• Arches National Park,  landscape,  musings,  National Parks,  writing/reading

    “From my experience….”

    Arches National Park
    Arches National Park

    All of us have heard people say, “I know…” when they really don’t. And, if we’re honest, we are well  aware of the times we say it, and don’t. There is a saying that “what I think I think I know, ain’t so.” Reality is we do not know what another thinks or feels unless they share that with us and that is filtered through their ability to articulate and how we listen and understand. We do them an injustice when we assume to know. Our assumptions can easily be our imagination or a thought which we quickly make into a false reality. We’ll believe it. I’ve not found this to be a good foundation for a conversation or relationship. So, what if we were to say, “From my experience….” or something similar. Seems the mind wants to know, plan, or control the next moment, as if it’s real, rather than stay in the present and find out what we don’t really know.

  • Arches National Park,  Blossoms,  flowers,  National Parks,  Plants

    Common Paintbrush

    Common Paintbrush
    Common Paintbrush

    At one of the stops along the road in Arches National Park I noticed the Common Paintbrush were blooming, and usually do from March to June. They are also called Slickrock Paintbrush or Early Paintbrush. The desert is a harsh land so plants find ways to survive in this arid land. This plant is hemiparasitic (partiallyhalf-parasite). It is a water parasite that survives drought by attaching to the roots of other plants using them as a source of water.

    Strange as it may seem I was drawn more to the plants such as these Paintbrush and the twisted junipers. The rock formations were amazing but looking within inches of you was just this incredibly amazing world.

    Common Paintbrush and Yucca
    Common Paintbrush and Yucca