What Remains?

January 1, 2019January 3, 2019 ~ JoHanna Massey

After you have exhausted what there is
In business, politics, conviviality, and so on
Have found that none of these finally satisfy,
Or permanently wear
What remains? Nature remains.
Walt Whitman- Song of Myself

Sedona Arizona -2019- JoHanna Massey

Early Morning- JoHanna Massey

Photo: JoHanna Massey

Photo: Sedona Arizona 2019

Photo: JoHanna Massey 2019

“She guards the Canyon, blesses the visitors and reassures those familiar, knows all that has happened and will knows what will come.”- Sedona Arizona January 2019

Deadman's Pass- Boynton Canyon Sedona Arizona 2019

Deadman’s Pass in Boynton Canyon, Sedona Arizona is quiet in the morning. A walk-a-bout more than a hike, a connecting path between Boynton Canyon and Long Canyon. Good to be out in the clean clear air while frost is on the thick stands of manzanita and the deer and birds show themselves.

Photo: JoHanna Massey January 2019

Hot Loop Trail- Village of Oak Creek Sedona Arizona Photo: JoHanna Massey

Photo: JoHanna Massey January 2019

Hot Loop Trail- Village of Oak Creek Sedona Arizona Photo: JoHanna Massey

Hot Loop Trail, located off Jacks Canyon Road in the Village of Oak Creek, Sedona Arizona is a favorite. Sharing A Hike On Hot Loop While Old provides an appreciation, such gratitude on still having the strength, agility, and wits about me to make the thousand foot climb upward to views that are stand up straight shoulder squaring. No other hikers but us the entire trek, which is excellent, considering the heavy density of use on so many of Sedona’s trails. The peace, quiet, and bird song, as well as that physical workout deeply energize. An ace choice of hiking trails for the New Year of 2019.

Coffee pot Rock Sedona Arizona January 2019

Carroll Canyon, Old Post, and the Ridge Trails are very much ‘in town’, neighborhood trails. Quick access to outdoors whether on a lunch break from employment at a close by coffee shop, a break for a take away slice or tamale picnic in a day of errands, or out for establishing that exercise every morning routine. There is activity here. Noise from the sky from the tourist helicopter tours taking off and landing from nearby Sedona Airport, mountain bike enthusiasts enjoy these trails for their proximity to bike rentals, but then there will be a stretch of quiet time, red rock beauties, solitude, and flowers blooming in winter, or a red tailed hawk swooping deep through Carroll Canyon to surprise and delight and elude the camera lens.

Mescal Trail- Sedona Arizona 2019-1 JoHanna Massey

Mescal Trail Sedona Arizona 2019- JoHanna Massey

Mescal Trail Sedona Arizona January 2019- JoHanna Massey

The holidays over, the family and friends returned home or traveled on, decorations packed away and fond memories held onto. To Mescal Trail one of the most beautiful areas in Sedona, and one we enjoy in the winter. There was an observation made over the holidays that my website often made it seem as though we were the only ones out hiking in Sedona and that their recent traffic jammed up tight experiences between the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona said otherwise. It was an accurate observation.

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The slideshow above is a sample of what ‘peopling’ a Sedona Arizona photo essay looks look like. A visual ‘loved to death’ scenario unfolding all around Mescal Trail and much of the area this week as thousands of tourists finish off 2018 in Sedona Arizona. Clearly we are not the only ones who have chosen to welcome the New Year with being out in nature.

My personal New Years Resolution is to spend as many days as possible outside in nature. These three beautiful hiking trails and a walk about recently have reinforced to me that I have made a most excellent choice, a totally enjoyable commitment for 2019.

Thank you for visiting. All my best to each and every one of you for this New Year of 2019.

Comments Closed

Would You.. Could You.. Hike A Thousand Miles?

May 28, 2018May 29, 2018 ~ JoHanna Massey

“The Mountains Are Calling

And I must Go.”

John Muir

Curt Mekemson has just left on a thousand mile chunk of a hike that begins in Ashland Oregon, travels south to Mount Whitney, through Siskiyou, Marble, and Sierra Nevada Mountains.This is quite the hike, through some of the most beautiful places in America. Places most people, Americans too, never will see. Curt Mekemson is an excellent nature writer, with an eye for detail and a way with words that could convince anyone to go outside to play, to explore, to see the beauty of it all.

Author of The Bush Devil Ate Sam, I first came across a batch of stunning photos, the Burning Man Collection, and have been enjoying Curt’s writings, adventures, and photography since. His insatiable curiosity for exploring the planet is matched by his wife Peggy, who sharing his wanderlust, high spirits and a fine camera eye of her own, …makes their website Wandering Through Time and Place one of the best and most interesting websites to savor and enjoy. A fellow WordPress Blogger, Curt has in turn been a real source of inspiration, support, and contributor of smart comments for my own, JoHannaMassey.com for several years now.

