Holy Sombrero, Batman!

May 24, 2020May 24, 2020Leave a comment

Sombrero – That is a Mexican Hat! And, so tonight’s vicarious road trip through the daylilies takes us to Mexica Hat, UT.

We camped near here last summer at a place called Sand Island Petroglyphs. The Mexican Hat is just a few miles from there – Iconic Utah.

It was hot, early July. We got up early and did whatever hiking we were going to do for the day and then drove in AC the rest of the time. Having dogs on a road trip is a little like Corona virus in that you get your food to go and eat in the car with the AC rolling.

Kachina, Sazi and Maizzy at Monument Valley, UT

Bears Ears National Monument is in the area – Mexican Hat use to be part of that system.

Other favorite stops in the area are Goosenecks State Park and Moki Dugway. “Mokee” is derived from the Spanish “Moqui” meaning “small people” which referred to the Native American cultures (Navajo, Zuni, Hopi). I am naming my next dog Moki. Goes well with Sazi Ana and Kachina.

The Bears Ears themselves are cool to see – which can be done from the top of Moki Dugway and down the road a bit.

Then, there is Natural Bridges National Monument.

So, Holy Sombrero is a big, yellow daylily that I got as a bonus after ordering a bunch of Southwest named daylilies. I guess the hybridizer knew what I was doing with my garden.

The cultivator has bloomed every year without fail. Interestingly enough, it hit peak bloom when we were visiting Mexican Hat last summer. It is suppose to be taller than it is, so I have to dig in the tall daylilies to find it.

A few more scapes today. It is another drought this year and my water bill will show it soon. Hopefully the monsoons kick in. Half the year, I live outside in my yard or on a road trip. The other half, I spend doing warm things inside – well, I hike but not during the coldest days. I am so glad it is spring . . . almost summer.

Anasazi: My Daylilies in Ruins

May 16, 2020May 16, 2020Leave a comment

Anasazi is a Navajo word meaning “enemy ancestors” – but today we equate the word with the Ancient Pueblo people of the Southwest. This week, I talked about Chaco Canyon, which was the center of the population – like our New York. If there was a pandemic, it would likely center at Chaco. But, I have visited so many Ancient Pueblo ruins on my trips that it is mind boggling. Here are some favorites:

Maybe we should start at the center: Chaco Canyon, NM – The Center of the Universe!

Chaco Canyon – 2014

Chaco Canyon has outlying ruins that are miles and miles away – We have visited the two directly to the north – Salmon and Aztec Ruins National Monument near Farmington, NM.

Salmon Ruins – 2016

Aztec Ruins – 2016

One of the most interesting of the Chacoan Outliers is Chimney Rock near Durango, CO. My heavens, I had the worst vertigo when we camped there in 2009. This is the highest of all the Chacoan Ruins and they think it was used to send smoke signals to the other sites! It was beautiful and rainy on the day I visited.

Chimney Rock – 2009

Of course, not too far west of Chimney Rock is the famous Mesa Verde National Park. I started fostering my little disabled dog the same weekend we visited Mesa Verde. She was Dotsie in her past life, and I was trying to think of a name that rhymed, so she is Sazi Ana.

Mesa Verde – 2017

Not to talk politics (save me from that during this pandemic!), but White House Ruins at Canyon de Chelly, AZ is also part of the the system. I miss this canyon.

White House Ruins, Canyon de Chelly – 2018

Lowry Pueblo is a very interesting outlier not too far from my home. I love this one because you have to drive through rural farm land to reach the site. I love the figurines in the kiva – they represent summer and winter people.

Lowry Pueblo – 2019

Then, let’s zoom up to Utah to Edges of the Cedars State Park, where there is another Chacoan outlier. They had a crazy large geographic area for that time in civilization.

Edges of the Cedars State Park, UT – 2019

There were other Ancestral Puebloan ruins that are not direct Chaco outliers, like the ruins at Petrified Forest National Park. I love the Agate House – a ruin made of petrified wood!

Agate House, Petrified Forest National Park – 2018

And, Navajo National Monument has Betatakin and other Ancient Pueblo ruins.

