Before getting to this weeks desktop, I wanted to address the tardiness of this weeks update. Simply, I started messing with a new piece of software last week (which is never a good thing for me, especially near a deadline) and I got caught up in. The updates will shift a few days the next couple of weeks and be back on track by the end of this month. Enjoy!

Above is this weeks free desktop.  Well, back this week to a place which has been featured here a couple of times before, Sequoia National Park.  Sequoia NP is the safe haven for some truly amazing gigantic trees, and it's namesake, the sequoia.  This wondrous giant only grows naturally on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, with a large portion of the 75 (or so) remaining groves found here in this national park, along the largest of these trees, the General Sherman.  I personally had a few misperceptions concerning the sequoias, and will now share a few interesting facts concerning these trees. First, the sequoia is not tallest species out there as three others are known to grow taller.  It's not the tree with the greatest diameter as there's at least one that beats it.  It can't even claim the title of oldest tree as there is one known which lives longer (still 3,200 years old for sequoias isn't bad).  The sequoia does hold the title of the world's largest tree, based on sheer volume, and once you get up close to one, you'll agree.  These trees are truly huge as they grow up to 40 feet in diameter and some reach over 300 feet in height.  This weeks shot was taken while walking on the Congress Trail in June 2005 after viewing the 2,200 year old General Sherman.  As one can see, the trees were shroud in a mist/fog which made for a rather weird hike with the mist sometimes becoming so thick you couldn't see but a few hundred feet.  Hiking this 2 mile trail with my dad and wife, our walk with giants in the clouds, was an interesting and truly enjoyable experience, one I won't ever forget. With many trails to walk and the chance to see these giants up close, Sequoia is a park well worth a visit. 

To set this photo as your desktop, click on the box with the correct size.  Right-click on the image and select the option to "save/set as desktop or wallpaper."  You're done!  If you wish to change the desktop image, simply right-click on your desktop, select Properties, and then select the tab labeled Backgrounds in your display control panel