A Little Rain Would Be Nice

Grass is starting to turn brown. Been watering close to the house so there is a little green in the yard besides the trees. It isn't quite as dry as the photo though. :-)

Photo was taken in April at Big Bend. Did a morning day hike to photograph the cactus that day. By noon it was 106. Bought a bag of ice and headed for the shade of the cottonwoods along the river at the Rio Grande Village. Big Bend is a great place. I want to go back again.

Granite Mountain

Hiked to the top of Granite Mountain last month. The view from the top is one of my favorite @ WMWR. I always luck out and get a decent photo of elk there. This female and calf were heading down the mountain for shade and water as I was going up. It was already 90 degrees.

Need to Get Back Posting here

I had literally forgotten bout this blog. It's been a very busy spring / summer. A photo from a trip to Big Bend National Park in April of the Hot Springs Trail as it winds down to the Rio Grande River.

1st Day of Spring

Found myself doing a day hike in 40mph + wind gusts and snow/ice pellets that stung when hitting exposed flesh. Spent about 20 minutes putting myself in camera range to photograph this large male bison. Instead of getting worked up about my presence, he decided to head into the nearby timber.

Young Buck Getting His Fill

Some of the early weeds are starting to emerge in the yard and the deer are starting to come early in the evening to graze. Although it's been a cold, nasty winter, for the most part all of them are healthy looking. Can't say that about the ones in the park at Thunderbird.

Why So Grumpy?

Think he's like me and fed up with all the snow. Took this photo at Prairie Dog Town. I love how the yellow feathers under the beak give him that frown.

Ison's Dam

Silas Lee Ison built this to create a waterfall in the early 1900's. He was a prospector / treasure hunter and one of the last known squatters living inside the Wichita Mountain Wildlife refuge after it was established. Legend has it different outlaws stashed money and or gold in the area.

6 x 6 Elk

This has to be the first big highlight of DSLR photography since I got my gear 3 months ago. After an exhausting climb up the southeast side of Granite Mountain I spotted this monster elk coming up a ravine just ahead of me. Also got a few good photos of two 5 x 5's and some smaller bulls, but this one had my heart pounding.

Wichita Wildlife Refuge Open Again

The campgrounds opened for business yesterday after a massive cleanup from the ice storm. Probably will pack up the Yukon and drive down for the weekend tomorrow.

Took this photo last month while hiking northeast of Burford Lake near Timber Hill. Was a little spooky. No big tree to climb if they took exception to my presence.

Hope to find Ison's Dam and the Spanish Cave this trip.

Ready For Spring

I'm not the winter person I remember from my youth. But the two large snow storms we've had this winter has awoken some of that childlike fascination. Our American Eskies sure enjoyed it and it made for some fun photos.

Find myself daydreaming of warmer days and nights and things turning green. The return of the monarch in it's magnificent migration north and collecting their eggs to hand rear. The growth from a tiny caterpillar to incredible butterfly and the joy of watching it fly from your hand out into this grand stage we call life.