The Rim of the Grand Canyon

This Series The Rim of the Grand Canyon

Canyons, Buttes, Red Rock of Sedona, Arizona : via Helicopter

North Sedona

We sailed on up to Grand Canyon the day after helicoptering over Sedona and visiting Meteor Crater, since they are all in the same area. The majestic Grand Canyon is always an awesome sight to behold and we were prepared this time.

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On the Rim

No Film?!

Last time we came up here we took a bunch of photos and had returned to Sedona only to discover there was no film in the camera. This time around I had a much better camera (Nikon D80) instead of some instamatic so I skulked around for pictures of local wildlife. Growing up in Hawaii we don't have things like chipmunks and squirrels in the backyard. We have wild chickens, loud-mouthed mynah birds, and mongooses crossing the road. So even though I've lived on the mainland for umpteen years, squirrels are still worthy of a photo.

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Ancient Carved Canyons

Token Lizard Photo

Western Swift with a blue belly, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Blue Belly, Hypnotized

And of course I couldn't forget to capture a local lizard for a close up. True to their names, Western Swift lizards are very fast but I got this guy pretty easily without hurting him. Most lizards enter a tranquil, hypnotic state if you flip them on their backs and rub their stomach gently. They’re probably playing dead. I wanted a picture of his bright blue belly, so it worked out well.

After his photo shoot I rolled him over and he stood statuesque for a moment assessing the situation. Then the dog sniffed and the swift vanished. bing!

Tags Walkabout, Valleys, Deserts, Parks