American Southwest 2007 - Even More!

Rosemary stood on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and took this picture.

"Standin' on the Corner" is a small "park" in this tiny, barren town. It's an
important landmark, listed on the town's "Welcome" sign, and lending some flavor
to nearby small businesses. The day we were there, the area was being renovated,
and we had to take pictures at a bad angle through a chain link fence. The
"windows" behind the statue are actually part of a very well-done mural.

Loud music wafted from the doorway of this shop

A few weeks later, our friends Andrei and Nida visited the
same spot, the chain link fence now gone, and got the shot we wanted.

We love the big stuff, seemingly endless landscapes composed of
vast deserts, towering mountains, and dizzying canyon depths. But
there are also smaller views worth considering. Here are some of the
wildflowers we saw along the way.

On the North Rim

At Mesa Verde

At Bandelier

Somewhere in New Mexico

At Mesa Verde

At Bryce Canyon

Just about every road we traveled had lots signs warning us of of elk crossings.
We saw a few cows and some mule deer, but no elk. We also saw these guys.

A raven enjoys the view.

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We have a lot of these Western Fence Lizards at home, too.

There were several different kinds of squirrels and chipmunks in the parks.

Abert's squirrel is known for its long, tasseled ears and its very fluffy tail.

The Grand Canyon is so big that sometimes it's hard to really "see"
how great the distance is. Even using the digital camera's 10x zoom, we
couldn't get any closer for this shot. Those two groups of small bumps
at a wide spot in the trail are groups of several burros.

Now abandoned, this was once an active uranium mine in the Grand Canyon.

This establishment on the road between the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff
has a gift shop, a diner and a play area, all with a wacky Bedrock theme.

Another view from the Grand Canyon's South Rim.

Red Rock Canyon is part of the entrance to Bryce Canyon.

The rocks and soil around the Petrified Forest display some interesting colors.

But it is a tremendously barren area.