill about an hour.

taylor creek.

Taylor Creek is inside the Kolob Canyon part of Zion National Park. A fairly easy almost 5 mile hike roundtrip, the worst part about it was at the very end when you need to climb these stairs made for giants. It was a nice hike, could hear the birds chirping, see lizards doing their pushups, weren't many bugs just yet.

I had to cross the creek a few times. Beautiful scenery, cool perfect about ankle deep creek water and there weren't many people there. (Made the mistake of going on Memorial Day Weekend)

At the end of the trail was the Double Arch Alcove. Wow, that thing was amazing. And it echoes. If you ever visit, make sure to sit on a log or a rock... because the sand gets everywhere.  

This was the view from inside the alcove. A couple groups, nothing too bad. 

One thing I wish I did was take a panoramic of the place. Maybe take a video or two... But since it's pretty close to where I am, I think I'll have to go back and do that.