The Grandest of Canyons by Maeve

Our first view of the canyon.

We arrived at Grand Canyon just as the sun was setting. Mama says she still likes Bryce Canyon best of all, but I think Grand Canyon is tied (maybe it's because I got a huge cut when hiking at Bryce.) When we first walked up to the rim (the edge), I couldn't believe it!!! It is beautiful and jaw-dropping (that's my new favourite adjective.) 

Here is the bull elk. So close!

We didn't stay there long because we wanted to set up our tent and go for Mexican food. It was a quiet night but in the morning, there were bull elks in the campground!! They didn't pay any attention to us. There was also a jack rabbit. He paid attention to us, definitely.

One of the painters.

One of the cool things about the Grand Canyon is that you can go on a shuttle, all around the rim and just get off and on when you like, for views and walks, which we did. There were two special things happening on the day we were there. One of them, was on the rim, there were painters set up with their easels and mostly oil paints. I looked at some of them and thought they were so beautiful. Even one stroke could mean a lot, like adding a shadow in just the right place. I would like to paint like that some day. 

We held the rattlesnake rattles!

Also it was wildlife day at the park. At the visitor centre, they had lots of real birds and animals (a prairie dog, a rattlesnake, and a gila monster) on display. The rangers were telling us all about them. All of the animals were under care because they had been hurt. The peregrine falcon, for example, and I don't know why this happened, but someone had cut off part of his wing! There were also information tables set up (some with just people and paper and some with furs and antlers and bones!) to tell us about the animals and the work they do protecting them. At the bookstore, we talked to a photographer who was signing his book. Sam held some of his lenses. 

A peregrine falcon and a condor!!

At one of the lookout points, we went to a ranger talk called Raptors in Flight. We learned about the migration of hawks. Condors and other birds of prey have to migrate, not because it's too cold for them, but because other birds go south and mice and other things they eat go underground to hibernate, so they have nothing left to eat so they migrate too! We saw lots of turkey vultures and talked to a woman from Hawk Watch who was awesome. We want to become members. We learned about a place in Mexico where all the hawks migrating from different areas meet up. 4 million of them! We might try to stop there, in Veracruz. I learned something cool about the condor and why it is bald. They eat only dead things and they squish their heads and beaks right into them. They would get blood and bacteria all over their head feathers and get infections and die. So, they have bald heads (and this is gross) so the bacteria and things can just dry and flake off, no problem.

I have to go now, to help get the tent down and go to the aquarium and to Mexico!!!!!

This Jack Rabbit was soooo cute!

Eating an apple on the rim of the Grand Canyon is awesome.

Sam is still taking lots of close up photos of colourful plants.