Arches National Park

On our way to Arizona we stopped at Arches National Park in eastern Utah. It was well worth the stop, even though we saw only about half of the park's unique sandstone formations.

Doesn't this sandstone "sculpture" look like the Three Wise Men?

This is what Arches National Park is famous for...The Windows

The park is well worth a visit. It kind of puts our world in perspective, reminding us who is in charge.

More and different pictures will appear on my "A Picture A Day" blog starting on Sunday.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing you a happy and tasty turkey day!

Red Rock Sunset

As we drove from Utah to northern Arizona on Sunday afternoon, the setting sun was shining on these red rocks in northern Arizona in the Navajo Indian Reservation.


Sunday was a day of seeing red rocks, first in Colorado, then Utah and finally in northern AZ. It made looking at the brown desert grasses and shrubs more interesting.

Colorado National Monument

We started our morning in Grand Junction CO by visiting the Colorado National Monument.

Awesome red rocks lines the southern landscape of Grand Junction. We got the morning sun bringing out the shiny red colors.

The red rock rim drive overlooked the Colorado River as it wound its way to the west through Grand Junction.

There were cool monoliths "growing" from the canyon floor.

It was a great way to start our day, playing tourist. And it was just the beginning of the red rock scenery; all very majestic and colorful.

The "S" Word

Yes, that is SNOW. About 30 miles east of Denver we began to see the white stuff among the hillsides and grass. This shot is just west of Denver city limits. Definitely more snow to the west of Denver than the east.

We left Sioux Falls this morning at 5:45 AM and checked into a hotel in Grand Junction CO at 9:00 this evening; 900 or so miles later and 15 hours of shared driving. Nice to get the miles behind us as we have been on these roads before. Tomorrow is "new territory".

A small buffalo herd along Interstate 70 west of Denver.

We passed through 6 tunnels tonight from Denver to Grand Junction. The Eisenhower Tunnel the longest at 1.5 miles.

New sights tomorrow!

Last Home Football Game

The final home game at the TCF Stadium on the campus of University of Minnesota...

South Dakota State University crossed the border to play football today. Well, the Jackrabbits showed up and so did the Gophers...

Although 3 of the 5 of us are SDSU grads and only 1 a U of M grad, the Ehresmann clan layered in maroon and gold to cheer the Gophers onto victory.

Final score of the damp and chilly, and not well-played game was Gophers 16, Jacks 13. The win has made the Gophers "bowl" eligible, but probably not the Insight Bowl in Tempe.

Pictures Have Moved

I have started another blog just for posting my pictures. This blog (crEasing Into Retirement) will continue to be the update of happenings in our lives. The new blog (shown at the right: A Picture A Day) will be my daily photo post until I run out of photos or get tired of doing it.

And notice the new look to this blog. That is what I did yesterday. Played at blogging. It is great to be retired!

Sandstone Sculpture

along the shores of the Wisconsin River near Wisconsin Dells, WI
summer 2008

The Matador

Matador: the bull fighter who has the principal role and who kills the bull in a bull fight

We learned his finery could cost as much as $2000
Cancun, Mexico
December 26, 2001

Ladies in Waiting

Actually, this is one of Curt's photos. He doesn't take many, and when he does, the photos usually need some "tweeking". This one needed very little. I am calling it Ladies in Waiting (medieval term). The ladies rest room needed cleaning and restocking, thus the line of seated women.

Wuertz Family Gourd Festival near Casa Granda, AZ
February 2008

After the Storm

After the storm...
south side of our house, Watertown
August 2007

An Oasis in the Desert

St. Anthony's Greek Orthodox Monastery
Florence, AZ
February 2008

A Picture A Day

I have recently found the blog of a friend who is posting a picture a day. This friend is an exceptional photographer who keeps track of aperture, specific lens, time of day, shutter speed...Well, you get the idea. He has traveled all over the world and takes the most amazing photos, usually not of people. And then he plays with Photoshop and does even more amazing things. Scott started his blog in February of this year. I'm not sure why he started posting the pictures now as I traveled with him and a group of students on an awesome trip nine years ago and he took a gazillion pictures then. And now Scott has inspired me to post a picture a day. There are several reasons why I am doing the post a day. I, too, have traveled quite a bit and have seen some awesome sights. There are more than 4000 photos stored on my computer plus the CDs and other back-up spots. I usually don't take pictures of people either. As I was thinking about this yesterday, I spent four hours just looking at pictures from the last four and five years. What a great trip down memory lane! I don't take special note of the time of day or have a digital camera with manual shutter speed adjustment or lens options. I have had a photography class and remember some of the tips about staging. But this is mostly a way for me to look back at some of the unique things I have seen and places I have been and to share it with others. I will add info if I can find it or remember it, but this won't be a history lesson or travel guide. It is just a picture a day.

Chateau de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley region of France, November 2005

I enjoy looking at a picture and thinking about where the eye travels within the picture once you have looked at the main object in the picture. In this case, the reflective, rippled water in the foreground of the photo. I try to take pictures that show some unique or interesting quality, like the repetitive arches and small windows. And sometimes, like yesterday's post, it is just an interesting shot, being in the right place at the right time. There won't be a "lesson" with the photos, but I wanted to share why I'm posting the photos I have chosen. If it is not my photo, I will give credit to the holder of the camera. Almost always, I will have been at the same place at the same time, looking at the same scene. Enjoy a picture a day.

Rock and a Hard Place?

On a trip to the Black Hills several summers ago, we happened to be on the Needles Highway at a scenic overlook taking a break. While we were there a tour bus came along and drove through the tunnel. It was interesting watching the driver maneuver through the tight space. And he did.

NEWS!

The "Future Gopher" is expected to arrive the first part of May.
We are excited about this new phase in our lives.