VM Sehy Photography

Light Bulbs and Inspiration

2012-02-01T20:17:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago a light bulb blew out in our house. Not unusual. I do wonder sometimes about the wiring in this place. However, none of us had ever seen a lightbulb leave such distinct markings after such an event. Of course I had to take pictures. However, things got totally cool once I started to move it. Seems the filiment had detached and was etching a pattern in the glass. Well, that definitely had to be photographed. Of course, with the way my brain works, that still wasn't the end of the story. Once I had the photo on my computer I couldn't resist putting a little photoshopping mojo on it. I'm especially proud of the last piece. Not that I'm boasting:)

Birth of a Planet

A Brand New Me

2012-01-29T21:02:00.000-08:00

Well, in the blogosphere anyway. I've made a few changes which may not necessarily be eye catching. One, I decided to change the name of my blog to VM Sehy Photography. This aligns better with the rest of my online presence and matches the name I use professionally. Two, I changed my comment line to something a bit more clever. While these aren't huge changes, I'm very excited. I've been meaning to make them for awhile, but I have just been too busy. I'm not really sure how that happens. In the meantime, hope you enjoy these frozen leaf photos taken out at East Gallatin Recreation Area.

Yellowstone National Park - Mammoth Hot Springs

2012-01-18T16:08:00.000-08:00

Last October I went down to Yellowstone National Park to see Mammoth Hot Springs. I had never been in the fall and wasn't sure what to expect. I was blown away. The steam coming off the springs was enhanced by the crisp fall day. I have no other word to use but awe.

Mound Terrace - Lower Half

Minerva Terrace

Palette Springs

Dancing Water

2012-01-16T21:01:00.000-08:00

Awhile back, I found myself easily distracted by the water splashing off this measuring cup in my sink. I love the way water moves and flows and freezes in drops. The action of the water is spellbinding.

Check out the photoshopped version here.

Dragonfly Visit

2012-01-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

Sundays in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami and is an excellent opportunity to show off where you live.

For this week's post I chose to go back to warmer times. This dragonfly stopped by for a visit while I was pruning the lilacs this past summer. I must say I enjoyed the distraction.

Living in a Winter Wonderland

2012-01-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

We had one of those picture perfect days, a reminder that we live in a winter wonderland. I did the only thing I could do. I finally got up to Blackmore Trail in Hyalite Canyon to do some cross country skiing.

Silken Skein Falls

2012-01-10T20:58:00.000-08:00

This past summer I finally ventured out onto Hyalite Trail far enough to see some of the other waterfalls. This particular one is named Silken Skein Falls. It was definitely worth the hike. It's a very gorgeous area. In fact, I'm glad I did a little research before going or I would have thought I'd found it when I found the bottom set of falls. The water cascades down a set of small drops. I will admit to being a bit confounded because I expected to find a larger falls that looked more like a sheet of water. I was turning around, giving up the ghost, when I took a really close look at the other shore. I realized that the trail picked up across the river. Boy am I glad I took a closer look. Definitely one of the more amazing spots I've ever been and well worth exploring.

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Fog, Funnel Webs and Fungus

2012-01-08T12:47:00.000-08:00

Sundays in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami and is an excellent opportunity to show off the place where you live.

One of the best things about living in Bozeman is the availability of public land. I can always find a spot to go hiking. I could live here my whole life and never run out of places to explore. One of my favorite spots to wander around in is Hyalite Canyon. The shots below were taken while hiking along Hyalite West Shore Trail which hugs the reservoir. This makes for excellent water shots as well as the chance of finding some very interesting macro subjects. I highly recommend a visit to this canyon if you are ever in the Bozeman area.

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A Blended World

2012-01-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

Since I've discovered the multiple exposure feature on my camera, I've been living in a blended world. I love mixing images seeing how they fit together. Of course, sometimes I like to take it to a whole new level. That's when I get out the photoshop.

What I'm Missing

2012-01-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

I am constantly amazed by what a busy place nature is. Occasionally, if I'm lucky, and I am in the right place at the right time, I will catch a glimpse of the action. When I do, I wonder what else is going on that I've missed. What happens along the ground, under tree leaves and various other hiding spots as I walk on by completely oblivious?

Fortunately, I have moments where I am paying attention and have my eyes truly open. Below are just a few moments when I happened to be looking in the right spot at the right time. Enjoy!

Garnet Ghost Town

2011-12-29T21:09:00.000-08:00

Garnet Ghost Town is near Missoula, Montana. Back in September, we were visiting while my husband took classes, so I couldn't resist making a side trip.

