The Grand Canyon

May 10

I am thankful for the Grand Canyon. For a big hole in the ground, it is spectacular. You really have to go there to appreciate its vastness. Formed from the Colorado River over 5-6 million years of flooding and carving, this "hole" is about a mile deep, 18 miles across, and 277 miles long.

This is one of my favorite photos. It was taken at the first overlook we visited, the Trailview Overlook. We drove like mad to get there from Las Vegas before nightfall. Fortunately we did arrive just before dusk. A storm had just passed through and I was afraid that the storm may have caused bad atmospheric conditions which would not be conducive for photography. Much to my pleasure, the golden hour near sunset, the haze, plus the cloud cover resulted in this photo, which to me looks like a painting done by an impressionist (this is not retouched  - no Photoshop tricks here!). It is probably a better photo than what would have been obtained with clear skies. That just goes to show you that you should never leave your camera at home because of bad weather. Some of my better photographs have been in inclemant weather.

May 10b

a mountain goat overlooks the grand canyon

oh little mountain goat

you stand on the precipice

looking out on it all

over the revered abyss

that threatens to pull you into a certain death

yet fearless you gaze

what is it that you are doing

looking through the haze

could it be that

the same thing that attracts me

beauty for beauty’s sake

the expanse of what we see?

nearness to the One

that created such an awe inspiring scene

like none other in this world

so wonderfully majestic and  serene.

© rt tulley