But they had to stop in Moab for some good green chili at the Moab Diner. And a good lunch deserves a good nap. Somehow it got to be mid-afternoon before they headed north. Their route took them right past the entrance to Arches National Park.
The RV almost turned itself. What is one more day?
Desert shadows are endlessly fascinating to photographers. Idiot She admits the fascination is not quite so endless for spouses of photographers, but her patience is almost endless, so…
A curious person can find it hard to travel any distance on foot in the desert. It seems like every step or two confronts one with another question requiring cogitation. For example, Idiot He was intrigued by what appeared to be ant tunnel entrances… and each appeared to have a constructed entrance. Hmmm…
An eternal optimist!
There is only one reason for a flowering plant to flower – evolution produced flowers as a very effective form of reproduction. With nighttime temperatures going to well below freezing, and daytime temperatures often peaking in the low 60s… the likelihood of having active insects to pollinate the flowers and enough time for the seeds to mature before winter embraces the landscape seems small.
Officially, no flowers bloom in Arches in November… yet this aster was giving it a go on November 13.
The Idiots were not at Arches to enjoy the hiking… they just wanted an attractive place to spend the night before heading home. The campground at Arches NP fit the bill.
Idiot He loves to photograph shadows. He also has an unexplained fascination with taking pictures out the windows of the RV.
The battery that operates the RV furnace went out during the night. This meant Idiot He was up pre-dawn, running the engine to get some heat. He took sunrise photos through the window… the mirror… a windshield panorama…
They say there are over 2000 natural stone arches in the park. Most folks see fewer than ten unless they are active hikers. Two of the most viewed are easily accessible from the road.
Skyline Arch is almost impossibly photogenic.
The symbol for Arches National Park is a huge arch located on top of a windswept sandstone ridge- Delicate Arch. There is a great hike to the top, but the Idiots were “burnin’ daylight” and they planned to make some miles that day… so they settled for the short drive to a viewpoint.
Today’s telephoto lenses are amazing!
Delicate Arch from the viewing area… what the eye sees…
and what the telephoto sees…
Approaching the “Courthouse” area, visitors observe some stunning columns that inspire the imagination.
When the Idiots visited Puerto Rico they learned that the traditional day for gift-giving there is not Christmas. Christmas is a Holy Day and is more religious and family-oriented. Gifts are more associated with Epiphany, the celebration of the Three Wise Men… or Three Kings… who visited the Holy Family and brought them gifts. Their friend Urso confirms that The Three Kings are also revered in his homeland, the Dominican Republic. Epiphany, though not a big deal in the US, is actually a major holiday in many parts of the world.
The Idiots are not religious, but they collect nativity sets from around the world. People are inspired by the story… God sends his son to be born on Earth as a regular person… born to poor people in a stable. The way that people represent the nativity story reflects their cultures and the variety is astounding. The topic seems to inspire both joy and spirituality. The Idiot nativity collection is a colorful survey of world cultures.
They didn’t find any really interesting nativities in Puerto Rico – but there were lots of great Three Kings representations. One that they brought home was this stone sculpture.
So in Arches, while some people see judges… or chess pieces… the Idiots see The Three Kings.
Though there were lots of clouds, when sunlight broke through the visual drama was overwhelming. It was difficult for the Idiots to drag themselves away. There was always “just one more photo…”