The best part is we arrived at dusk. Unfortunately, this meant that the buildings they open up during tourist hours were closed. Still, nothing beat the atmosphere. And the lighting was awesome. Just low enough to lend a subdued eerie tone to the scene.

Amazingly, I had no problems being there. No tingles of the spine. No heebie-jeebies. I will admit the cans below confounded me. I was equally repulsed and facinated. The history major in me thought cool, too bad you can't read the labels. The other half of me that gets easily grossed out by stale food tried not to wretch. It's an interesting combination.

The only other spot that left me somewhat off was a little house that I tried to photograph. No matter how hard I tried or which camera settings I chose, I could not get a clear shot of it. All the other buildings and artifacts shot in the same light came out fine. That particular house kept coming in blurry and dark. I gave up and read the plaque. A family had died there of flu or something. Yikes! Still, I did not have my spidey senses set off. Perhaps the ghosts are benign.

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Gates of the Mountains

2011-12-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

This past summer my husband and I finally got the chance to take the river tour of Gates of the Mountains. I've been meaning to this for about two years, and it was well worth the wait. The tour winds through a canyon and the views are magnificent. That doesn't even touch upon the different kinds of wildlife that grace the area. We saw many different types of birds and some deer. If you're lucky, there will be mountain goats out and about. There are a couple of campsites along the way where they will drop you off and pick you up later. We didn't take them up on that, but we did get a quick 15 minute break at one of the sites which yielded some wonderful shots I'll share later.

This post mainly focuses on the view at the start of the tour, a mule deer we saw and the site where the Mann Gulch Fire took place. The last photo is a perpetual gravel slide that continues to bury one of the campsites. It is currently closed as it is unusable. The picnic tables are completely buried under the gravel.

I highly recommend this tour if there are plans to visit Montana in your near future.

Scenic View at the Start of the Tour

Mule Deer

Mann Gulch Fire Site

Gravel Slide From Mann Gulch Fire
Picnic Tables are Buried Under the Gravel

Treasures in My Yard

2011-12-27T20:12:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about yardwork is you never know what you'll find while digging around in the dirt or clipping back branches. These two were just a couple of the treasures I found this past summer. The spider was actually down in the grass, and I was quite lucky to spot him/her. I'm thinking perhaps they were looking for a meal.

The moth was also a lucky find. I thought it was dead at first because it didn't move an inch while I was clipping grass around the tree trunk. Unfortunately, I've been unable to identify it. It's very striking, though.

Finds like these two make all that hard work worth the effort.

A Christmas Hike

2011-12-26T22:00:00.000-08:00

The weather around here has been unusually warm which is great if you like to go hiking, but you don't want to be pelted with sleet in temperatures below zero. Keeping that in mind we decided to take advantage of the beautiful Christmas day and do exactly that - go hiking.

So off we went to The M which is a favorite spot. The guys headed up the steep trail. Having lost one of my x-tracks, I took the less treacherous route. At first, I was a bit out of sorts to be seperated from my men, but I was quickly distracted by the beautiful fauna poking its head up above the snow.

Soon, I had other diversions as well. A Japanese couple stopped to say hi and ask me if I knew what type of animals were in the area. I said I'm not sure about this season. Then they proceeded to describe the animal and in the middle of that started pointing and said there it is. Well, I couldn't see it until it ran up the trail. And run it did. That is the closest I have ever been to a ferret that isn't a pet. Unfortunately, neither one of us was fast enough to get a shot of the animal. Can't complain though. That adventure was just what I needed to lift me out of my duldrums.

Later as I was heading down the trail, I missed getting a shot of a small red squirrel who couldn't have been more than six inches from me. Again, too slow. However, I realized I need to spend more time at the M in the winter. Next time I'll be ready not just for the plants that sit still, but the animals that are lightening quick.

In Hot Water

2011-12-20T14:33:00.000-08:00

Love splashing water. Thought I'd see what I could do with photoshop. Liked the melted cup look. Fits my mood.

Transparent Nature

2011-12-10T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is another set of double exposure photos. Some of my favorites of this genre. I find it interesting how nature insinuated itself into or obliterated the man made objects in these two photos. A subtle reminder that nothing lasts forever.