When it comes to backpacking, Curt Mekemson speaks with experience on provisioning, food considerations, resupply points, and permits that all need to be planned out and reviewed when undertaking a big or small adventure. Whether a novice backpacker, a seasoned explorer, or someone wanting to see/learn of the back country of America in almost real time, here’s your invitation:

I’m inviting everyone to join me, tell all your friends and family, co workers, neighbors, and acquaintances too. This is a real big deal hike and I am thrilled for my friend. Let’s tag along this next three months with Curt Mekemson’s Hike of One Thousand miles. I just think it would be so cool, if a million people worldwide, but especially the WordPress bloggers followed along with Curt Mekemson’s One Thousand Mile Hike.

No matter how huge our numbers swell to, how gaily and daily we tramp along with Curt, via WordPress, we will ‘leave no trace’ behind us, the lightness of Curt’s steps one for all and all for one!

All my best to each and everyone of you. See you along the trail!

With The Noise Of It

May 14, 2018May 14, 2018 ~ JoHanna Massey ~ 2 Comments

When the green woods laugh
With the voice of joy,
And the dimpling stream
Runs laughing by;
When the air does laugh
With our merry wit,
And the green hill laughs
With the noise of it.
William Blake

Beaver Creek - Verde Valley Arizona - Spring 2018 JoHanna Massey

Being near cold flowing water, with an overhang of trees is where I feel most whole and in grace. These strips of riparian paradise exist Worldwide, each unique and mesmerizing. No matter where we wander, there is a familiarity, recognition, and welcome in the rivers, streams, and creeks. Especially when shared, the truly best kind of days. Perhaps a past or future as fish. This stretch of Beaver Creek has been a favorite for twenty five and some years, and I am happy to provide you a look about with these photos as my submission for WordPress Photo Challenge theme of Place In The World.

Inspiration for this weeks Challenge – Erica V

For this week’s photo challenge, explore what it means to find your place in the world. Where’s your safe space? Where do you go when you need to feel inspired or cheered up? Let loose and give us a glimpse of who you are in the grand scheme of things.

All my best to Each and Everyone.

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Music: Pete Seegar Sail Up & Down The River

A Grand Gift Of Silence

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018 ~ JoHanna Massey ~ 35 Comments

“You have a grand gift for silence, Watson.
It makes you quite invaluable as a companion.”
Sherlock Holmes via Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

A recent day of shared silence… hiking the Little-Horse Trail #61 to Chicken Point in Sedona Arizona. A hike which I now share silently with you in Photographs:

Sedona Arizona,

Little Horse Trail Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna Massey

Littlehorse Trail #61- Sedona- JoHanna Massey

Little Horse Trail Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna Massey

Raven- Little Horse Trail- Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna Massey

Little Horse Trail #61 to Chicken Point- Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna Massey

Sedona Arizona, Chicken Point, Arizona, USA

Little Horse Trail #61 to Chicken Point- Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna Massey

Cypress Bark Little Horse Trail #61 to Chicken Point- Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna

Little Horse Trail #61 to Chicken Point- Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna

Little Horse Trail #61 to Chicken Point- Sedona Arizona -Photo: JoHanna Massey

In response to WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Silence

New Oxford American Dictionary-
Origins: Middle English: from Old French, from Latin silentium, from silere ‘be silent’. silence– | ˈsīləns | noun complete absence of sound: sirens pierce the silence of the night | an eerie silence descended over the house. • the fact or state of abstaining from speech: Karen had withdrawn into sullen silence | she was reduced to silence for a moment. • the avoidance of mentioning or discussing something: politicians keep their silence on the big questions. • the state of standing still and not speaking as a sign of respect for someone deceased or in an opportunity for prayer: a moment of silence presided over by a local minister.

verb [with object] cause to become silent; prohibit or prevent from speaking: the team’s performance silenced their critics | freedom of the press cannot be silenced by tanks. • (usually as adjective silenced) fit (a gun or other loud mechanism) with a silencer: a silenced .22 rifle.

PHRASES in silence without speech or other sound: we finished our meal in silence.

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A Safe and Peace-filled weekend to each and everyone.

News/Music: Simon & Garfunkel- Sounds of Silence

The United States Came To Us – Part One

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018 ~ JoHanna Massey ~ 15 Comments

“No Statue of Liberty
Ever greeted our arrival in this country…
We did not, in fact
Come to the United States at all.
The United States came to us.”
― Luis Valdez

A picnic packed, out the door jaunt of a day, that included Fort Verde State Historic Park. Promoted as ‘ the best preserved example of an Indian Wars period fort in Arizona.’

Fort Verde State Park, Camp Verde Arizona

The first surprise turned out to be that there is no fort.

A well maintained white picket fence marks the boundaries. According to one of the many information boards available during a self guided tour:

Building materials were a concern. Many forts were located in barren, treeless areas and building materials were in short supply. Whatever wood was available was needed in the construction of buildings.

The army was also concerned about Troop morale. Huddling behind a wall was not considered inspiring for the troops. One general in the Dakota Territory wrote, “It is better for troop morale to depend on vigilance and breech-loaders for protection than to hide behind palisades.

