So Frightened I'm Unable to Move!

Well, not exactly ... that title was just a way to inspire you to read this blog.  Not that it will be boring, but I like catchy (in case you haven't figured that out yet).  The title is actually one definition for the word "petrified", but it's the second definition that I'm really going to be covering today, and that definition is, "(of organic matter) changed into a stony substance; ossified."  So, my dubious discourse today is all about the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.

 

We stayed overnight in Holbrook, AZ arriving early enough to get set-up and on the road.  Gary actually found a piece of petrified wood in the open area behind the campground, so we are now proud owners of a "legal" piece of petrified wood! 

Did you know that petrified wood is not specific to this one area?  There are petrified forests in the following areas (this is probably not an exhaustive list):  Ginkgo Petrified Forest in the state of Washington, Petrified Forest on the island of Lesbos in Greece, Mississippi Petrified Forest, Blue Forest of Eden Valley in Wyoming, Monumento Natural Bosque Petrificado in Argentina, Yellow Cat Flat in Utah, Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, Prehistoric Kauri Forest in New Zealand, and Mummified Forest on Axel Heiberg Island in Canada.  What a list, huh?  But the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona is one of the largest.

How did the wood in this are become petrified?  The story is that the trees in this area fell and swollen streams washed them into adjacent floodplains.  A mix of silt, mud, and volcanic ash from distant volcanoes buried the logs. This sediment cut off oxygen and slowed the logs' decay. Then silica-laden groundwater seeped through the logs, replacing the original wood tissues with silica and petrifying the logs.  So there you have it!  Makes sense to me, how about you?  (ha!ha!)

Now to the good stuff ... photos of these ancient petrified trees.  I forgot to charge my camera (whoops!) but luckily I had my handy-dandy phone with me and it has been so faithful to be my camera back-up in these dire situations.  I know you know this because ya' all are posting those selfies on FB, but a phone is NOT just a phone anymore.  I love my phone (hee!hee!).  Luckily we have a great car charger which I used to get the camera up to speed while I took advantage of my phone's camera capabilities.

 

So, here are my phone shots of the Petrified Forest.  These were taken at the first stop on the forest route called Long Logs.

 

Our next stop on the route was Agate Bridge.  This is an amazing petrified log bridge.

Right across from there was an open area, and I just loved the yellow wildflowers blooming next to the petrified wood.

Next stop on our Petrified Forest Route was an area called The Tepees.  The Tepees are part of the Blue Mesa Member, one of the park's older layers of the Chinle Formation. The distinctive colors banding these landforms are the ancient layers of sediments deposited by the Triassic river system.  Looking at the pictures you'll see why it was so aptly named. 

The final stop in the Petrified Forest National Park was Newspaper Rock.  Do I need to explain why it's called that?

 

 

We traveled from there across Highway 40 with our next exploration site the Painted Desert, but that's for my next blog!

 

Ezekiel 11:19-21
And I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them. And I will take the heart of stone out of their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and do them. Then they will be My people, and I shall be their God.

Climax of a Supernatural Catastrophe

After the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert stop in Holbrook, we high-tailed it with one-nighters in both Santa Fe, NM and Colorado City, CO before reaching our final working destination, Canon City, CO.

Here are a couple of pics of the view of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from Mountain View RV Resort.

 

We got ourselves settled and met our new boss, Carter.  We spent the first few days helping the "outside guy", Jim, with clean-up.  Winter is "officially" over (according to the calendar) so there are weeds to be pulled, tree branches to be gathered and thrown away, buildings to be swept and cleaned, tables to be wiped down, and patios to be swept in order to be ready to open on April 25th.  I also spent some time with Carter learning the different computer systems to run the front office area.  A couple of days later, the other host couple, Arnie and Bonnie, arrived.  We had them over for dinner their first night and realized, "We're going to have a GREAT summer!"

 

On our first "official" four days off we drove to Colorado Springs to go to the Costco, but while we were there we had been encouraged by everyone (Carter, Jim and Arnie & Bonnie) to go to "The Garden of the Gods".  So, that is the first tourist attraction we visited in Colorado.  What a stunning area.  As Gary said, it's a cross between Bryce and Zion, but on a smaller scale.

