Road Trip

Which one is the Jackrabbit?



iPhone Photography in action!

 

Camping out in Holbrook, AZ

Hubbell's Trading Post

 

Cattle drive just west of Bluff, Utah.



Mammoth & Bison?

We decided to do a little detour on our way to Bluff.  We drove east on I-40 but got off to see Jackrabbit Trading Post on Old Historic Route 66 before heading to Petrified Forest National Park.  We spent the night at the Wigwam in Holbrook...a once in a lifetime experience...with the emphasis on "once".  The next day we stopped at Hubbell's Trading Post and admired the gorgeous rugs.  Just before getting to Bluff, we ran into a cattle drive with several cowboys and a cowgirl.  The next day along the San Juan River, we searched for and found mammoth and bison petroglyphs allegedly 11,000 to 13,000 years old.  Amazing!

Seeing the Invisible

I always get a thrill out of discovering rock art. Sometimes the pictographs and petroglyphs are quite clear and easy to see and photograph. However, more often than not, the images are faded and difficult to decipher. I recently became aware of some software programs that help to enhance photos of rock art.

One program is called DStretch, which can be found by doing a search on the Internet. But first, you will need to download another program called ImageJ. DStretch is a plugin for ImageJ. I am still learning how best to use these programs; but in the meantime, here is an example. Check these programs out, have fun, and send me some of your results at swa@infomagic.net. Thanks.

Near Bluff

Last week, Ann & I backpacked into the lower end of one of the many canyons sliced into the western edge of Cedar Mesa. As many of you know, this entire region is littered with the ruins and relics of the Anasazi. We witnessed some very well-preserved cliff houses and pictographs that looked remarkably bright and fresh, especially some hand prints. Last year was an exceptionally "good" year for tumbleweed, which gave the dog some difficulty. Does someone make sticker proof booties for Labs? On the drive to the trailhead, we found a wonderful "log" of petrified wood eroding out of the Chinle clays. Just another great hike in the Bluff area.