From the title you might think I was going to complain about some facility -- from land fill to wind farm -- that I didn't want camped next to my home turf. Nope. I'm just here to apologize for not being around to post any backyard science posts lately, and explain that this is because I've not been near my backyard.
Actually, I did get home last weekend, at which time I charged down to the creek, opened up that trap camera and found... dead batteries and exactly zero pictures.
But really, it's hard to gripe when the "yards" I've been around are as pretty as this one.
If you haven't seen this area in hundreds of old western films, this is Monument Valley. Instead of being part of a national park, this chunk of the valley (just across the line in Utah a couple of miles north of the Arizona border) is a Navajo Tribal Park. If you look carefully, you can see some cars winding their way slowly along that dirt road that crosses the images. My advice: be kind to your car (even if it's a rental) and hire one of the local Navajo guides to cart you though the area. It''ll be easier on your vehicle and you'll get more insight into the park.
Even outside the park proper, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of these stone towers. This one is a little less iconic, but it's near the town of Kayenta where I tend to stay when in the area.
Oh, and all the photos this week were taken with nothing but my iPhone. When you're around scenery this good, even the weakest camera comes off like quality.
Finally, I have one more image to show that while I haven't been home, I have been on my "home turf."