Preserving Earth

To inspire awareness and appreciation for Mother Earth

Images of a special place I visited first week of April

enjoy the energy.

Chinle Formations

spread across vast expanse of space in Northern Arizona

on route to the Petrified Forest..

notice how clear the air is with the bluest sky

distinguishing layers of soil and rock

described to be the essential geologic time markers
that have occurred during the history of the earth

"Cherish the energy you share with all living beings now
and in the future..
as well as those who have lived before you."
Dr.Wayne W.Dyer
Earth Water and Air .. elements of Mother Earth
views of sky click :: SKY WATCH FRIDAY:: on sidebar

Cool Shores

Finally the ice has melted

Waves rolling onto the beach..

with the arrival of warmer weather and Spring rains..

I am able to walk along the cool shores.

"A lake is the landscape's most beautiful and expressive feature.

It is earth's eye;

looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature."

Henry David Thoreau
:: wet views for WATERY WEDNESDAY::

Happy Easter

Wishes of happiness and sunshine

~ HAPPY EASTER ~

Earth Day 2011

"Have as your goal to do your best and to make a difference.

We are in the world to make a difference and everything we do

changes the world."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Water sustains all"
We must care for and respect Mother Earth with discipline
of responsible stewardship

Today our contribution to Earth Day was to support a local
effort in "trash pickup" along our woods, streams and highways.
When picking up a bag of trash look who was hiding underneath!
Sorry to wake you fella I'm Spring cleaning your environment!
I tossed several dried leaves over it after taking photos!


a message on a bottle

I'd like to think this message is from
Mother Earth
~
"each one sees what he carries in his heart"

Burst of Color

A burst of Spring color

it is necessary to look at my archives of photos for a pick me up I am looking for signs of Spring , a burst of color..

the air is still very cold I woke up today to snow squalls..

I long for the sun.. for warmer temeratures..

just let it happen..

my world is still frozen.

::

linking to TODAY"S FLOWER and MOSAIC MONDAY see my sidebar to connect

Ice Watch

Cold icy water meets sky Snow drift 15 ft. high covered in sand..

I stand on higher ground to take photos of the flooded beach Mysterious and moody mist and fog rise up from

icy cold Lake Huron

This is my world, my reality since returning home

from the deserts of Arizona

More images of ice melting on this frozen lake close to my home on previous post.

linking to SKY WATCH FRIDAY

Still Frozen

Icy water as far as I can see

Where am I you are wondering.. no not Antarctica

Floating chunks of ice..

melting.. crackling..breaking up..makes an eery sound

Lake Huron

the 2nd largest of the 5 Great Lakes in North America

still icy

winter lingers

It will take until the end of April to completely thaw

Sandy beach

replaced with mountainous snow drifts 15 feet high

covered in sand

I eagerly await the arrival of Spring

on this icy lake

Still Frozen...Brrrrr

linking to Watery Wednesday

Painted Desert Part II

Colorful Chinle formations spreading across The Painted Desert

with the purest air quality.

As in many rural western areas, sulfates, organic matter, soot

nitrates, and soil dust from industry farming contribute almost equally

to decreased visibility. As does motor vehicles, forest fires and other sources.

We can help improve air quality through car pooling, recycling,

reducing use of electricity and becoming involved in community

air quality issues.

Enlarge image for a closer look

Previous post I shared images of the Petrified Forest in Arizona.

We stepped into what is know as the "Crystal Forest" and entered

a mysterious world of ancient trees turned to stone!

The forces of Nature created a place that holds beauty beyond description.



The brilliant colored remnants of an earlier geologic age invite you to visualize a changing world. The processes that created petrified wood here ceased millions of years ago.

This is Jurassic Park where dinosaurs roamed and for geologists a haven for discovering fossil remains. Black basalt that flowed from a volcano that erupted here caps the cliff. Below this layer a horizontal line cuts across the face of the mesa and separates rock of two different geologic periods. The pink mud stone below this line was deposited about 225 million years ago! The brown mud stone and basalt layers above the line deposited only 5-8 millions of years ago.

Petrified wood and other fossils are irreplaceable resources to be cherished undisturbed. Thoughtless visitors have removed most of the crystal that gave Crystal Forest its name.

"Everything is the product of one universal creative effort.

There is nothing dead in Nature.

Everything is organic and living and therefore

the whole world appears to be living organism"

(Roman philosopher mid 1st century AD)

Linking to Mosaic Monday at Mary's Little Red House

The Painted Desert

Many who follow my blog regularly, know that hubby and I

spend our Canadian winters in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona.

We drive the 5 day trip and during our drive back home

last week we stopped by the Petrified Forest

Today I share a few sky views of our visit.

*NEXT POST I will post more photos of this unique place

Pintado Point in the Petrified Forest National Park AZ

Vistas of remarkable clarity extend far beyond park boundaries

because the air quality in and surrounding the Petrified Forest is

among the purest in the continental United States.

Long distance visibility also allows you to see the Painted Desert's

vibrant colors extending out to the horizon.

Littered with broken segments of petrified trees.

A mysterious world of ancient trees turned to stone.

Approximately 225 million years ago during the

Triassic period a floodplain existed here..

littered with fallen trees periodic flooding buried the logs

beneath layers of silt.

Over time silica-laden waters filtered through these

deposits and petrified the wood by encasing the trees'

organic material with minerals.

It was quite fascinating and worth the time taken to see

such prehistoric treasures!

linking to SKYWATCH FRIDAY

Spring in Motion

Raindrops drip from bare branches

We've arrived back home to see that Spring is in motion..

rain will soon undress winter still visible around our woodlands Wee Lake still frozen Canada Goose back from it's migration honking

"where's the water!" The river has thawed..

a welcome location for breeding and feeding and photo opportunities I do miss the warmth of desert temperatures in Arizona. Today temp. in my world is 9C... Brrr I'm frozen feel the cold deep into my bones.. my body needs to adjust from AZ temps of +90F

how do the migrating birds do it!!

linking to WATERY WEDNESDAY

Baby Face

a fuzzy mane .. a Baby Face

a masterpiece..just days old

mother and foul.. simply beautiful..

A few days before leaving Arizona I went for my last

bike ride passing by a horse stable and there she was!

I snapped off a few photos but she was so nervous I didn't want

to spook her. I did go back the next day and there were

2 more newborn fouls!!

I took more photos but for now I'm recharging my batteries.

::

We've arrived in the state of Indiana and it's 7 degrees C.
 Brrrr!

Tomorrow we arrive home. I sure hope it warms up!

Keep in touch I did promise that I'd show you more.

Prickly Pear

exquisite

Before I left Arizona the cactus species were beginning to blossom. It is the Prickly Pear that has the showiest bright pink blossoms that stops you in your track! So delicate and paper like this flower on such a prickly host.

enlarge this image and take in the beauty! The hedge hog cactus in it's natural habitat. You can imagine how colorful the desert becomes when all the cacti are in bloom..mid April to May.

It was tempting for us to stay longer but

our woodland home is waiting for our return.

::

We drove through New Mexico and stopped off at the Petrified Forest and saw prehistoric treasures which I'll post tomorrow. We are presently in Texas where Spring is beginning to show is blossoms! Trees are leafing out and I saw my first lilac bush this year!

We are on route to Joplin Missouri.

I'm waving to any of you that may be living in these states

Howdy Y'all!!

Welcome TODAYS FLOWERS guests

and Mosaic Monday ladies from Mary's Little Red House