On Bob's birthday we went rafting in the Westwater Canyon, east of Moab. It was a great way to escape the vicious blood-sucking vampire gnats, and the heat (which was easier to deal with than the gnats). The water was a refreshing 50F degrees. I wasn't able to take a lot of photos on the river for fear of drowning my camera. After rafting, we showered up in Moab and went to a very nice restaurant for Bob's Birthday dinner. We enjoyed fresh bread with pumpkin oil seasoned with lavendar, rabbit sausage, and elk and buffalo tenderloin. It was all delicious, but the elk was a real surprise--very tender with a taste similar to lamb only very mild. Before heading back to camp, Bob did a little off-road driving where we found some unusual pink night primroses. I think it was a birthday he won't forget.
Westwater Canyon
Morning snack--This was a first-rate outfit
Our lunch stop
Hedge Hog cactus
Claret Cup flowers (Hedge Hog cactus)
Collared Lizard--really, it's not a toy
Collared Lizard
Tim, our guide
Carol and Bob
Some minor ripples on the Colorado River
The Desert Bistro where I had my first taste of elk. It was yummy.