Picture a Day #282 – The Redrock of Moab, Utah

I was going to write about Nevada in this post, and our amazing drive across the state on Highway 50, but I am jumping ahead to tell about today’s travels. After driving through the desert and farmland of western Utah, we climbed into the mountains and dropped down to the red rock canyon country that dominates the southern part of the state. It’s always exciting for me to see the mysterious rock formations of the southwestern US, particularly those of Utah. There are so many colors and textures and shapes, and they are constantly changed by rain, snow, wind, and water.

Our destination on this leg of our October road trip from California to Colorado was Moab, Utah. It is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, intersected by the Colorado River and surrounded by Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. In the middle of fall it was a comfortable 70 degrees when we arrived in the late afternoon.

We walked up and down Main Street, which is also Highway 191, checking out the shops and deciding which of the many restaurants would serve us dinner. We chose pizza and salad.

We enjoyed this view of the La Salle Mountains east of town as the sun sank toward the western rock walls. Tomorrow morning, we will backtrack north a couple of miles to spend the morning in Arches National Park.

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Picture a Day #281 – Over the Top

Today we left California, crossing the Sierra Nevada mountains at Donner Pass on our way to Colorado.

We stopped at an overlook to admire Donner Lake.

The Sierra Nevada is all about the granite!

Then we followed the Truckee River into Nevada. More about Nevada tomorrow.

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Picture a Day #280 – Getting Ready for a Trip

Tomorrow we are packing up our Subaru and driving to Colorado for a week. I am looking forward to lots of Fall leaves.

We will pass through the canyon country of Utah, and plan to stop at Arches National Monument. It has been  a dozen years since we visited this area. I love the colors of the desert, and October should be an excellent time to visit, with cooler temperatures.

To put myself in the mood for all that Fall color, I am sharing more closeups of leaves. So many patterns and colors, the closer you look!

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Picture a Day #279 – Fall Textures

This image represents the many textures of Fall.

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Picture a Day #278 – Evening Grazer

This graceful young deer was loitering in the Sierra Nevada foothills of northern California in the early evening. The light was perfect for a portrait, and then an action shot as I got a little too close.

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Picture a Day #277 – October Leaves

Here are some leaves from the grape trellis in the garden. The temperatures have dropped twenty degrees in the past couple of weeks, and suddenly it’s Fall!

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Picture a Day #276 – Acorn Woodpecker

I don’t know what it is about the Acorn woodpeckers that are so busily storing nuts under the roof of my cabin, among other places. They are so persistent. They are such a presence.

While I was working at the kitchen sink, this avian individual kept stopping on its way between the collection tree and the storage area. As soon as I grabbed my camera, it was gone. Finally I got several shots, and this one was the best. Not bad for shooting through a window and screen.

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Picture a Day #275 – National Novel Writing Month-My Journey

This has been a busy year for me. I wrote my first novel during National Novel Writing Month last November. I revised, edited, and self-published my young adult novel, Willy’s Magic, as an e-book in February of this year. During April’s Script Frenzy, I rewrote my story as a screenplay.

The marketing side of the business of writing has me boggled. But I have learned a lot about developing a platform as I have refined this blog over the past nine months. Although the topics I cover here-my hobbies, or what I do to prevent boredom-have little to do with the subjects of my fiction writing, I hope to find a way to change that.

My other blog, which I tried to delete but apparently didn’t, is close to my heart and my writing but too much for me to manage along with this one. It still exists, but is on hold for the time being. So much to do, so much to learn, and the days are so full.

It’s time once more for National Novel Writing month, in about three and a half weeks. I am considering a fairy tale. Perhaps the show Once Upon a Time, which I thoroughly enjoy, put me in the frame of mind to consider this genre, but I have attempted it before. I hope to take my latest story beyond my previous excursions into magical worlds.

All I can say so far is that it will involve oak trees, acorns, woodpeckers, and a great adventure. Until next time, let your imagination run wild!

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Picture a Day #274 – Stuffed Peppers!

We were planning on having Sloppy Joes for supper tonight. Then I saw red bell peppers at the market, 4 for a dollar. My husband Sam and I concocted our own recipe (sort of), incorporating both.

Stuffed Peppers, Sloppy Joe Style

8 servings

Prepare 1.5 cups brown rice (cook with desired seasonings-I used fresh basil).

Clean and halve 4 large red bell peppers (could substitute yellow or green bell peppers as well).

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to 4 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Simmer peppers until tender. Drain and place in a 3 quart glass baking dish, cut side up.

Brown 1.5 pounds of lean ground beef (could substitute other ground meat) in skillet. Drain. Mix with prepared rice and one 15.5 ounce can of Sloppy Joe sauce.

Fill peppers with meat mixture. Top with grated cheese (I used about 3 ounces of cheddar).

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

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Picture a Day #273 – Clouding in the Evening

I knew the sunset would be phenomenal this evening. The clouds were restless; the sun teased the horizon. My Nikon twitched in my hands.

Once the blush of sunset began, it shifted seamlessly from shade to shade. The clouds stretched across the western sky, and faded too soon. Cloud-watching at the end of the day is delightful!

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