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A Johnson Canyon Journal
Our home in Johnson Canyon, outside Kanab, Utah
One of my favorite books as a child was “We were there with Charles Darwin on the HMS Beagle” by Philip Eiseberg. I had never heard of Darwin, and did not associate him with evolution. Instead, I was captivated with the idea of being a naturalist, someone who studied everything in science. I think that I was the only one who ever checked that book out of our school library, but by the 7th grade, I had checked it out over thirty times. Now I have my own copy, and still reread it.
I still like the idea of being a naturalist and learning about everything around me. With this journal, I invite you to follow along on my journey to learn about our beautiful canyon.
Our neighbor Mitch offered to take me a few miles north of the canyon to photograph the mule deer as they start to move southward. I'll get to see them later (in our yard), but seeing them now is special for several reasons... . . . Continue Reading
This time of year, our garden looks like a mess. There are still plenty of flowers, but they are surrounded by tall grass and "weeds" that most people would remove. We don't mind the cluttered look because those "weeds" attract a wide variety of wildlife. Many of the weeds are native plants that like the extra water and nutrients, and while most people consider them weeds, we enjoy their flowers as well as the animals they bring to our yard.. . . . Continue Reading
My study of SW Utah’s native bees began with our local geology. While hiking in the canyon, I noticed several places where the sandstone that makes up the cliffs had large patches of branching, interconnected holes. My first thought was that they might be fossils, either from ancient burrows or from plant roots, but researching trace fossils in the Navajo Sandstone did not show anything that resembled what I was seeing. . . . Continue Reading
One of the interesting things that I have learned about our home in Johnson Canyon is that we live almost directly on top of an active fault zone. While there have not been any detectable earthquakes in the 5 years we have been here, there is always the chance that one will happen. As soon as I heard about the Johnson Canyon Fault Zone, I began researching, and trying to find signs of the faults. At first, I did not see them, until my mind adjusted for what I was seeing. I am used to looking at faults from the side, where you can easily see both sides of the fault.. . . . Continue Reading
