Dinosaur National Monument

 I think this is one of my favorite petroglyphs I have seen

 This one has remnants of a flute player that looked very much like the kokopelli

This lizard ones were pretty cool too

The petroglyphs, river, rocks and landscapes were all breathtaking, but this is the main attraction (and rightly so). This now-museum-encased hillside contains hundreds of fossils of huge, real dinosaur bones left exactly as they were when first uncovered several decades ago. This was one of the biggest dinosaur fossil finds in the world and the only one whose entire inventory was not removed and shipped to museums elsewhere. Well worth the trip, just for this (not to mention all the other beautiful stuff).

Aspens

beautiful changing aspen in the back; aspen with a crazed witch emerging from its trunk in the front

Gavin

Well with the busy life of chasing my four kids around, laundry, cleaning, mowing, lunch making and the occasional shower - i don't have my camera in hand too often these days. But I did get the sweet opportunity to take pictures for a sweet friend of mine the day she had her new baby. Dad took some time to coach me, and I learn more and more each time I shoot. Here are some shots of Gavin, just hours old.

Summer

Colorado Slot

Took the nine year olds canyoneering in Colorado. At a place where a small stream cuts through a series of cliffs and boulders to form a very narrow slot canyon. My brother is one of only 3 people that know the place even exists. Short rappel in. Slot so narrow it's basically a cave. First room has a waterfall flowing right into it. The way out is crazy narrow, waist deep and gushing cold.

This is actually another slot we found up the stream from the real destination. It had been awhile since my brother had been here, and the last time was in winter so we walked right by the entrance and had to to hunt for awhile. Turns out it was so green and overgrown he totally didn't recognize it. Because of that I decided to christen it the "cave of blunders." (will see if that sticks...) 

The water was so deep and the cave so narrow that we left most of our gear up top to retrieve on the way out; including the tripod. So these few are actually shot from my lap.

The exit looking back up..... well hidden indeed.

Near the exit, back up top.

and of course.... pictures of people taking pictures of people taking pictures (and of I testing the ponderosaness of that pine)

Not the slot we came through, but haven't done one of these in awhile. fun stuff.

and on an unrelated note: it appears that a couple bucks have made themselves quite at home in our barn.

Fun Times with the Fam

The Park

Albion Basin

The Backyard