 

The first sign is at the Visitor's Center, which is very large and has quite a selection of trinkets and trash!  It was in the process of being refurbished so not all of it was open to the public, but they still had room for all the tchotchkes (that's the Jewish word for knick-knacks). Thankfully and surprisingly, we didn't fall for any of it!

 

This sign is at the start of the drive from the main visitor's center.  You can actually enter the driving loop from at least three different places, but this is the main entrance.  Unfortunately, I forgot my "Gorilla" so we were limited in our family photo ops :(

 

Garden of the Gods is a public park located in Colorado Springs and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971 and today it covers 1,364 acres. The red rock formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line thousands and thousands of years ago.  Archaeological evidence shows that prehistoric people visited Garden of the Gods about 1330 BC. About 250BC Native American  people camped in the park. They are believed to have been attracted to wildlife and plant life in the area and used the overhangs created by the rocks for shelter.  Helen Hunt Jackson wrote of the park, "You wind among rocks of every conceivable and inconceivable shape and size ... all bright red, all motionless and silent, with a strange look of having been just stopped and held back in the very climax of supernatural catastrophe."

 

I've included a lot of photos of our time in the park, so enjoy the viewing.  By the way, the snow-shrouded peak in the first two photos (which were taken from the second story balcony at the Visitor's Center) is Pike's Peak which is a 14,115 feet high mountain on the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains within Pike National Forest and is located 10 miles west of Colorado Springs.

 

How do you like Sadie's new doggie scarf?  The people who owned the RV park before Carter bought it had these scarves as decoration around the lodge.  Carter brought it out and said, "What do you do with something like this?"  Well, I said, "Sadie would look cute in that ... it's a dog scarf!"  So now Sadie is appropriately appareled for Colorado as a real doggie cowgirl!

A man and his dog! 

 

We took a 30-minute walk/hike on part of Scotsman Trail (above and below).  The park is rife with well maintained hiking trails that criss-cross the park.  There's a designated area for mountain bikers so they aren't allowed on the hiking trails.  However, horses are allowed on the hiking trails and there was definite evidence of horses!  I would love to take a horse ride through the park so that might end up on my bucket list.

 

If you want to learn more about the Garden of the Gods, click on this link for their website:  Garden of the Gods.

 

Song of Songs 4:16  //  Awake, O north wind, and come, wind of the south; make my garden breathe out fragrance, let its spices be wafted abroad.  May my beloved come into his garden and eat its choice fruits!

Painted Desert

Right across Highway 40 from the Petrified Forest National Park, very conveniently created, is the Painted Desert.  The Painted Desert is a broad region of rocky badlands encompassing more than 93,500 acres. This vast landscape features rocks in every hue--from deep lavenders and rich grays to reds, oranges and even pinks.  It stretches from Grand Canyon National Park eastward to the Petrified Forest National Park, with a large portion lying within the Navajo Nation.

A natural canvas so many years in the making, no one event shaped the Painted Desert.  Instead, the area--which is home to many memorable formations and features--serves as proof of the earth's volatility:  volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, floods and sunlight all combined to create the Painted Desert. Deposits of clay and sandstone, stacked in elegant layers, play with the setting Arizona sun in an altering display of colorful radiance.

Here are just a few beautiful, scenic shots of the Painted Desert taken from different viewing points along the loop route.  Enjoy the sensational, carefully crafted, colorful painted scenery.

 

The photo of me below was taken at Chinde Point.

 

 

Now, for a couple of videos spanning the desert from a couple of different points.  I wish I hadn't been so fast in my panning of the region (you can almost get dizzy looking at it), but they really shows how beautiful this area is.  AS A REMINDER ... videos most likely can only be viewed by clicking the blog title above which will take you directly to the actual website where you can easily view the videos.

 

 

Psalms 75:6-7

For not from the east, nor from the west, nor from the desert comes exaltation; but God is the Judge; He puts down one and exalts another.