The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. It attracts nearly 4 million people each year. The Grand Canyon National Park encompassed 1,218,375 acres on the Colorado Plateau in northwestern Arizona. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles wide and 5000 feet deep.

In the Grand Canyon, the Colorado River has cut through the accumulated layers of the earth's surface to reach what Norman MacLean dubbed "the basement of time." A billion years of history can be seen from the bedrock at the distant river's edge to fossilized sand dunes only a million years old at the rim. Some of the earth's oldest rock lies at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The rock is made up of sediments thousands of feed deep. About 300 million years after it formed, monumental geologic forces lifted the rock back up into a great range of mountains that may have been six miles high, or about the height of the Himalayas. Over time, the mountains eroded into a plain. About one billion years ago, that plain was raised into a second mountain range. These mountains were also worn away by millions of years of rain, wind and frost.During later ages, the entire region sank beneath an inland sea, with primitive shellfish fossilizing in sea bottoms that eventually hardened to shale. Eons later, the region rose again as a high plateau; the former sea bottom was now on top and the ancient rocks below. This is when the Colorado River went to work, first cutting into the upper layers about six million years ago. Carving inch by inch over the millennia, the river finally reached the oldest rocks nearly a mile below the surface.

Over 1,500 plant, 355 bird, 89 mammalian, 47 reptile, 9 amphibian, and 17 fish species are found in the park. Since the entire canyon has little soil there is very little vegetation is seen except on parts of the rims. The northern rim is partly forested with evergreens. In the depths of the valley very little grows except desert plants and Spanish bayonet.

If you have not yet visited the Grand Canyon, you need to add it to the top of your list of places to see. It is so beautiful with amazing views all around. It will leave you breathless.

There's a cow outside!

I loved that movie Barnyard. It was so hilarious, expecially the part where the woman says to her husband, "There's a cow outside." and he replies, "This is a cow farm, you're gonna find cows outside." Everytime I hear that line I just crack up.

Well there is a story I read this morning about a woman in Boulder, Colorado was riding her bicycle on the South Boulder Creek Trail and stopped to let a cow cross. Well I guess the cow did not want to cross or did not want her there because instead of him crossing and going on with his business, he knocked the woman off her bike and stepped on her legs. That was not too friendly of him. Luckily, the woman was not seriously hurt and think of the story she can tell her grandkids. It is not funny really but it really is an odd thing to hear about.

Ski resorts in Connecticut

This is the time of year that is perfect for skiing. I think skiing is one of those things that you will either love or hate, there is no in between. We went once back in 2000 at some ski resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a lot of fun although we were just sliding on our skis all over the place instead of actually skiing. It is difficult to stay up on your skis. Because it was so cold outside, we rented the snow suits and we actually got hot in them.

There are so many ski resorts to go to. There are four here in Connecticut. Click on the name of the resort to go directly to their website.

1. Mohawk Mountain
Snow resort located in Cornwall, Connecticut. Features 2 dozen ski and snowboard trails.

2. Mount Southington
Ski and snowboarding near Hartford, Connecticut.

3. Ski Sundown
Located 2 miles northeast of New Hartford, Connecticut.

4. Woodbury Ski Area
Ski center in Woodbury, Connecticut.

I would recommend everyone at least trying it once. And if it is impossible for you to do, you will have fun trying.