Lunchbags and Weight

2011-12-06T19:03:00.000-08:00

I have recently discovered the multiple exposure setting in my camera's menu. It's been a lot of fun trying to line up items that make an impact on each other. The first image below is a combination of a ladybug magnet and my lunch bag. I wanted the pattern of the bag to cover the magnet which I think it did nicely. The second photo was merely the happy accident of some experimentation. I happened to notice that the middle of the tape dispenser was about the same size as the circle which shows the numbers for the scale. The outcome was very pleasing. The title of said photo is not a Freudian slip;)

Lady Lunch

Sticky Weight

What I Find Disturbing

2011-12-03T21:02:00.000-08:00

As weird as this may seem, I find it disturbing that a spittle bug can be infected with a mite. Spittle bugs are about 1/4" long if that. Probably about 1/8" wide. They're not very big. How in the world can a mite latch onto that. I can't even figure out if there's a benefit for the mite. Although, as you can see, there is quite the difference in size, so perhaps there is some nutritional value there. The other thing I find disturbing is the two photographs below are taken from different sides of the hopper. If I had noticed the mite, when I took the photograph, I would've checked. However, unless the one mite moved while I was taking pictures, this hopper is actually infested with two mites. Ewwww!

I find the whole thing disturbing because I believe it proves my theory that the world is shrinking. We don't have to worry about cockroaches inheriting the earth, they'll be gone, too. It'll be mites, viruses, bacteria, fungi and algae.

Lights in the Sky

2011-12-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

We had a really awesome Fourth of July this year. One of the best parts about where we live is we can see several displays at once. Mainly because our neighborhood really knows how to celebrate the fourth. However, they also do one down at the county fairgrounds which we can see from our house. It doesn't get much better than that.

The Colors of Summer

2011-11-25T20:44:00.000-08:00

Winter has come to settle in around here. I love how white makes everything look so fresh and new. Still, it becomes a challenge not to be snowblind by the end of the season. In an effort to prevent that from happening anytime soon, I thought I'd post a few more colorful shots from this past summer.

The Insects of Summer

2011-11-14T11:41:00.000-08:00

I took these shots while hiking in Hyalite Canyon this past summer. A way too short summer for my taste. I will miss my little six legged friends until the thaw next spring.

Adventures of a Lifetime

2011-10-22T21:51:00.000-07:00

Some moments are so magical, maybe even mystical, that they remain fresh in memory as if the event happened merely yesterday. One such experience took place many years ago, during a brief time when we had lived in Montana before.

We had a favorite place to hike out in the countryside. A little spot that was fenced off, but if you knew how to get there and where to park, you could gain access to forest land along this little path that wound through private land.

On many occasions we had gone out there, but we never made it very far much less to the fabled forest off into the distance. When one is packing a small child, one tends not to outstay the child's ability to remain in a good mood. So here we are on what we assume to be familiar land. Listening once again to the moose bugling in the background. Wondering if they are close to the edge of the forest or maybe deeper in. Photographing the clouds. The mountains. The beautiful scenery in general. Looking along the ground for a late blooming insect or perhaps some interesitng seed worthy of the camera's attention.

When out of nowhere, like air materialized into form, came walking two horses. OK. We had no idea that this land we were on supported horses. To this day, we don't know where they came from. They just walked on up easy as you please and proceeded to check out my husband and my son. Before I could even take the whole scene in, my guys were surrounded by six to eight horses. A whole herd.

Now, I'm not one who feels at ease around horses, especially not a whole herd who now has their backs to me. I'm trying to keep the dog from spooking them. I'm trying not to get kicked. And I'm hoping they don't spook and rear on my loved ones. Needless worry I must add. While I don't think they were happy with me being unseen, so to speak, they tolerated my presence and allowed me to wander around until I was facing them.

Fortunately for me, since I was then able to capture these photos should the memories ever fade. I doubt they ever will, though. I can't see forgetting one of the coolest experiences of my life.

To see the second story in this series, head over here. From there, you can catch a link to the first story.

Exploring With a Camera: Found Texture - Yellowstone Style

2011-10-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

The topic for Exploring With a Camera is found textures. Despite the fact that textures are one of my favorite things to photograph, this topic actually gave me pause, and I had to sit and think what I might have in my archives that I could use for a submission.

I came across this image of one of the pools in Mammoth Hot Springs. I decided that this was the best submission. For one thing, there are many different textures respresented in the photograph. Although, I suppose you could sum it up with the word - rough. Sand paper or course rock. The spiky plants also lend themselves to this imagery. Also, I find the abstract quality of this photo extremely interesting. The first thing that came to mind when I saw this was, cool, I have a photo of an alien landscape. Then I thought, hum, this could have easily have been a piece of the ocean. This composition is a microcosm of a much larger world, a world full of all kinds of found textures.

Stop by The Kat Eye View of the World to see all kinds of texture and maybe even join in the challenge yourself!

