American Flag on the 4th of July 2015

Many of my family members served in the U.S. military or are veterans of the service. For us, the 4th of July isn't just a regular day. It has a powerful meaning. As a military family, we put our lives on hold to put service before self. We said "good-bye" to our loved ones to go on long and dangerous deployments. The red, white, and blue has a whole higher level of meaning to those that have put their lives on the line to ensure that we, as Americans, continue to be one of the most prosperous nations in the history of all time. When a person sees the flag waving in the wind, and hears "The Star Spangled Banner," they put their hand over their heart. Members of the military salute the flag and others sing along.

Unfortunately, certain family members do not want ANY pictures of them on my blog so I'm doing the best I can to show our 4th of July without people pictures. I had plenty of great family pictures, but I can't share any of them. I'm not sure of all the laws. I will have to read more up on the rules before I post. Maybe at a later date I will be able to share more. These are my pictures of an undisclosed mountain location in Southern Utah where my family celebrated 4th of July.

American Flag on the 4th of July

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

I'm not sure what kind of snake this is. I think it's a water snake, possibly a Western Terrestrial Garter Snake. Most likely the snake came up from the creek.  We first saw the snake 4th of July and gave the ladies a good scare. These snakes are non-venomous. The snake was removed to a different area.

Australian Cattle Dog or Blue Heeler

I have heard that some dogs have the potential to be very emotionally intelligent. I'm not a trained psychologist, but this Australian Cattle Dog appears to be depressed. The emotions of this breed of dog would be an interesting study. I've always wondered if they have a higher capacity level of thinking compared to other domesticated dogs. Australian Cattle Dogs were first brought about in the late 1800's by crossing domesticated Australian Dingoes with cattle dogs. Australian Cattle Dogs were known to be highly intelligent, obedient, high energy and were bred to nip or bite at the heel of cattle. Even when this pup is tired, he's still very alert. He's definitely thinking about something. I wonder what's got him down?

Fire Pit and Dutch Oven Cast Iron Pot

Stairway to the Creek

Marigolds and a Flag

We had a great 4th of July. It was so peaceful listening to the sounds of the creek. Every now and then fish would jump in the water or there would be a family of ducks swimming along. Sometimes along the rocky walls, there were hoards of colorful chipmunks and squirrels with fully stuffed cheeks. Various kinds of birds would land at the feeding areas. Everything was so alive. Come to think of it, I should have taken more wildlife pictures. I guess the picture of the snake will have to do.

I would go back to the mountains again anytime. It was a great visit. There was so much to see and do there. Thank you for reading. We are going to San Diego, California in a few days so watch for new posts.
Love,
Lissa