From the archives, a shadowy shot of my wife and son from ten years ago. I captured this at Idaho Fall’s Tautphaus Park Zoo on a sunny summer day.
Zoo Shadows
Tag Archives: Idaho Falls
Saturday’s Critters – Tiger
This week I have a Tiger from the Tautphaus Park Zoo in Idaho Falls, ID some years ago. I had a minor procedure done on my ear early this week and I had to take it easy a few days so I didn’t get out and about. So I’m bringing this photo from a trip to see my father way back when. Idaho Falls’ Zoo is small but mighty!! I love how it is so chilled out and relaxed.
I am linking with Saturday’s Critters
Our World – Idaho Falls, Idaho
The Snake River as it passes through Idaho Falls, ID. A photo I took in 2016 and re-edited recently. The city has built very attractive trails on both sides of the river and that is where everybody goes on warm summer evenings, tourists staying at the nearby hotels, residents, runners, bicyclists. It is quite a gathering.
Skywatch Friday Eclipse Madness in Totality – 2017
I got to see the Eclipse in Totality in Idaho Falls, Idaho. My dad’s assisted living center had a viewing organized for the residents, staff, and guests. My sister had already bought me a pair of glasses.
They brought out a bunch of chairs and provided refreshments and snacks. They had a narrator also telling us what was going on.
So I got out there kind of late. The sun seemed as bright as ever but you would tell that the temperature was lowering and a breeze was picking up. Also, as the eclipse progressed, it didn’t seem to get that much darker until the very end but we could hear the crickets start chirping and the birds started singing. Right before totality it started getting notably darker.
It got pretty dark but there was light on the horizon for 360 degrees around us. The narrator told us that we could take our glasses off and look directly at the eclipse. I didn’t bring my good camera, just my cell phone.
When we took off our glasses off, everybody gasped. I have not seen any photographs yet that gives the experience justice.
It was like living, breathing physics and astronomy and was a little overwhelming. I can understand a little more why people spent such vast sums of money coming from all over to experience.
The next total eclipse coming to the USA is on April 8, 2024 and is nipping the very southeastern corner of Oklahoma. The above is a NASA map of the route of totality. I’m going to do my best to experience it again.
I’m linking with Skywatch Friday
Our World – Eagle Rock USA at the Museum of Idaho
Idaho Falls, Idaho is home to the Museum of Idaho which has evolved into a first rate facility that is able to host traveling exhibits and employs a professional staff. Presently they are hosting an exhibit called Space that chronicles the past and speculates on the future of our exploration of Space. Our family went to the museum and paid our entrance and we toured the traveling exhibit and enjoyed it very much. What we were really interested in though was in the older part of the museum where idaho history is featured and where a replica western town called “Eagle Rock USA is located.” Eagle Rock you see is the original name for Idaho Falls.
Eagle Rock is special to us because they guy responsible for designing most of it and building much of it was my father. He and my mother retired in 1983 and moved from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Idaho Falls. I don’t know how Dad got involved in the museum but he did and I know that his volunteer gig building Eagle Rock, along with other volunteers and at times county jail trustees became his second job. I have photos somewhere, but don’t know where they are of the facility under construction.
He not only helped design and build it he also solicited donations of period furniture and fittings for the various “businesses” featured at Eagle Rock, such as the dentist office, lawyers office, carpenter, and blacksmith and general store. Dad donated a bunch of stuff that he had. The sleeping bag above, used to be his when he worked for the Forest Service. It was very warm, with the canvas outer and everything. My brother Bob and I used it from time to time for our Boy Scout camping trips way back when.
That’s Dad’s tag on it.
The Rex Rooms of Idaho Falls was also where the lonely men of Idaho Falls were able to find comfort and companionship, if you know what you mean. Several people didn’t really like its inclusion in Eagle Rock USA but it stayed.
Here is the Sheriff’s office, complete with jail. I meant to take a photo or several showing the overall setup of Eagle Rock USA but I neglected to do so. Sorry about that.
Carpenter’s Shop
And dentist. I’m old enough that I dentists had setups like this when I was a kid.
The museum has a nice plaque with my Dad’s name on it. So it was nice to see something that he did that survives him.
I’m linking with Our World Tuesday
Skywatch Friday
We had storms in Tulsa on Tuesday. I hate the storms but love the rain and all it brings us. As long as it is not too much. I’m choosy about my blessings.
I went out to western Oklahoma for a meeting on Monday. I love the big skies and the big hearted, hard working people out there. If you look close you can tell I work for a pipeline company based on all the stuff in the foreground.
