Thursday, February 27, 2014

I Regret that I Have but 12” to Give…

Yep that’s how much our last winter go around gave us…12 whole inches.  Today the sky is blue and it’s warmer but guess what…we’re under another winter storm warning with another 6-12 inches of snow on the way.  I finished my Yellowstone picture series and hoped to move onto something a little more spring like but apparently that’s not going to happen.  I decided to take some more pictures and see what’s been sitting on my camera’s memory card.  It started with sunsets in warmer weatherDSC03140.  One change winter can’t stop is longer days bringing sunsets such as theseDSC03141.  Seeing this makes my heart lift because there’s promise in it somehowDSC03142.  Cotton candy skies thrill me to no endDSC03143.  Sooner or later we’ll have pictures like this where there’s actual leaves on these treesDSC03144.  It was God’s mighty paint brush that painted this skyDSC03145.  Now the colors are all about white againDSC03146…lots of whiteDSC03147.  Shoveling our way out over and over again is truly getting oldDSC03148.  The days of drinking a nice coffee at this table a distant memoryDSC03149.  Stepping into the backyard without concern with ice and snow…equally distantDSC03150.  Planting things to test my black thumb’s curse…not happening…winter is all about white but has a blacker thumb than IDSC03151.  There is a symmetry that appeals to the minimalist in me thoughDSC03152 .  Winter grips the hand railing as hard as it grips our state right nowDSC03153.  Sometimes I feel that winter has held us captiveDSC03154.  It’s a good thing Sal has an indoor poolDSC03155.  Yesterday the wind added to our misery and drifted snow everywhereDSC03156.  I simply can’t imagine another 6-12 inches of snow on top of thisDSC03157.  We had steps once…I thinkDSC03158.  Hey we have a deck…I wonder how you get to itDSC03159.  It’s like an enormous white desert out thereDSC03160.  I think we’ve used this air conditioner before but I don’t think we’ll be using it again soonDSC03161.  Look, a snow gutterDSC03162.  Brown and white are the colors of winter around here…soon the brown will likely be buriedDSC03163.  If wind comes with this next snow dumping I don’t know how we’ll get outDSC03164.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Saying Goodbye to an Old Friend

It’s fitting that our final moments in Yellowstone would be seeing such things as another wonderful waterfallDSC03117.  Our guide was so adept at bringing us to these places when few or no other people were thereDSC03118.  These majestic places always have an impact and fewer people makes the experience all the more powerfulDSC03120.  Here’s all of us in front of  the fallsDSC03121.  The way back took us through some narrow canyonsDSC03122.  Much to our surprise (and not seen in this photo) a bobcat was seenDSC03123…he’s actually under the log in the picture.  Later on he became more visible but was too far away for my camera.  Next we saw several coyotesDSC03124.  This was a great experience for us allDSC03125.  The other side of the river had elk on the bankDSC03131.  The last glance of the park this year looked like thisDSC03133.  The next day before left town we visited the starting line of dog sled races that were going onDSC03134.  People brought their dog teams from all overDSC03135.  The dogs were so excited to get goingDSC03137.  This was their starting pointDSC03138but it was our exit…goodbye Yellowstone our old friendDSC03139.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Paint ‘n Mud Pots

Geysers in Yellowstone always capture my fascinationDSC03084.  Standing next to active volcanic activity is stunning.  You never know what the ground will do.  Bison seem to inherently know where they can stand or notDSC03085…some of the ground is concrete like while others is thin…just covering superheated waterDSC03086.  The Bison know where to go…for me, I’ll stay on the train.  More than a few have been boiled to death by falling into these geysers or falling through the thin crustDSC03087.  One of my favorite sights?  Paint and mud potsDSC03088.  They are a mesmerizing thing to watchDSC03089.  The still cold air is occasionally disturbed by the wet plop of an exploding bubbleDSC03090.  There’s always a sense of urgency to the geysers…even when they are sullenly quietDSC03091.  They can go from nearly silentDSC03092to active at the drop of a hatDSC03093.  Near the geysers are trees coated with interesting frost designsDSC03094.  The steam rolls off the geysers and quickly freezes on nearby treesDSC03096.  I’ve never seen anything like it anywhere elseDSC03098.  The stark majesty of this place always awes meDSC03099.  I just love thisDSC03100.  God is an artist for sureDSC03101.  NearDSC03102or far…you can see you’re in a giant volcanoeDSC03103.  The evidence of life’s struggle to hang on is everywhereDSC03104.  As strong and able to adapt as these trees are they don’t always win the struggleDSC03105.  This is a land of fire and iceDSC03106.  Steam can bring up elements to create a deadly gasDSC03107, eruptions can spontaneously eruptDSC03108but the danger reaches out and draws you inDSC03109.  You cannot look awayDSC03110and I’m always hesitant to leaveDSC03111.  What if I turn away and miss somethingDSC03112?  Time to move on like it or not.  I’m left with the ironic glimpse of green in this placeDSC03113.  Life and death, heat and cold…grass and Bison poopDSC03115.