Foto Friday (a little late)

Week in review

Sunday evening I went on a walk along the river trail near my home. The cottonwood tree fluff is in full bloom leaving the trail looking like snow has freshly fallen.

I'm not sure what kind of tree this is, but they were in full bloom and very pungent.



Monday I went on a wonderful hike in the rain. Didn't want to get my camera wet so it stayed home. But the rain limited the crowds, and the mosquitoes. It was a warm night and the rain was light, a perfect evening.

Tuesday I decided to go back to the trail I'd been scared away from by creeper guy. Unfortunately the trail is now closed due to damage from the overflowing river. It might be awhile till I can get back up there. So I tried another trail I've never been on. I was pleasantly surprised to find another great trail that I can't wait to go back to.

Hobble Creek Canyon is now open to cattle grazing. On one hand I feel so sorry for the cows stuck in small enclosures standing in their own filth. So I'm happy they get to spend a few months wandering the canyons. But on the other hand they become way too comfortable with cars and just stand in the road. By the end of the summer the last thing you want to see along the road is the cows.

I hadn't made it very far down the trail when I came across a herd of about 10 cows. Unfortunately it was at a spot where there was no way for them to get away from me, except to travel further down the trail. I didn't want to turn around yet, so I just kept walking, and they kept running away.

The little straggler in the back kept stopping and staring at me. It was like he was saying, are you really still following us? Really? Sorry little guy.

After a few more minutes there was a creek crossing that was a little more than I was up for and by then the mosquitoes were actually driving me crazy. I'm glad I was alone because there was a lot of yelling at them. So earlier than I wanted, I turned back. Part way back something flew up from the trail startling me. I stopped to see what it was and a hummingbird flew to within inches of my face. I'm pretty sure he was interested in my purple shirt. He spent several minutes circling me, stopping to hoover and decide what I was. I very slowly slipped the lens cap off my camera and switched it on. I gently raised the camera up to my shoulder and tried to get a picture of him checking me out. Of course I couldn't line up the shot or adjust any settings so this was the best I got. I'm just glad I got something. It was one of the coolest wildlife experiences I've ever had. It was definitely a role reversal where instead of me stopping to check out wildlife, I became the subject of investigation. Would much rather that experience with a hummingbird than a mountain lion.

A beautiful day in the valley

Friday was Will and I's first time to the pool this summer. Not including Lagoon, which didn't really involve playing in the water because of how cold it was. Luckily the Payson pool does heat their water. I bought the kids little snorkel sets. The goggles were well used, but the snorkels were a little harder to figure out. I always wonder at the start of the summer if Will will have retained the progress he made the following year in the water. He did great! He's becoming more and more comfortable in the water and willing to try new things. His swimming attempt looks more like an inch worm than swimming, but he has a lot of fun.

And apparently the whole family loves goggles, including Zen. These are official Doggles and Keeley and Will dropped off, on their way home from assisting in the birth of Will's sister's baby. Zen has an auto-immune disease which makes his eyes very sensitive to UV rays. The doggles are supposed to help block the rays from his eyes. You can tell how much he loves them.