Long time no see

Wow, so you all probably thought I had dropped off the edge of the Earth, huh? It's hard for me to believe it's been so long since I posted a blog! I got my job back a few weeks ago and have been busy trying to organize my time. Hopefully, I've got everything settled and will be posting again much more often.

So, I have some exciting news. A few of our photos were used for a local news story! On the 4th of July we happened to be in a neighborhood where a firework landed in a large bush and caused a fire. The bush was next to an apartment complex and we were all scared it was going to catch on fire. Luckily enough neighbors had hoses and the fire was put out before it spread. The fire department was extremely busy that night and didn't arrive until the fire was almost out.

Here is a link to the news story: http://www.ktvb.com/news/localnews/stories/ktvbn-jul0509-fireworks_aftermath.108051a0.html

Here are a few photos from that night.

The Elusive Falls

Last weekend we went in search of Jump Creek Waterfall. I woke up excited that we were finally able to visit this small local attraction. After printing the directions from Google Maps (which after the fact we found out were a mistake) we were on our way. Everything was going great until we passed the small town of Marsing and our directions started to make less and less sense. We guessed at what our directions said and took a left hand turn down a highway. We ended up driving to Oregon before we figured out we were going the wrong way! We drove down some dirt roads still searching for the right road without any luck. To make a long story short, we never did find the elusive falls. :P After we got back home, I looked at the map online and found we were only 1-2 miles away from the waterfall!

Soooo. Instead of posting photos of the falls, I will post other two photos from our journey.

We pulled off the highway to take a peek at a scenic overlook and spotted these two guys. The first photo is a Mormon Cricket. According to wikipedia they can get up to 3 inches in length.

We spotted this lizard at the same location.

Time for Foto Friday

In the last blog post I mentioned going to visit a local waterfall. We never made it there, but are hoping to go this weekend instead. Hopefully, time will permit me to post photos of it early next week.

Today's photos were taken during our California vacation last month. We were enjoying the sunset in Santa Cruz, California when we noticed we could see the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in the distance. We decided to snap a few photos and think they turned out really well. The layering and lighting is beautiful. :)

The rollercoaster in the background, named the Big Dipper, opened in 1924 and is currently the U.S.'s 6th oldest coaster! We rode it once earlier in the day. :)

Foto Friday

Happy Friday all!

I've spotted a few ospreys around the Boise area lately and thought I would post a photo of one.

This particular osprey was seen in north Idaho near the small town of Sagle. The photo was snapped just as it was about to land on a nest. We parked the car close to the nest and watched them flying to and from the water hunting for fish.

Any great weekend plans? We might visit a local waterfall. Not sure how impressive it is, but I will post photos if they turn out well.

Foto Friday Returns!

Hello all!

Since this weekend is the really the kick-off of the summer camping season, I am going to post two photos from one of my favorite camping experiences. We went on a three day backpacking trip in the Seven Devils Mountains in Central Idaho.

The lake little lake in the photo below is Lower Cannon Falls, where we camped the first night. One side of the lake is against a talis pile (hillside of loose rock). All day and night long we listened to the pikas scurrying around in the rock. Those little guys are so fast that we never were able to get a clear photo of them, but here is a link to the wikipedia Pika page where you can find a photo. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pika

The second night we hiked 1,000 feet higher and camped at Upper Cannon Falls. We only had to hike a couple miles, but due to the change in elevation and the fact that we didn't follow a trail for most of the day, our hike took most of the day. Once we got to the lake the views were definitely worth it! As we rounded the last bend and the lake came into view, I saw butterflies fluttering above and skimming the top of the lake. Fish were actually jumping out of the water attempting to catch the butterflies! I'd never seen anything like it before!

The photo below is the view from our tent at Upper Cannon Lake.

San Francisco Vacation

Greetings all!

Foto Friday will return next week. :) We've been busy vacationing and playing catch up. Now that things are quieting down again, I have time for a new blog post.

The first few days we were in San Francisco it was foggy, and this was the best shot we could get of the Golden Gate Bridge. We just had to take a photo of it - a trip to San Francisco just isn't complete without one! :)

And of course on our walk, we just had to stop by Fisherman's Wharf to see the barking sea lions. One of the plaques said that there are between 100 and up to 1,000 sea lions at the wharf at all times! Most of them were sleeping, like the ones below, however there were a few that barked non-stop.

This Madagascar Giant Day Gecko was at the California Academy of Sciences in the Golden Gate State Park. I love how vibrant the colors are!

The below photo is of the Palace of Fine Arts. It looks spectacular lit up at night! We're not the only ones that think so either. When we arrived to take this photo, there were about ten other people here taking photos also!

Do any of you have favorite or fun places you like to spend vacations? We would love to hear about your stories. We're always looking for new places to travel to.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Foto Friday

Happy May Day!

This post is going to be very short because we are currently getting ready to leave on vacation! :)

A simple, pink rose - I couldn't think of a more appropriate photo for May Day. Have a wonderful weekend all!