Navajo National Monument – 2016

My old favorite, Hovenweep National Monument, has awesome Ancient Pueblo castle ruins.

Hovenweep National Monument – 2019

Some lesser known Ancient Pueblo Ruins we have visited include Five Kiva Pueblo near Blanding, UT.

Five Kiva Pueblo, UT – 2019

And, Yucca House National Monument near Cortez, CO.

Yucca House National Monument – 2019

I think the furthest one from the Four Corners is at Anasazi State Park in Utah – way up in the mountains near Boulder, UT.

Anasazi State Park, UT – 2019

That is a lot of ruins for one daylily. And, that Daylily is Anasazi. How on earth could I resist a name like this one? She was a bitty fan when I first got her – took her a few years to bloom. But, the first year she bloomed, she threw a double. It was memorizing.

Anasazi daylily double bloom – 2017

She usually blooms fairly early, but is a rebloomer.

Anasazi daylily – 2018

She looks a bit slow to take-off this spring. I probably should refresh her soil – the ants like her pot so I probably should take a look at the roots.

Anasazi daylily – 2019

I have other cultivators that would fit with this blog, but I will wait because I am trying to savor the vicarious daylily road trip for a couple more weeks.

Daylilies for the Navajo Nation

May 10, 2020May 10, 2020Leave a comment

Today, it struck me that no series of blogs about the Southwest during Coronavirus would be complete without a mention of the Navajo. I love the Navajo culture – it makes my trips to the Southwest take on a cultural feel that is humbling. I have so much to be grateful for in life. And, I do envy their sense of family and community.

I was wondering if we could trace the boundaries of the Navajo Nation from various road trips. So, last year, we traced the New Mexico side starting at the Shiprock and down through the Bisti Badlands.

Shiprock Flea Market – 2019 road trip

Bisti Badlands – 2019 road trip

If we were to have headed due east after the Bisti Badlands the way the crow flies, would would trace the Navajo Nation boundary to Window Rock (the capitol of the Navajo Nation) and Fort Defiance. These are absolutely some of my favorite stops in Navajoland. I like to spend the night in Window Rock so I can spend the whole day taking in the scenery.

Window Rock, AZ – 2018 Road Trip

Near Fort Defiance – 2018 Road Trip

Then we would turn due south – if we were tracing the boundary. That would take us just south of Route 66.

Route 66 Arizona – 2014 Road Trip

And, then we trace west to the Northern Border of the Painted Desert at Petrified Forest National Park.

Painted Desert – 2018 Road Trip

From there, you head due west, almost to Flagstaff. Then it is a turn to the North through Cameron up to Page – just east of the Grand Canyon.

Eastern Grand Canyon – 2015 Road Trip

You end up almost to Utah, at Page, AZ. That was a strange stop the year we went because they weren’t on rez time, even though everything surrounding the city was an hour later. We visited the famous Horse Shoe Bend near Page.

Horse Shoe Bend – 2015 Road Trip

Then, you are up in Utah at the Glen Canyon Dam area – a favorite stop on our road trips!

Glen Canyon – 2015 Road Trip

Mexican Hat – 2019 Summer Camping Road Trip

Then, it is pretty much due east to Mexican Hat, UT. Very iconic Utah.

Bluff Utah – 2019 Summer Camping Road Trip

And then a bit further to Bluff, UT – we camped here last summer. It was a fun (but hot) spot to explore.

We approach home as we get to Hovenweep National Monument on the Colorado Border – this is absolutely a favorite spot and a place I plan to go camping as soon as we can travel more than 10 miles, again.

Hovenweep National Monument – 2019 Summer Camping Road Trip

From there, the boundary heads South to Teec Nos Pos, AZ. They have a great trading post there.

Teec Nos Pos – Fall Break Four Corners Trip 2015

And, we are almost back to Shiprock, where we started. I wish I could end the story here, but there are a few other favorite places that are internal to the Navajo Nation that we must visit. First, the infamous Monument Valley. This is just south of the Mexican Hat.

Monument Valley – 2019 Summer Camping Road Trip

And, Navajo National Monument has great free camping and some very spiritual ruins.

