Before getting to this weeks desktop, there's a couple of things I wanted to remind you about.  First, expect the next update to be on time.   Second, the previous weeks wallpaper is always still available by clicking the preview to the left found on this page.  Enjoy!

Above is this weeks free desktop. Back once again to one of Americas finest parks, Yosemite National Park. This park was formed in 1890 to preserve a spectacular portion of the Sierra Nevada which manages to contain staggering waterfalls, lush alpine meadows, giant 1000+ year old sequoias, and some very intriguing formations of rock. This park has inspired poets, painters, visitors and photographers, including my favorite, Ansel Adams. One of the most popular sections of this park is Yosemite Valley, a glacier-carved canyon which contains some of the most famous formations in the world (El Capitan and Half Dome) along with several truly wonderful waterfalls. There are many opportunities in this area to gain an elevated perspective of your surroundings, but this weeks shot comes from a rather interesting vantage point on the Yosemite Valley floor. The subject of this August 2006 photo is Half Dome in the evening light and was taken at Mirror Lake. While I'm sure most of you know Half Dome, many might not have heard of Mirror Lake, so let me give you the basics on it. Sitting on the valley floor at the foot of Half Dome, in spring and early summer it supplies a wonderful reflection (mirror image) of Half Dome in it's water. Unfortunately when the water flow from snow melt in the mountains decreases, it usually dries up, as was the case here in 2006. You can just make out a very small puddle of water in the photo which is all that remained of Mirror Lake. The two mile round trip hike to Mirror Lake is on a mostly paved and well shaded trail that is very much worth your time no matter what time of year as it offers wonderful views on the way and in the meadow where it sits. Now without any doubt, Yosemite is a fantastic experience, one which could easily consume weeks to enjoy all the possibilities. I know I'll never consider myself to have the expertise to convey the true beauty of this park to you, such is simply beyond my ability. I do hope my work gives a glimpse of the wonders one can see here and you find a desire to expand upon this in person. Be sure to check the links section for more info on the Yosemite National Park.