Fort Verde State Park, Camp Verde Arizona

The second surprise was just how interesting, firing of the imagination, the self guided tour was for me. There are engaging displays…with a balanced mix of artistic, artifact, photos, tools, correspondence, and time correct technologies accompanied by clear, easily understood explanations. Found myself drawn in, captured really, by the narrative of the military history of the Verde Valley area. The displays of these items, some familiar and others quite curiosities humanized for me the military personnel, miners, ranchers, and settlers involved. The collection of old photographs fill in the narratives well. How vastly different the concept of how to live in this area differed from the people already established here. Definitely suggest it as a place to visit if you are visiting Sedona, to take the young ones, and to take visitors who are visiting, if you already live locally.

Several original buildings are preserved, filled with period displays, enabling visitors to get a sense of what was necessary and valued by the soldiers and their families who lived there. Whether the guns at the ready beside thin blanketed cots, four to a room in the Bachelor Officers quarters:

Fort Verde State Park, Bachelor Officers Quarters -Camp Verde Arizona- Photo: JoHanna Massey

Or the separate quarters for the Commanding Officer and his family:

The Commander’s Wife’s Piano – Camp Verde State Park Arizona- Photo: JoHanna Massey

The Commander’s Wife – Camp Verde State Park Arizona- Photo: JoHanna Massey

The Commander’s Children

Fort Verde State Park, Camp Verde Arizona

The Commander’s Master Bedroom – Camp Verde State Park

Fort Verde State Park, Camp Verde Arizona

The ‘Striker’, an enlisted man whose responsibilities included the chores, laundry, cooking, and child care also lived in the Commander’s Quarters. This duty included better living quarters, and an extra $5.00 dollars a month salary, a substantial increase, bringing his monthly pay to $13.00.

There was also a Surgeons Quarters, where antiseptic procedures were new ideas under development, there were no antibiotics or vaccines, and amputation was the treatment of choice for many injuries and infections. Also an identical building to the Commanding Officer’s Quarters served as Married Officer’s Quarters, only with four families sharing the same space. At full function there were 22 buildings, the few remaining cared for and brimming over with history.

Part Two of the Fort Verde State Park Photo/Essay, arriving soon, will move to the original Military Headquarters

Original Adobe of Military Headquarters- Fort Verde State Park, Camp Verde Arizona

where I learned and will share with you, just why the U.S. Army, ….a maximum 306 enlisted men, 11 officers, 19 civilians, and 36 Apache Tribal Members acting as Scouts, came together here in the Verde Valley between 1871-1891.

An excellent day to one and all.

Here’s Where To Find Part Two

Nobody’s Kidding Nobody

October 29, 2017October 31, 2017 ~ JoHanna Massey ~ 6 Comments

Well the highway is alive tonight
But nobody’s kidding nobody about where it goes
I’m sitting down here in the campfire light
Searching for The Ghost of Tom Joad-
The Ghost of Tom Joad – Bruce Springsteen

Happy Halloween !

A safe a most excellent fun time to all.

In response to WordPress Photo Challenge: Rounded

Dreams and False Alarms

October 17, 2017 ~ JoHanna Massey ~ 15 Comments

“I pulled into the Cactus Tree Motel
To shower off the dust
And I slept on the strange pillows

Of my wanderlust
I dreamed of 747s
Over geometric farms
Dreams Amelia – dreams and false alarms.”

From Amelia- Joni Mitchell

Sunset- Arizona- JoHanna Massey

The high desert sky is big. I’ve seen it cower, awe, inspire, calm, humble, and straighten the shoulders on big guys and small children alike. These big skies will reveal when monsoon is coming, leaving, the heat is on, or off, snow is on the way, and which way the wind blows. When there are large fires in California, often enough smoke travels into Arizona, to add layers of colorful filtered light to the big sky sunset over the Mingus Mountains.

In all my years of observing this phenomenon, I admit to being startled by the massive scale of this color filled sunset. First time I have observed the entire big sky filled, and it’s message of just how large and deadly this last series of fires in California have been. The LA Times did a fine piece on where and how to help: How to Help Victims of Northern California Fires

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In response to WordPress Challenge- Scale

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New Oxford American Dictionary:

scale 3 |skāl| – 1 a graduated range of values forming a standard system for measuring or grading something: company employees have hit the top of their pay scales.• the full range of different levels of people or things, from lowest to highest: two men at opposite ends of the social scale.• a series of marks at regular intervals in a line used in measuring something: the mean delivery time is plotted against a scale on the right.• a device having a series of marks at regular intervals in a line used in measuring something: she read the exact distance off a scale.• a rule determining the distances between marks on a scale: the vertical axis is given on a logarithmic

scale.2 [in singular] the relative size or extent of something: no one foresaw the scale of the disaster | everything in the house is on a grand scale.• [often as modifier] a ratio of size in a map, model, drawing, or plan: a one-fifth scale model of a seven-story building | an Ordnance Survey map on a scale of 1:2500.• (in full scale of notation) Mathematics a system of numerical notation in which the value of a digit depends upon its position in the number, successive positions representing successive powers of a fixed base: the conversion of the number to the binary scale.

• Photography the range of exposures over which a photographic material will give an acceptable variation in density.

3 Music an arrangement of the notes in any system of music in ascending or descending order of pitch: the scale of C major.

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Happy Halloween !

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