Cumbria, England, continued

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain. Photographing in the rain is fun because nothing stays the same for long. Light varies in degrees and all you have to do is stand in this dripping condition until the light is something you want to capture in your camera. When we were hiking in England, we had a nice variety of fog, rain, mist, overcast and sunshine. I like fog the best. It moves quickly, in and out, thick and thin. It is a moving display of light hiding and exposing at the same time. You get to take your pick. When shooting with low light, even with a digital camera, a tripod comes in handy. Some times I use trees, fence posts, rocks, what ever I can find that is solid. If you can get close to a hand held shutter speed and take 3 shots as fast as you can together, one of them should be in focus. Keeping your camera dry is absolutely necessary. It helps to keep your body dry also.

Cumbria, England, continued

On this glorious hike through England's Lake country, at least once a day, we would come upon a ruin. Some times it was a castle, other times it was a tavern, stable, outbuildings and a family home along the Old Roman Highway. It's always amazing to me how such large families lived in such small quarters. Since Rome ruled during the time of Christ, we're talking 2,000 years ago. In England, buildings, homes, fences were all built in stone. With the rain fall they get, it would not have lasted 200 years if it had been built out of wood. Some of the stone steps, that were outside, are worn down 4-6". That's a lot of feet shuffling up and down over hundreds of years. England has a very long history.

Cumbria, England

This morning, as I was hiking through Tonto National Forest in Arizona, I was reminded of the 36 mile hike we did in northern England a few years back. It was October and the weather was cool, the fields were still green, the cows and sheep were doing what they do best, eating and it only rained every other day. It was the best trip I have ever done with the Society of American Travel Writers.
In England, easements for public travel are granted by landowners and there are trails everywhere. Every farmer that had fences to cross or walls of stone that need to be transversed, built a ladder or stone steps over the barrier for the convenience of the hiker. Many dated back hundreds of years. There were aisles lined in wild plants between pastures for us to walk in. At times we followed the old Roman Road which was six soldiers wide and still in good condition. By the time we hiked into James Harriet Country we were traveling on country roads. It was a hikers dream.

Utah Boomers Magazine

Doesn't this aspen and snow picture make you want to be there?
The October issue of Utah Boomers Magazine features the third chapter in our "Grandma Needs a Four-Wheel Drive" book. This is the chapter on horse camping on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Of course, I had a mule named Red. He was just as strong headed as I was and so I did a lot of walking. The magazine can only be read on the web so here is the address: www.utahboomersmagazine.com

Fall & Winter in CO

On the profile page of this blog is an image of winter infringing on fall. Most aspen leaves were on the ground already, when this snow storm hit but in a few cracks and sheltered spaces, late bloomers appeared. They stood out even more because of the white intruding powder. It was a great opportunity for picture taking.

Gila River, Arizona

The purpose of this blog is to support our Adventure Travel books, "Grandma Needs a Four-Wheel Drive" and "Rock Art Along the Way", by adding weekly, additional places and events that Janet or I have traveled to, or experienced. Since we are both home now for a while, we would like to pass on more tid-bits about what is already in our "Grandma Needs a Four-Wheel Drive" book.
The first chapter is on our notorious escapade down the Gila River in my families hand built canoe. If it works for me to download an image with this blog, you can see just how dangerous the Gila River was on that faithful day of our ride into the great unknown.
The image didn't come up on this blog so I'm going to insert it on the followers page. It'll be small but it's there. Will continue to work on this problem.

Maumee Bay State Park, Ohio

Located along the banks of Lake Erie, Ohio’s Maumee Bay State Park offers activities for nearly everyone. You can stay in a very nice lodge with indoor swimming pool and toddler play area. Want more privacy? How about cottages? Camping? What? You don’t have camping equipment? No problem. The park has three Getaway Rentals that include tent, cooler, etc. for camping. Want something more unique? Ok, then. Maumee Bay has a Yurt for rent. But, they only have one, so reserve ahead.

Now that you are all settled in, what is there to do at Maumee Bay State Park? Plenty of outdoor fun, that’s what. Lake Erie beckons for walleye fishing or rent personal watercraft or ocean kayaks, go swimming or play on the beach. The gift shop has everything you need to make S’Mores including the sticks and wood for the fire. Walking is popular. My favorite trail was the two mile boardwalk that crosses swamp and marsh wetlands. There is even an observation blind if you want to do some birdwatching.

Try the 18-hole “Scottish Links” style golf course, or bicycle the paved trails. There are racquetball and basketball courts, plenty of open space and fresh air. The Trautman Nature Center, right next to the boardwalk, has hands on display and its Butterfly Gazebo is the big draw. During summer months you can see cocoons in various stages, and if you are lucky, watch a butterfly emerge from its cocoon. Butterflies flutter around and, if they like you, might land on your hat.

What I liked best was the Geocaching. This outdoor sport uses a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to find hidden caches or hide one. Geocaching has caught on worldwide as a fun, fairly inexpensive, family activity. A”cache” is typically a waterproof container containing a log book and some inexpensive items that you locate using coordinates and hints that are on the web or pick up a packet at the park. In other words, High Tech Hide and Seek. You can also rent a GPS receiver if your cell phone doesn’t give GPS coordinates. Geocaching has become so popular at Maumee Bay that the park offers package deals for geocachers.

Pack up your bunch and take a fun trip to Maumee Bay State Park. You won’t need a GPS to find it. Just head to 1400 State Park Road, Oregon, Ohio. If you are lost, call the park at 419-836-7758.

Kirtland Temple, Ohio

Positioned on a bluff overlooking the Chagrin Valley of northeastern Ohio, the Kirtland Temple continues to be a peaceful, beautiful, building drawing visitors interested in history and religion. In the 1830s, nearly 2,000 followers of Joseph Smith, Jr. lived in the Kirkland area. They were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints, commonly known as Mormons. Although, many of them lived in poverty, the members banded together to build the temple from 1833-1836 at a cost of $40,000. Today, The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic Landmark owned and operated by the Community of Christ, formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

The temple is open for tours. An entrance fee is charged and no photos are allowed in the Visitors Center or Temple. Outside photos are OK. A small gift shop sells old fashioned candy, books, T-shirts, etc. A 20 minute film explains the building of the temple and the significance of its various features. The temple was built for worship services, instruction in church doctrine and for academic studies for both children and adults. Joseph Smith’s office was on the third floor.

The Mormons relocated to Far West, Missouri in 1838 and then later to Nauvoo, IL. After Joseph Smith was murdered in 1844, the church split into different factions. Most of the members went west to Salt Lake City under the leadership of Brigham Young forming the main body of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Many of the other members banded together as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints with Joseph Smith III eventually becoming their leader. In 2001, they became known as the Community of Christ. For information: www.kirtlandtemple.org

Historic Kirtland and surrounding sites are maintained by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints headquartered in Salt Lake City, UT. There is no charge for guided tours which includes the Newel K. Whitney Store and home, a sawmill, the ashery (where potash was made) temple sandstone quarry, Isaac Morley Farm and John Johnson Farm Home. All of these sites were important locations in early church history.

Historic Kirtland is interesting from a historical as well as religious outlook. The buildings are restored to the 1830s style. The Newel K. Whitney Store is stocked as a general store. The ashery that produced potash to raise funds for the Church is believed to be the only ashery of its kind left in the United States. For information: www.visithistorickirtland.com