Black Canyon, Last of the National Parks, Recently Visited~

I have finally come to the end of our 17 day journey.  
I think that when I first began to share, I said that we had visited 10 national parks and then I suddenly remembered one and so it was actually 11 national parks...
6068 miles
in 17 days!
We had pretty much had our whole journey planned out weeks, even months in advance. 
One of the places that my husby, Bill found out about in his researching of places to visit, was the Black Canyon National Park in Gunnison, Colorado.
In some of the literature that we read, we learned that at the base of the cliffs it is actually 8 degrees warmer than up at the rim. 
To get to the water's edge of the river below, we had to take roads with 16 % grades...
Very steep!
If the Empire State building was placed in the base of these mountains, there would still be over 1,000' above it...
 Black Canyon National Park exposes some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rock, and craggiest spires in North America.
It also happened to be a very clean park, not all of them were.

For those in North America...
I wish my husband Bill, 
all Veterans, 
and those who currently serve in active duty,
many thanks and many blessings on this Veteran's Day~

I am hoping that Mary with Mosiac Monday and millions more that had been without power in the New England coast,
have had their power restored. 
What crazy weather we have been having here. 
Wishing nothing but blessings to all of those who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy, tropical storms, earthquakes...we even had one in KY yesterday, as well as blizzards and snow storms...
I believe that we are

definitely doing things that are turning nature against the way it was designed to perform and that is a tragedy~

Happy Monday, happy week, be safe and take care~

I am linking up with Mary for:

"Mosaic Monday"

at:http://dearlittleredhouse.blogspot.com

 

I really tried so hard to properly ID the bird seen in the images above, but just could not land on a 100% ID...anyone want to help me out, I so appreciate it~
 

 

 

 

 

 

Even from such a great distance, one could hear the rush of the river below~
 

 

 

Beautiful Autumn colours were showing themselves all over the park system~
 

 

 

 

It was actually Bill who first spotted the Red-tailed Hawk hunting above us, as we ate our picnic lunch along the river's edge~
 

 

And...
Once again, I need help with proper ID...
I thought these might be American Tree Sparrows, but just not sure.
 I have looked at so many birds in my Field Guide to Birds of North America,
and there are a few that look so very much alike and rather, than take a wild guess,
I would rather ask for someone to help me ID these lovely birds;') for me...
Thanking you in advance~
 

 

 

 

A Least Chipmunk was gathering in the goods for hibernation season~

There were a few Fly Fisherman along the river, as we lunched near by~