120815 - Visit Me on Facebook

Although I haven't posted here since May 2012, I still spend my summers in my RV, on the road. I am posting on Facebook, however, most days. So, if you are a friend or acquaintance of mine, and you want to keep track of where I am and what I'm doing, please "friend" me on Facebook.

To make things a little complicated, I have two fb profiles. The first one I made is under "Kathryn Carver", but PLEASE DON'T FRIEND THAT ONE. That account was hit with a virus a long time ago, and I can't access it.

Please friend my "Kathryn J Carver" profile.

See you there!

Kathryn

10 May 2012 - Montana

The drive along the Clark Fork (of the Yellowstone River) is especially beautiful in the springtime, as the snow melt turns the river a beautiful shade of aquamarine blue.


I took a route to Flathead Lake that I hadn't taken before, and drove by this stunning view of Rainbow Lake [on left].

Flathead Lake was just as beautiful as I remembered it. This time I stopped at West Shore State Park and Joey and I had a lovely walk on a trail through the woods along the lakeshore.



We stopped in Columbia Falls for a night before we headed into Glacier National Park. As usual, Joey and I played ball for awhile. As my dad says, Joey's version of ball is more of a "keep-away" game than anything else, but she loves it. She is so proud of that ball, there isn't any way to describe it except to say that she "prances" around with the ball. You can clearly see she's telling you, "See what I have!"

7 May 2012 - Sawtooth Mountains of Idaho

I stopped in Twin Falls and took a break for a couple days. I'd been pushing it pretty hard since I left Arizona and wanted to slow down a little. I knew I was back in the north country when I heard the redwing blackbirds in the marsh next door, and saw all the beautiful lilacs blooming in the campground. And I enjoyed every minute of it. :-)

While I was in town (Twin Falls) I drove to the beautiful Snake River Canyon. I wasn't far from the spot where Evil Knievel tried to jump the canyon in 1974. It's really hard to imagine someone trying to jump over such a huge canyon. I also drove over to Shoshone Falls, known as the Niagara of the West. Both are worth seeing, even for the second time. :-)

Then I drove north, through Sun Valley. This time of year you can still tell that it's primarily a ski resort area. Once again, the drive through the Sawtooth Mountains was incredibly beautiful, with snow-topped mountains on three sides. The majestic view of the mountains on the other side of the Salmon River Valley far below, was definitely worth the drive. Even for the second time. :-)

As I was driving through the Salmon River Valley, on the Salmon River Scenic Byway, I was surprised to see a pair of striking sandhill cranes. I've only seen them in the wild once before, in Wisconsin. They had rubbed clay into their feathers, as they are wont to do, so that their feathers were a beautiful rust color. And, most amazing, while I watched, one of them did a kind of dance for the other. I read later that "dancing" for each other isn't that unusual in a pair. But it was incredible to watch.

6 May 2012 - Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island

I visited my friend Karrie in Salt Lake City and was impressed with the views of snow-capped mountains she has all around her. No wonder she had trouble finding her way around the flat prairies of North Dakota, with no mountains on the horizon to help her get her bearings! :-)

Then I spent a couple nights camped on Antelope Island, another of my very favorite places.

I knew I was back in the West, when I heard the meadowlarks singing all around us in the campground.

The sunsets were exquisite, as always.

Highlights included seeing a chukar for the first time, and adding that to my Life List, and seeing thousands and thousands of earred grebes.






I saw some antelope, but could never get a better view of them than I did last time I was here. I saw some bison, and lots of other birds. But, mostly, once again, I was blown away by the beauty all around me, the views of this island and this lake.

5 May 2012 - Red Rock Country & Bryce Canyon

I spent a couple days in Utah's Red Rock Country, another of my favorite places in the U.S. Besides the Vermillion Cliffs (where Best Friends is located) [left],and views of the nearby Escalante Staircase National Park, [below] I also drove through Red Canyon [below left] on my way to Bryce Canyon National Park. It was too cold for me to stay there long. The elevation is pretty high, and it was forecast to get down to around freezing that night. But the views at Sunset Point [below right] were stunning.







The next morning I was wondering whether it actually got down to freezing that night, until I saw this...

5 May 2012 - Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, Utah

I've been sending money to this animal sanctuary, and wanting to visit here, for years, since long before they became so well known, due to their work after Hurricane Katrina, National Geographic's popular "Dogtown" TV show, and their work with the "Michael Vick dogs". I'm glad I finally made it. I took one of the several 90-minute tours they offer daily. I took the Volunteer Orientation class, too, because I was hoping to volunteer, but that didn't work out, because I had my dog with me.

I have always been impressed with this organization, and, now I am even more impressed than I was before.

Their location - out in the country, in the spectacular Vermillion Cliffs, with beautiful Angel Canyon all to themselves - can't be beat! There is more than enough room for the horses and other large animals.

