Chisholm Trail....

The Chisholm Trail sculpture in Fort Worth, Texas

...Texas to Kansas it ran with cowboys and cattle and all,
tough ride to herd those cattle, did they sing "Cattle Call?"
Portrayed in movies and later TV,
those cowboys must have been something to see.

Right after the Civil War, steers sold up north for forty dollars a head,
but down in Texas, times were tough, a four dollar price meant that living was dead.
So Mr. Chisholm wanted the railroad to come down to the south,
and created the trail instead, news travel by word of mouth.

Wagon ruts along the Trail in Round Rock Texas

A depiction of cattle crossing the Red River into Oklahoma

A replica of the drive in Caldwell Kansas, and now.....

...A QUICK NOTE: We are moving on May 18, there probably won't be any postings between
May 14 to May 20th, but I'll be back!  Get along little doggie!

Tsitsikamma National Park.....

Park Headquarters, with a view - click

...South Africa, I found this place by accident,
and thought it would be fun, if we all went;
near the tip of Africa, it's not what I expected,
but after the view of photos, I couldn't leave it rejected.

Yes, there are animals, but not what you'd expect,
and many birds, and among them Robins with a yellow neck;
hiking trail, high wire slides, and oh yes, the footbridge,
the bridge across the rivers mouth, high up on a ridge.

Tsitsikamma means "place of abundant water", and I pronounce see-see-kam-ma

Walk across the mouth of the Storm River - click please!

Ride through the forest canopy - click

The Park shoreline - click

BONUS

The Lagoon Nebula

5000 light years from Earth, the Lagoon Nebula is part of the Constellation Sagittarius, I found this on
www.msnbc.com this morning and thought I'd share it with those of you who don't read that page.

Zion National Park 2....

A sudden storm, yikes - click

...today we can finish looking around,
there is a lot to see, on this special ground;
everywhere you look, oh, there's another one,
just so much to see, before we get done.

It's almost hard to imagine the creation of the place,
and the people who lived here, are we the same race?
and the force of water that carved this land so deep,
but I for one am glad, the country decided a place to keep.

A cascade along the Subway Trail - click

The Three Patriarchs - click

Emerald Pools - click

Zion National Park....

A scene near the entrance to the Park - click

...Utah, fifteen miles long, and a half mile deep,
the North Fork of the Virgin River made walls so steep...
...the trails down look dangerous, at least to me,
but people still go down there, to see what they can see.

President Taft proclaimed the land a park for all of us,
once inhabited by Basketmakers, they weren't there to make a fuss,
those people had left hundreds of years before,
even before the Mormons came knocking at the door.

The North Rim Trail. Going down? - click
(I told you it looked dangerous)

The Subway, the river made a turn here - click



Angels Landing - click



Yosemite National Park, 2....

Castle Cliffs at sunrise - click

...What could be more majestic than the sights in this park?
a full sunny day, large mountains and water light the dark,
sights of every size and description waiting for you,
if you have the chance, make the trip, go where there's a view.

If you don't care for mountains there is water too,
birds of every description, and animals too,
Seven thousand kinds of plants,
and hiking trails where you'll need two pairs of pants.

Upper Yosemite Falls - click

Tioga Pass - click

The start of winter - click

Yosemite National Park.....

El Capitan - click

...it's a giant of a park, over 3.7 millions visitors each year....
...are fortunate to see the grandeur that is here.
Most people see the "valley", but this park is very large,
to go in to the 'back country' someone must be in charge.

Animals and plant life to many to count thrive,
and one single visit, makes you glad that you're alive.
If opportunity knocks please answer the door,
you can stand in wonder in the valley floor.

Yosemite Chapel, a wedding site. Notice the "rock wall" behind. - click

Mirror Lake - click

Mammoth Peak - click

Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve...

Sunrise on the Charley River - click

...north to Alaska, the gold rush was on,
and this is the country where it was born;
this area played a really important part...
..for those that made panning gold, an important art.

It's also known for archaeological sites too,
they are learning history, it benefits me and you,
but, it's the scenery that brought us to this place,
and we're also interested in the human race.

At the mouth of the Kandik River, looks peaceful to me. - click

The Charley River with exposed rock - click

Rent a cabin and stay a while - click