Navajo National Monument – 2016 Utah Graduation Camping Trip

The other route we frequent is 191 South – This is a good route to the Senora through the Four Corners area. I absolutely love Canyon de Chelly – it has the best red rock of any canyon I have visited.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument – 2017 Road Trip

With a stop at the Hubbell Trading Post on the way to Petrified Forest.

Hubbell Trading Post – 2017 Road Trip

Sadly, Coronavirus has hit the Navajo Nation hard. As of tonight (5/9) they have nearly 3,000 cases and nearly 100 deaths. So, this blog is my tribute to this nation that is feeling the grip of COVID-19.

OK, back to the daylily blog. Here are my Navajo named daylilies. (I have a few, I wonder why?)

Navajo Blanket Daylily – 2019

Navajo Curls Daylily – 2019

Navajo Grey Hills Daylily – 2019

Navajo Rodeo Daylily – 2019

With this, I live vicariously through my daylilies while I stay safe at home. It is not the time to travel to Navajoland – but my heart goes there often. Now, I think of the reservation. I think of the poverty and the hardship that these people know. They lived a less hurried life, they honor their ancestors. I learn so much from my visits. With this, I send heartfelt thoughts of hope and healing to this spiritual land.

PS – This was fun, although a bit time consuming – I never really thought about tracing the border of the Navajo Nation through my trip photos.

Vaca Day Lilies

July 6, 2019Leave a comment

Today, we started our weeklong camping road trip through southern Utah. So, I’ll miss 5 days of blooms. But, I think there will be plenty left when I return next week.

Premieres:

Prairie Blue Eyes 7/5

Cheyenne Eyes 7/5

Papa Long Legs 7/5

Treasure of the Southwest 7/5

Reruns:

Indian Love Call 7/5

Petite Petticoats 7/5

Yellow Punch 7/5

Saratoga Springtime 7/5

Yellow Stella 7/5

Echo Canyon 7/5

Purple Many Faces 7/5

Mesa Verde 7/5

The Colorado Kid 7/5

Finales: While Dream Keeper has a few buds left (my first bloom this season), she will likely be done before I get home.

Dream Keeper 7/5

Indian Sky

July 22, 2017July 22, 20171 Comment

Indian skies remind me of camping trips to the Southwest. And, today, my Indian Sky bloomed for the first time. Well, second time. But the first time it was still on the back porch for the winter and it was April. It only had 2 buds then, and the blooms lasted 2-3 days on the cool porch. They were faded, but I could see the shadow of what they would be someday.

Today’s bloom was so much more colorful than that poor anemic bloom.

But, still some difference from the more colorful (with yellow) web images. See below.

I loved the colors enough to superimpose Indian Sky a sunset from last summer near Monument Valley, UT/AZ. I think it turned out cool.

Other first blooms (I don’t want to use them all up at once, but I had 3 today) included Best Seller. I am so jazzed that this one finally bloomed . . . a gift plant the summer of 2014, I believe. I like the purple hue and ruffles! I was so impressed with this one when it arrived – it’s been a long wait.

Lastly, an inexpensive late bloomer that I got to put in last year, Little Cadet. It is the first bloom in my yard. It is a cute little thing, and the scapes are too short this year. But, it is here.

Honorable mention to my best (and last) Zuni Thunderbird for the season.

After work, I ventured to Home Depot for supplies to start my daylily buried pot project. I figured out that I have lost 1.5 daylilies in the front part of the walkway garden to competition. So, tomorrow, I move the ones who have virtually no chance of blooming this year into pots – then back in that garden. I feel overwhelmed – I have around 20-30 in the front area that may benefit from a pot. I need to plug away at it, because I need to be done in about 6 weeks so they can resettle before freeze.

I have decided that I need to learn how to get daylilies to flourish in the desert before I get too many more new ones . . . and that means trying different things. I read somewhere recently that you should put your daylily where it can grow huge before putting it in less desirable places. My potted daylilies are so much happier than my in-grounds for the most part. I am curious to see what happens. Oh, and then there are those who need to be divided. Some, I’ll keep. Others will need to find new homes.

Colorado Kid Daylilies

A Blog About My Western Colorado Daylily Adventure

Tag: Utah