Monday, October 5, 2009

It was a long drive from Arches to Bryce Canyon. I must have stopped a dozen times to photograph some new rock formation or scenic vista. It is hard to travel through such a diverse and beautiful landscape when you are a photographer and a wilderness enthusiast. Every bend in the road presents you with some new opportunity to explore or climb or photograph.



I was honestly relieved when I arrived at Bryce Canyon National Park. I had been traveling all day and I was exhausted. I was also beginning to become a little stressed about fund raising for my mission to Costa Rica which begins in November. I absolutely hate fund raising. It is not so much an issue of receiving money from people. That does not bother me. It is really an issue of not liking to ask and ask repeatedly for people to give you money when they already have other financial responsibilities. This just really stresses me out for some reason.

Luckily the L-rd saw it fit to give me a little rest and relaxation at Bryce Canyon in the form of star gazing. After a wonderful video/ interpretive program on the constellations and Native American mythology, we were invited to go behind the visitors’ center to see the stars through a number of very large telescopes.

Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy, and we were only able to see a couple of constellations, but we were able to see one thing of great interest. We got such a close up view of Jupiter that we could see 4 of its moons as well as the dark bands that encircle it.

Later that night, or really the next morning, I awoke in the back of my truck to see a beautiful night sky filled with stars, which are especially bright in Bryce Canyon. Apparently, the plateau surrounding the canyon is supposed to offer the best view of the stars of all of the National Parks, with the exception of Death Valley.

The heavens declare his glory!

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