I was impressed with how new and nice the facilities looked. The tour included a visit to one of the "cat houses", as well as to Dogtown Heights. I was so impressed with the cat house. It was more like a home than an institution. I wouldn't mind living there myself!! :-) The only cat that was in a cage, was the cat who had just arrived the day before, and it sounded like he would be let out later that day because he was adjusting very well. Caregivers are assigned to a particular house, so that they get used to the cats in that house, and the cats get used to them. A caregiver who knows an animal well is more likely to notice if something is "off" in an animal's behavior, than one who isn't.

The "cat house" had built-in features that cats would love. I was especially impressed with the platforms built up near the ceiling, for "rafter cats" - those cats who only feel safe up high, when they first arrive. There are even litter boxes up in the rafters, so the rafter cats don't need to come down, until they are ready.

The tour guide was very good, providing lots of information, answering all our questions, and even entertaining us. :-) In fact, I was impressed with the helpfulness and friendliness of every person I dealt with during this visit. I learned that there are over 300,000 members of Best Friends now. I learned that National Geographic had originally planned to only have three episodes of "Dogtown", but it was so popular, that it ran for four seasons. I learned that they have rehabilitated, and found adoptive homes for, several of the Vicktory dogs. You might remember that the fighting pit bulls that Best Friends took from the Michael Vick rescue, were the ones the other rescue organizations said couldn't be rehabilitated. And they are still working with the others (although two have died). I was reminded that Best Friends gives workshops continually, for others around the country who want to learn how to run a successful sanctuary operation.

After I took the tour, I spent some time at "Angel's Rest", the animal cemetery. As expected, this cemetery is used for the animals from the sanctuary, and is also used for the employees' animals. But Best Friends has offered to their members, for years, the option of purchasing wind chimes for the cemetery, in memory of a beloved pet. And so the cemetery is full of the tinkling sound of wind chimes. I can only say that this cemetery experience was probably the most pleasant of my life. There is something about all those beautiful wind chimes, that makes it seem like such a serene, spiritual place. I left there thinking that all cemeteries should have wind chimes in them. Having worked Hurricane Katrina for FEMA, I was moved by the memorial to the Katrina animals. But, I was moved by the whole experience. We should all have such a lovely place for our final rest.

4 May 2012 - Route 66 to Grand Canyon West

I didn't realize part of the route I'd be driving to Grand Canyon West, was the old Route 66. I was delighted when I saw these signs along the side of the road:

IF DAISIES ARE
YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER
KEEP PUSHIN’ UP
THOSE MILES PER HOUR.

YOU CAN DRIVE
A MILE A MINUTE
BUT THERE IS NO
FUTURE IN IT.

TRAIN APPROACHING
WHISTLE SQUEALING
PAUSE, AVOID THAT
RUNDOWN FEELING.

THE BLACKENED FOREST
SMOULDERS YET
BECAUSE I FLIPPED
A CIGARETTE.

SLOW DOWN, PA
SAKES ALIVE
MA MISSED SIGNS
FOUR AND FIVE.

I didn't see this one on the road, but, for some reason, I remember it from my childhood:

DON'T STICK YOUR ELBOW
OUT TOO FAR
IT MAY GO HOME
IN SOMEONE ELSE'S CAR.
BURMA SHAVE

Do you remember the days of Smoky the Bear, when the government was trying to convince smokers to quit throwing their cigarettes out their car windows, because they were starting forest fires? (And it seemed like everyone smoked.)

I've been wanting to walk on the Skywalk, the "glass bridge" over the Grand Canyon, ever since I heard they were building it, so I'm glad I did it. But I was disappointed. First, because the artist's rendering of the imagined bridge showed that it went out into the canyon much further than it actually does. Second, I imagined that you would be able to see down into the bottom of the canyon from the glass bridge; you can't. Third, it was expensive ($80, part for "admission to the Hualapai tribal lands" and the remainder for the skywalk itself). There is a distinct contrast between the South Rim and Grand Canyon West. Part of that is the cost. Part of that is the difficulty of reaching the west rim, including an eight-mile "primitive road" that I had to drive at about 8 mph in my rig because of the washboard and ruts. I imagine that Grand Canyon West is the way the South Rim was, a few years back. There are more fences and barricades at the South Rim. But the primary difference, aside from the the massive number of people who visit the South Rim, is the constant sound of helicopters taking off and flying in and over the canyon. It certainly detracted from the experience, for those of us not flying in the helicopters. The tour guides at Grand Canyon West also mentioned criticisms of the other location, which I felt was in bad form. Finally, the canyon is much wider, and much deeper, and more impressive, in the national park.

The best parts of the experience: The drive through the Joshua Tree forest was delightful. I did enjoy watching a couple of Hualapai dancers (though their dance is the simplest of all the native dances I've seen, mostly just rocking back and forth, and I didn't appreciate the unprofessional, insolent, attitude of the gourd rattler). And I enjoyed seeing the western part of the Grand Canyon, including especially Eagle Point [photo above], which looks like the head, shoulders, and outspread wings of an eagle (with a little imagination).