This is evening on the Snake River in Idaho Falls from our trip out there a couple weeks ago. We went to check on my father. He is not doing very well and your prayers on his behalf would be appreciated. My sister is there with him right now. I think I’ll be going back soon.
Skywatch Friday
InSpired Sunday – Idaho Falls LDS Temple
One of my favorite sights in Idaho Falls is the LDS Idaho Falls Temple on the Snake River. It is a beautiful building situated on the river. It has clean, classic lines and is visible from a long ways up and down the river.
It is capped with a fiberglass, gold gilded sculpture of the Mormon Prophet Moroni blowing his trumpet.
The build was dedicated in 1945 and was just the eight temple dedicated by the church. They have been on quite a building program since. They are not open to non-Mormons in good standing but I was fortunate enough to tour the Oklahoma City Temple prior to its dedication in 2000. I was very impressed with the quality of construction and sumptuousness of materials used in the building and furnishings. Check out this web site for more information about the Idaho Falls Temple and Mormon temples in general. For information about why Mormon’s build temples and their importance to their religion, check this official LDS web site.
I personally am not a Mormon, I am a Christian, but I respect their right to exercise their religion in the way they choose and in these contentious times I really like the idea of a sacred space where the issues of the day are set aside for the spiritual and eternal things in life. No matter what religion one is.
I’m linking with InSPIREd Sunday
Skywatch Friday – The Super Moon a Day Late
Here is my Super Moon photo!! Actually I was a day late. I flew up to Idaho to visit my Dad in his Assisted Living Center and I neglected to take my moon camera. So I took this the day after the Super Moon Full Moon so I was close. I have a Canon SX40 SuperZoom and boy does it take great (at least I think they are great, okay) moon shots. I used to use a tripod with it but now I just hold in my hands on the auto setting a let her rip (as we say in Oklahoma). And if you know me, you know I cheated. If the skies are clear I haul out the Canon every time the moon is full and take a few shots . Of course the moon being the moon it doesn’t ever change much so I could really be cheating on this. But you know that I would never do that.
Dad and I. I think this is like his third or so ever selfie. He has a lot of catching up to do. Not that he feels the need for it. He doesn’t understand why everybody spends all their time looking at their phones.
This is a door wreath that my sweet, crafty, and considerate sister Ellen made for Dad. If you look closely at his US Forest Service Arm patch from his uniforms, a Smokey Bear, and a University of Idaho rifle team patch from his letter sweater. Dad had to drastically downsize when he moved early this year and Ellen was able to recycle some of the items into this wreath.
I took a run on Idaho Falls’ river trails. It was ridiculously warm while I was there but is frosty now. Just so you know I’m going to recycle this pic at some point in the future. Idaho is just so beautiful!
I stayed in a separate room at the Assisted Living Center. I think he is in a good place. The staff is very nice and very patient and they know everybody. The rooms are nice and the food is pretty decent. They have lots of activities planned and a couple of vehicles to get everybody to their doctor’s appointments and shopping and such.
The Falls that give the town its name are very dramatic. I never get tired of going to see them.
So we had a good visit. I got him to go to an exercise class and we both had a great time. The two instructors were very nice and inclusive and very supportive and the other students were having a great time so hopefully dad will go back.
A cool link between Idaho Falls where my Dad lives and northeast Oklahoma where I live is that Wilson Rawls, who wrote “Where the Red Fern Grows” wrote it while he lived in Idaho Falls. He and the book are celebrated with this sculpture in front of the city library.
But I didn’t take my camera so I took the pic of the moon after I got back to Tulsa.
I’m linking with Skywatch Friday
Six Word Friday – the Falls
The prompt today is Fall, cheater than I am I am going to use Falls. Last weekend I spent in the town of Idaho Falls. People in southeast Idaho sometimes just call the town “the Falls” kind of like people in Oklahoma call Oklahoma City, “the City” as in, “We went to the city last month.” Anyways Idaho Falls actually has a waterfall of the Snake River right downtown. So you are thinking I’ve gone way over six words. Well I hadn’t started yet you see. Anyways here I go.
Above the Falls!
Below the Falls!
Linking with Six Word Fridays
Wordless Wednesday (Almost) – Air Travel
Amusing myself with the Harris Effect App on my Ipod Touch at the Idaho Falls Airport
More amusement – sometimes I wonder who I amuse.
You can tell the people from Idaho.
Waiting in the jet way for the gate checked luggage. People always seem a little tired and worn waiting for their gate checked luggage. I am always happy that I didn’t have to manhandle it into an overhead bin nor pay $40 bucks to have it checked through. You play your cards right they will check it through from the podium for free.
The pause that refreshes. The New Belgium Cafe at the Denver airport has a most excellent Cocoa Mole Porter on tap.