Playing Hookie - Sort Of

2011-10-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Technically I was in the clear. A week ago, I had just recovered from a really awful cold that tried to turn into a sinus infection. I called in on that Monday to say I was taking one more day off to make sure I was actually well. The school I work for actually encourages this.

I count it as playing hookie since I did not actually stay at home and rest. Probably a technicality at best. We'd just come off of a very beautiful Fall weekend, and I had been cooped up for the whole thing. I missed Raptor Fest for the first time since we moved here five years ago. I couldn't stand the thought of spending another gorgeous fall day inside. So I drove to Yellowstone. I figured if I went to Mammoth Hot Springs maybe the sulfur air would clear out my sinuses and lungs. Worked like a charm, and I've been on the mend since.

Of course, with views like the ones below, how could I not have felt better?

Canary Springs - Main Terrace - Mammoth Hot Springs

Main Terrace - Mammoth Hot Springs

Consumers or Consumables

2011-10-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think this is what big business sees when they look at people. I know, if I'm so outraged I should stop buying things. I'll get right on that as soon as I figure out how to grow plastic. :)

Shadow Shot Sunday - A Cool Rock Pattern

2011-09-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

Shadow Shot Sunday is hosted by Hey Harriet. If you love shadows, stop by and check it out. Better yet, submit a shot of your own!

I captured this delicate shadow while exploring in Hyalite Canyon. This particular trail cuts through a forest that grows near the reservior. The trees let in just enough light to make for great shadow play. One of the more interesting shadows I found that day was left by the leaves near this rock.

Sundays in My City - Intense Gaze

2011-09-25T15:57:00.000-07:00

Sundays in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami. Each week she is kind enough to let us share a slice of our city with the world. Check it out. Better yet, join in the fun and share a bit of your city with us!

This week is a bit slow, so I decided to post a candid shot of our cat. He was as ever, very curious as to what I was doing. However, he got bored and decided it was more fun to roll around in the sun on our porch. I was on the ground which gave me the perfect eye level shot of his intense gaze.

Around the House

2011-09-24T21:23:00.000-07:00

Just a few insects I found hanging around the house literally. Well, hanging on the outside of the house anyway. Apparently they're just as excited as we are to have the siding on the house replaced.

Crane Fly

Mosquito

Unidentified Spider
Hoping he ate the mosquito!

Skywatch Friday - East Fork Hyalite Trail

2011-09-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

This week's Skywatch Friday comes from one of my many wanderings into Hyalite Canyon this past summer.

I had often wondered where the road led that forked off from the road that goes to Palisade Falls. I was finally able to manuver all the way up that particular passage and it brought me to the trailhead for East Fork Hyalite Trail. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this is the trail that goes to Emerald and Heather Lakes. Emerald is closer at 4.5 miles. I didn't even come close. Not being in top shape it takes me awhile to hike that much less come back, so I set out to see as much as I could. It's a very nice trail. And even in summer still has snow on it. That also slowed me up a bit. I would love to have the time to make it all the way to both lakes. That might require some camping equipment at my pace. In the meantime, you can get an idea of how beautiful the area is from the photo below which was taken from the parking area.

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Identification Can Be a Bear

2011-09-14T20:39:00.000-07:00

One of the frustrations of being a mere photographer of insects is that it can be a bit difficult to tell what you've got a picture of. The first shot below looks like a wasp or hornet if one takes a quick glance. However, it's a hover fly mimic. Identifying this insect is a bit easier as flies eyes are up front as opposed to being on the sides of the head. Also their wings sit out away from the body. Wasps wings lay a little closer to the body and are thinner. Bees wings tend to fold over the body.

The next photo is a bit tougher. Mainly because I can't tell if it's a small bee or a small wasp. I'm leaning towards bee. However, it's difficult to tell from wing shape, head size or what the eyes look like.

I supppose I could get an etomology text book and start an insect collection. Maybe even take some classes. I haven't yet because, for the most part, I'm OK with a general idea of what I have a photographed. If I can get it down to the species level, that's great. If not, I know it's a fly. Also, I don't have the heart to gas insects then pin them to a board.

Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel

2011-09-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Looks like a chipmunk, acts like a chipmunk, however, not a chipmunk. The cute little guy below is a Golden-Mantled Ground Squirrel. A rather tame one at that. Or perhaps he had poor eye sight. When I first met his acquaintance, I was coming back down the trail from Palisade Falls. He came so close to me so quickly, I was taken aback. At one point, he was about four inches from my feet. I thought, if he bites me, he's getting kicked into the next state. Luckily, it didn't come to that.

