Raven Travels: GRAND CANYON VOLUNTEER - WEEK 8

Two Strikes

Thunderhead over Canyon

Rain In Canyon

Strike on Widforss Plateau

Storm over Widforss Plateau

Storm Strikes

Fireweed


Forest View

Storm, Pt. Imperial


From Picnic Area looking East

Roosevelt Point

Roosevelt Stump

Storm approaching Saddle Mountain 1

Storm approaching Saddle Mountain 2

25 July 2013

Wow, two and a half weeks have passed since the last blog entry. I wish to apologize for the delay in writing, but things have been quite busy here, between Western Arts Day, having my pictures of the Canyon hang during that day, and then taking time to capture lightning here during a very active start of the monsoon season.

Western Arts Day here is a celebration of the skills, and folklore of the people who helped to develop the West. This year we had a mountain man, a rug maker, a flint knapper, and homemaker show their tools and skills. There were also cowboy poets and musicians, and I was able to hang and show pictures I have taken over the years here at the Grand Canyon. There was also a musical presentation by the Utah Old Time Fiddlers. In preparation for the day, I had to make title cards, and more business cards for distribution.

My day for Western Arts started with opening the Visitor Center and going on duty at 0630. The first order of business after doing V.C. duty until 1000 was

setting up my display of my pictures. After that I was photographing the other exhibitors and occasionally checking on my display and answering question. Late in the afternoon the Fiddlers showed up and put on a show from 1800 to 1930 with great fiddling and foot stomping music. The monsoon held off so the program could be held outside on the Lodge patio with unencumbered views of the Canyon as the sun started to set. (This is one of our favorite programs here at the Rim.)

A short time later I was taking down my pictures, and getting ready to photograph the poets and musicians who put on the evening program. George was able to join me for a quick dinner on the patio as the sun got lower and the temples in the Canyon got their evening glow. The evening show was also great, but I finally called it a day at 2130 and went home. I missed the last two acts, but the time had come for me to sit down and relax as the next day I again started at 0630. It was all worth it though. In between all of this I did succeed in getting a couple of lightning shots from the Lodge as well.

There have been several opportunities since W. A. Day to get more lightning photos and get better with the Lightning Trigger. This device actually sense the

lightning and triggers the shutter for you, but you do have to have the camera pointed in the right direction. There are also specific steps to follow when attaching the device to the hot shoe of the camera. As you will see, it does work.

During our “weekend” we were off one day to Kanab to get the car serviced, get a haircut for me, and the three week grocery run. We were in Kanab at 0800 their time, which was 0700 Arizona time. No sleeping in that morning, but we made up for it the next two morning. One evening I spent about three hours at the Lodge

photographing another lightning storm. There were some great bolts to be captured.

One of the wranglers came back from her days off with an extremely large zucchini and gave it to me. I used it to make four loaves of zucchini bread!! I had to do the baking in the Wranglers’ cookhouse as my oven probably can not cook even one loaf. I grabbed a recipe off the web, and it was a huge success. We gave three of the loaves to the wranglers, and they consumed the first loaf the afternoon that I did the baking. We enjoyed our loaf, and actually froze half of it for another day.

As you can see it has been busy and will continue that way. We do enjoy it, and meeting with visitors from all over the country and the world.

I apologize for the delay in the post, as well as the crazy layout. I have trouble with the layout as the site is not the most user friendly.

Enjoy the pictures -----