The Wildflowers are Dancin'

High above the Salt Lake Valley  

in the heart of the Wasatch Mountains,

lies the Albion Basin.

And at the top of this glacially-carved canyon   

 is surely one of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

At least I think so.

Sunrise in the Meadow

 

And though it may be Summer down here in the valley,

up there, 

Spring has just begun...

and the WILDFLOWERS are dancin'! 

 It's their annual ritual

 once Winter's deep blanket of snow 

has finally melted. 

And it's our family's annual ritual 

to hike this glorious mountain 

to enjoy the bounteous splendor.

 We are never disappointed.

  This garden is tended by 

the MASTER GARDENER.

And we are mere visitors 

to His magnificent creations. 

Here birds and bees and butterflies reside 

to frolic freely through the blooms.

 While we feel reverence 

that lifts our souls

as we watch the dance.

A sweet reminder there are still places 

of great beauty and peace 

left on this earth.

 Hallelujah!

 Our Albion Basin Hike 2013 

was enjoyed with our eldest daughter's family.  

Life is just more fun when grandkiddos are on the trail.

 To view our Albion Basin Hike 2012 follow the link below.
More beautiful pics and a couple of surprise visitors.

 A Touch of the Divine

All content created by Carolyn Bush | Copyright © 2010 - 2013 

All Rights Reserved | This Grandmother's Garden

Highland, Utah, USA

August "Walk in the Garden" Challenge: A Touch of the Divine

Nature always plants 

the most beautiful gardens.

The perfect composition of harmony and rhythm...

to inspire our soul.

The Albion Basin, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah

 

A tradition our family looks forward to every year 
is our hike high in the Wasatch Mountains above Salt Lake City...

about an hour from our home.

The window to go is just a few weeks, 

as the snow leaves late and always comes early 

in these Alpine meadows, elevation 9,500 feet.

Where the Fairies Live

And of course, the best time to go is early in the morning, 
when the morning light 
just begins to brighten the sky.

Magic Hour in the Albion Basin

Our family calls it "the magic hour".

But you'll just have to experience it to know why...

mere words cannot begin to describe.

Around each corner of the trail is a new scene 

begging to be captured by my camera...

a photographer's delight!

Divine designs of stone and blossoms please the eye...

and captivate the lens...

as Wildflowers find fertile soil 

in walls of rock and crevice of stone.

Our hearts race as we're greeted by the local residents.
They seem to ignore us but wisdom tells us 
they may turn and charge at a whim.

Mamma Moose and Baby

Mindful that this is their home, 

we tread lightly 
and oh so cautiously.

We waited patiently for them to clear the trail.

Other residents seemed to be less aware of our presence,

though we were quite intrigued with theirs...

Why do these butterflies rest along the path?

This was a most common sight as we hiked the trail.

We came to the conclusion 

that they must be warming their tiny bodies 

in the heat reflected from the soil.

We made a few more discoveries...

the higher elevations meadows were filled with shades 

of blue and pinks.

Tickled Pink

While the lower portion of the trail

was scattered with blossoms of orange.

Brilliant!

The variety was alluring.

Lake Catherine

A Crown of Jewels lay at the end of the trail...

a beautiful mountain lake.

We hiked down to touch the water, 
but this is where we came upon the Mamma Moose and her baby. 

Just realized we never did touch the water...

the moose stole the show.

Next year.

♦   ♦   ♦

What have you discovered in your walk in the gardens? 

Perhaps you have a favorite Summer spot to hike.

Giving It My BEST Shot

          The thrill of the PERFECT image!
                                                            By my own standards of course.

Bird Seed

More Please

I've never really considered myself a

PHOTOGRAPHER

rather, I'm just

a PICTURE TAKER

Field of Dreams... Wildflowers!

Ohhh... but I do love the thrill of capturing an image!

Up Close and Personal... Splitleaf Indian Paintbrush

Mountain Meadow Splendor

And after months of sitting on the sidelines
cheering everyone else on...

I'm finally going to give it my BEST shot.

♦♦♦

I'm entering the GGW Picture This Photo Contest.

I've chosen as my "first ever" entry 
in a photo contest...

Alpine Meadow in September

       
       The theme is Fill the Frame.
    
      Wish me luck!


           For a slide show of all the picks in my post, 
           simply click on one of the images.

               BTW...

               Are you still walking?

                Don't forget my Autumn Walk Challenge

               It's not too late to enter!