Dedge and I hired a Kia Sportage 4WD to drive into the Valley of the Cathedrals to spend a night under the stars and see the amazing rock formations. The rental was expensive ($120++), annoying (it had to be detailed before returning it, no later than 24 h after taking it) and unnecessary. The dirt road to this section of the park is in far better condition that most of Michigan. In any case I was determined to get my money out of it. . .and I may have broken several land-speed records on a 4WD track in the process. The gutless little Sportage sure was fun going over bumps and dips at 40+ mph! 6 h to do the whole scenic loop?! Try 1.5 h.

My original plan was to do a 5-day walk in Kings Canyon NP with Dedge but because the road was closing for Winter we couldn’t get permits. Our second choice was to see the Racetrack in Death Valley, but that seemed to be a suicide mission in my sedan. So with no clear plan we drove towards Utah, where uncrowded parks are open year round.

I drove around the lovely wine valleys and the East Bay to pick Dedge up at a BART train station. For 15 min we texted back and forth to find one another but my GPS sent me to the wrong side of the interstate. I’d have known immediately that I was parked in front of a different station if the bloody building had any signage whatsoever aside from “BART.”

Dad, Puddles and I carried on from Utah on the I-15 to Las Vegas. In the Northwestern corner of Arizona the Virgin River has carved out a spectacular canyon. The highway twists and turns between towering cliffs of stunning colours. I find it amazing that what is now a babbling creek was once powerful enough to gouge such a vast scar in the earth. It was like driving into the Grand Canyon, only prettier.

I have to say that Dad and I didn’t find Yellowstone as impressive as expected. Sure, it has amazing geology, stunning colours and loads of wildlife, but most of what you see between Pretty Spot A and Hot Spring B is not that spectacular. The road to Grand Tenton NP, however, was a whole other story. The glaciated peaks, pristine lakes and deciduous trees showing their best autumn carotenoids made for an incredible half hour.

The drive to Yellowstone was long and hot, but stunning. We entered the park as the sun set and had a nerve-racking drive in the park for 2 hours until we reached Madison Campground. We passed a herd of bison on the road and one suicidal elk that could have easily given our car a run for its money.

A little more than a month ago Dad, Puddles and I embarked on another adventure to California. This year we left early in McIntyre time. . .3 days, 3 hours and 41 minutes behind schedule, to be exact. However, I forgot my tripod (gasp!) and about a third of all the food I went to so much trouble dehydrating, but I guess that's what happens when you rush.

Last Thanksgiving weekend my Mom took my Dad, my brother and I for a ride in the Seminole. We flew from YKF to YTZ and back again, crossing over the Niagara escarpment and following the lake shore.

My boss fosters kittens for the OSPCA and recently I went over to get my fill of cute. At first they were shy and didn’t want their photo taken...

Last week I received a message from my friend, Michael, whom I haven’t spoken to or heard from in a very long time (yes Michael, this is your guilt trip for the day). It got me thinking about when we first met in Melbourne and all the photos I took but never bothered to process.

Last month I had a stall at the Oxford Summer Arts Festival, held at the Elm Hurst Inn. The show was a great way for me to get my name out, show off my passion, talk to other local artists about their passions and convince total strangers to get out and explore this lovely planet. I also made a bit of money selling prints, cards and books. So thanks to the owner of The Parlour for lending me everything for the show and to everyone that came out to support my habit!

Come to the Elm Hurst Inn this Sunday between 11 am and 5 pm for Southwestern Ontario's largest art show and sale! Admission is FREE and I will have a booth on the front lawn displaying all my best prints, framed work, cards and books.