Welcome back to my Sunday Stills challenge. Thank you for reading my posts! We spent six days traveling and spending time in Yellowstone National Park this past week. Each day in the park itself had limited phone and internet connectivity. From Eastern Washington, it’s an eight-hour drive to the west entrance of Yellowstone. We camped in our comfortable 27-foot travel trailer at the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) in West Yellowstone.
As for this month’s color challenge, nothing says “Autumn” more than the colors of yellow and orange. Think yellow hues in ochre, saffron, amber, mustard, or plain ol’ yellow! Orange hues vary from bright orange and citrus to rust, vermillion, burnt orange, and pumpkin.
“Orange is an underrated color, it’s the second most underrated color after yellow.”
– Michel Gondry
Hot and Dry
September in Eastern Washington can be tricky weather-wise. Earlier in the month, our temperatures broke records, hitting 99°F over several days, which is very hot for here. Average September temperatures are in the 70s Fahrenheit. Not only does the heat dry out the grasses and foliage…
…But the wildfires really take off, producing a significant amount of smoke and resulting in unhealthy air quality.
With surrounding wildfire smoke, both sunrises and rising moons turn various shades of yellow and orange.
“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.” – Pablo Picasso
As a fan of sunflowers, I find myself longing for their sunny yellow heads to grow and thrive. By late July, they begin to put on their sunny show. Thankfully, the sunflowers peak in mid-August and are still beautiful through September.
Capturing the colors of yellow and orange in nature is not a difficult task.
At least we got another decent vegetable bounty.
What Makes a Stone Yellow?
Through pure kizmet on my part, September’s color challenge coincided with our trip to Yellowstone National Park. I mean, the very name of the park should tell you something.
My awe and wonder shown in photographs demonstrate the longing many of us have to be immersed in nature and grand places.
I have been blessed to visit numerous national parks in the US. This was our first time visiting Yellowstone National Park.
Yellowstone NP is located in the northwestern corner of the state of Wyoming. Its northern and western boundaries also include the states of Montana and Idaho.
I shared the above image of the bison last Wednesday.
“It seems to me we can never give up longing and wishing while we are still alive. There are certain things we feel to be beautiful and good, and we must hunger for them.” – George Eliot
Did You Know?
Yellowstone National Park became the world’s first national park on March 1, 1872. “Yellowstone became the first national park for all to enjoy the unique hydrothermal and geologic features.” – NPS
Yellowstone got its name from the word Native Americans used to describe the yellow sandstone along the “Yellow Rock River.” The image below shows how the Yellowstone River cut through the yellow sandstone over eons to create the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
French Trappers translated the words to “Roche Jaune,” then American trappers simply called it yellow stone. US Geological Survey
Yellowstone NP boasts numerous geothermal pools and geysers, as well as rhyolite volcanic lavas and minerals that harden into light, yellowish-colored rocks.
“Nature has planted in our minds an insatiable longing to see the truth.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero
Indeed, views of Yellowstone helped to demonstrate the incredible oranges and yellows of summer and early Autumn. I had no idea what lay before us when we made plans to visit here. I knew about the geothermal activity caused by the immense caldera that lies beneath the park. I was also familiar with the Old Faithful Geyser and the herds of bison that are iconic to Yellowstone National Park. There was so much to see within its 2.2 million acres, and we barely scratched the surface.
I plan to share more of the fantastic sights of Yellowstone in upcoming posts, including animals, birds, and water features.
As much as I love summer, I long for the cooler temperatures and coziness of Autumn, which is just around the corner.
Sharing for Johnbo’s Cellpic Sunday and Lens-Artists: Longing
Sunday Stills Photo Challenge Reminders
The Sunday Stills weekly-themed photo challenge is easy to join. You have all week to share and link your post. Please use your own original images, whether new or from your archives.
- Remember to title your blog post a little differently from mine.
- Please create a new post for the theme or link to a recent one.
- Entries for this theme can be posted all week.
- Tag your post “Sunday Stills.”
- Don’t forget to create a pingback to this post so that other participants can read your post.
- I also recommend adding your post’s URL to the comments.
If you are participating in the photo challenge, I can’t wait to see how you interpret the various shades of yellow and orange this week! Creativity is encouraged, so please share your own photographs (old or new), poems, original short stories, and music inspired by the theme. Join me next week as we explore “FOUNTAINS AND FALLS.”
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