Magical Moment 547, "Life Among the Rock"

The Grand Canyon is a bird lovers paradise. But MAN, they're hard to capture well! This blue jay flitted from branch to branch.

Ravens are quite common here, and larger than normal it seems. I thought this one was a vulture when I saw it soaring through the air.

Mule deer are quite abundant also. They're as large as horses! This female was mid-munch when I snapped this photo.

And the males are even bigger!!! (or maybe they're elk?) When these 2 made eye contact with me and took a few steps my way, I took that as my cue to find a different place to take photos! Eddie was warning me they're about to charge, but I kept insisting it was a bluff. Either way, we didn't stick around long enough to find out for sure!

The plant life is vibrant among the barren rocks.

This single tree reminded me of a Joshua tree.

You know you're in the desert when...

This colorful little butterfly let me snap pictures for several minutes. He was in no hurry.

Countless creepy crawlers I can't identify.

I was so excited when I saw this lizard. I told Eddie, "That shadow just moved!" I stared hard at it for a few seconds before I realized, I was staring at a lizard! Way to go with the camouflage, God!

Tomorrow will be the final Grand Canyon post, and unintentionally I've realized that I've saved the best for last! Hope you enjoyed these critters, crawlers, and plant life!

~~~

Goodbye Breath

If I was a Squirrel, I'd Live in the Grand Canyon

On the Edge of a Nervous Breakdown

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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