So I’m finally posting the rest of the pictures that I took during my trip in Arizona. The following are a few shots I took when we were on our way to the Grand Canyon. While we were driving from Waipatiki, you could see the painted dessert in the back ground; as you can see below.
So Friday, was my second trip to the Grand Canyon. Kyle was gracious enough to drive me out again to the canyon, so that I could specifically take pictures of the sunset. While visiting there again, I didn’t think it would have the same impact that it did on me, but it did. It’s amazing. It’s unbelievably massive. A lot of people think of Arizona as being very hot and dead, but it’s so far from the truth. It’s so alive and the colors and the contrast is so spectacular. Every time that I think I have seen it all, there’s still more out there that God has conjured up that is so impressive and so breathtaking. It’s really a piece of beauty to behold. If you ever get a chance to, take it and go and see this one seven wonder of the world.
Below I have posted a few of my favorite pictures of the evening.
So on the way to the Grand Canyon we found this little chapel. It was so awesome. It’s literally only 9 or 10 feet tall. It’s seems to be left open most of the time. Anyone can just walk in and chill. The inside walls were covered in all kinds of prayers and “blank” was here type of memos. It was really neat to see. I guess if you really wanted to, you can reserve the space for a wedding, a very small wedding. The inside seats about 20 people, at the most. But the plus side, it has an amazing view of the San Francisco Peaks.
So after checking out the cliff dwellings, we next made our way up to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. A lot of the trails have been closed off for some reason, so we weren’t really able to do much hiking around the site, but the little that we were able to see, was pretty spectacular. Lava flows and cinders still look as fresh and rugged as the day they formed. I posted some of my favorite shots below. I loved all the trees the area had and just the scenery in general. It’s so different to what I’m used to in Oregon. Everything is so dead, but at the same time, there’s tons of life amongst all the death. It’s crazy to think that this once was a mountain area full of trees and life, now there’s just tons of cinders and ash.
So yesterday Kyle and I ended up taking a trip to Walnut Canyon National Monument. It was pretty amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it before. The scenery is so different from Oregon. Everything is so red, brown, and desert like. At this specific monument, there are intact cliff dwellings. It’s so mind blowing to see walls and rooms of homes that the natives lived in. It’s so astonishing to see how inventive and innovative these early people were with the little resources they had. Some of my favorite pictures of the day, I have added below. Enjoy – soon more will be posted from the rest of my trip here at Flag.
Burgerville is supporting more then local farms!
On Tuesday, May 4th, if you stop by the Burgerville on the corner of Walker Rd. and NW 185th Ave. between 5 – 9 p.m., 10% of all sales will be donated to the Westport Church’s Haiti Missions Team.
Come and join them for food and fun, and help support a great cause.
Not sure if most of you know, but for those that don’t and those that do should know that schools throughout the nation are in a world of hurt! Programs are being cut and those that remain have virtually no budgets. My friend Amanda works at Mt. View Middle School’s Library and they have been given a great fund-raising opportunity. I would love to encourage you to participate, you don’t have to, but why not help out one of our local community schools. This opportunity will be an ongoing…so think about it.
Big Noodle Books has offered this program to Mt. View Middle School as well as many other schools. Click here to link directly to help support Mt. View Middle School. Here you can search for and order virtually any book you might be interested in. Shipping is $4 per order, whether you order 1 or 100 books! Mt. View will receive 5% of all book sales through this link (the link provided above) and will receive 20% on featured book fair weeks! The next book fair will take place June 14-20th. Additional Book Fairs are being considered for mid September, early December, and early March of 2011.
Prices are fairly comparable, and if you feel inclined to buy books online and are willing to do so from somewhere other than Amazon, then I would highly recommend following this link! Mt. View will greatly benefit from any proceeds. Come and support your community. Thanks for your consideration in this!
Do you ever feel like you just can’t take it anymore? That this life that you are living is just to overwhelming. That you can’t take it and everything is too heavy and just weighing you down. This seems to be, for the lack of better terms, the “funk” that I’m in right now. The last couple of weeks has been me trying to stay above the water. I feel like I am sinking. Every time I get above the surface, I get sucked back down and I sink twice as far below. I’ve been listening to Flyleaf a lot lately. During work, at home, and so on. There’s one particular song that I’ve been listening to, called “I’m So Sick.” In the song Lacey sings the following lyrics: I will break into your thoughts, with what’s written on my heart. I will break, break. I’m so sick, infected with where I live. Let me live without this empty bliss, selfishness. I’m so sick. If you want more of this we can push out, sell out, die out. So you’ll shut up and stay sleeping with my screaming in your itching ears. Here it, I’m screaming it. You’re heeding to it now. Hear it! I’m screaming it! You tremble at this sound. You sink into my clothes and this invasion makes me feel worthless, hopeless, sick. I’m so sick! — This song just really encompasses the way that I’ve been feeling lately. I so sick of myself, the things that I keep on doing, and the way that people make me feel. I am sick of myself and my ways. I need God so desperately. I need him to invade my life and take over. I’m hopeless and worthless without Him. I’m ready to just let Him in and have lose. But at the same time, the thought scares me. I’m a control freak, I don’t like not knowing what’s going to happen and not having control of my life. Unfortunately, this is the only and best way. Who’s hands is it better to have your life in, then His. Anyway, in the mist of this funk, I went over to the library, and found a tunnel that goes to the other side of the road from the park. Here’s an image of what I captured:
After looking at the photo, it completely reminded how things can seem so bad and you can feel like there’s no hope, but when it really comes down to it, the Lord is always there waiting at the edge of the darkness waiting to bring you out of whatever you are dealing with. Thank God for that, I don’t know what I would do without his love and grace. I am so unworthy, but for some reason he still loves me.
So a couple of months ago, we came across an awesome spot out by the airport. If you walk down far enough, you can actually get the Columbia River and Mt. Hood all in one shot. It’s a cool little park that has water access and a beach. We were just scoping out the place, walked along the water and I took a couple of shots. They ended up turning out all right and I posted them below. We’ll definitely have to go back some time soon and take some photos either early in the morning or in the evening as the sun is setting.
So yesterday, Sean and I went on a little photo adventure in Hillsboro and came across this awesome old school Ford truck, which was parked near the the gravel road we were driving along. We had to get out and take a couple of shots, it was just to freak’n rad to pass up. If you get a moment, don’t forget to stop by Sean’s Musings to check out the awesome pictures he shot. Sean’s a good friend of mine, and he’s become quite the amazing photographer, but he’s too humble to admit it. Any who, below I’ve attached a few other pictures from our little Sunday afternoon photo adventure.
Here’s the rad Ford pickup that we found. I can’t wait to go back when I have a little more time and see what other cool items we can find.
Nice little profile shot of my good friend Sean.
This one is interesting, I love the detail in the stone, but it’s not all over, it’s only in the lower middle portion of the picture.
It never ceases to amaze me how the simplest of things, like wheat grass and a small stream, can be so unique and beautiful.