Still not entirely sure he was not infected with rabies, I began to look for signs of the disease. Foaming of the mouth being about the only one that came to mind. Of course the problem there is that is one of the last signs of the disease. He could still have rabies and look perfectly fine thus my hesitation to let him too close to me.

At some point, he stopped scampering so close to me, hesitated a moment, and came to the realization that I was there. He took off like a shot. Thus the action capture. So I'm back to he doesn't see too well or he's too focused on gathering his food. Either way, I'm glad he didn't have rabies.

Butterflies and Moths at Buffalo Jump

2011-09-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Last time I visited one of my favorite haunts, Madison Buffalo Jump State Park, the moths and butterflies were out in full force. Not always the easiest creatures to photograph since they aren't very good at sitting still. Even so, I found a few willing subjects which always makes my day.

Plume Moth

Melissa Blue

Common Checkered Butterfly

I think this is another blue,
but I can't positively identify which kind.

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Sundays in My City - A Buzzing World

2011-09-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Sunday's in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami. Here we all have a chance to show off the wonderful cities we live in. Drop by and check it out or perhaps take a moment and post a few shots of your hometown.

My life has kicked into hyperdrive lately and as a result, I have not had many opportunities to get out and about. Today however, I decided to at least get in my daily walk. Excellent decsion. When I got near the dandelion like weeds near the golf course, I found them abuzz with activity. The bees were out and about gathering the last remaining bits of pollen.

Writing of remains, when I got home my son and his friend informed me of an old bees' nest that had been found during some work we were having done on the house. I took a moment to snap some shots. I can't really tell what happened to the bee lying on top of it. If it never quite fully formed or if it got squashed somehow.

If creepy crawlies aren't your thing, drop by Sunday's in My City for more shots of various cities.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Beautiful Wedding

2011-09-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

We had the pleasure of attending a beautiful wedding set in a very gorgeous spot by the river. Below is the gazeebo post ceremony. I just loved the way the subtle shadows softened the structure. Very picturesque.

For more shadows of all varieties stop by Shadow Shot Sunday at Hey Harriet's.

Skywatch Friday - Path to Palisade

2011-09-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer I had the chance to go on one of my favorite hikes - Palisade Falls in Hyalite Canyon. The hike is pretty easy and the falls are definitely spectacular. However, the scenery along the way is nothing to sneeze at either. On that day, I stopped to snap a quick shot of a rock outcropping that stands over a landslide near the falls. A beautiful view in its own right.

For more spectacular skies drop by Skywatch Friday.

Predator and Prey

2011-09-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

During the summer I ventured out to one of my favorite spots, Madison Buffalo Jump State Park. The desert environment provides plenty of opportunities to photograph many varieties of insects and spiders. Also, the critters I find out there are unique to that environment and a break from the usual batch of insects that I find closer to my house.

That particular day I lucked out in that the circle of life was in full swing. I was able to capture a robber fly and a crab spider both with prey. Some days I'm so glad I'm not an insect.

Crab Spider with Queen Ant

Bearded Robber Fly with Prey

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Cottonwoods and Insects

2011-09-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

On our way to Iowa, we pass through Broadus, Montana. This town meets up perfectly with our need to stop and take a break. We ususally do this at Cottonwood Park. A charming place with huge cottonwood trees, playground equipment and lots of flowers. Perfect for shade, relaxation or, if you're me, photo ops.

Last time I went through, I noticed that the cottonwoods had attracted a large aphid population. While cool to photograph, they were wrecking havoc on the tree leaves. I'm hoping some lady bugs will relocate and take care of the pesky critters.

Bonus Shot of a Beetle on a Flower
If it were a ladybug, it could eat the aphids

Life in an Iowa Meadow

2011-09-05T17:13:00.000-07:00

While visiting my dad in Iowa, I always make a point of going out into the meadow behind his house searching for subjects to photograph. In my case, it would be anything small with many legs. The meadow never disappoints me. In fact, I never cease to be amazed at how much life lives in a couple of acres of flowers.

The plume moth, however, was not one of those specimens. I found him when I arrived back at the house. He was clinging to the front screen door. It seems that I can't go wrong visiting Iowa in the summer. No matter where I look, I always find some interesting bug or spider to photograph.

Sundays in My City - Bozeman Sculpture Park

2011-09-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sundays in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami. Each Sunday she gives us all a chance to show off our hometowns. Stop by and check out all the cities from around the world.

For this week's post, I took my inspiration from our weekly visit to the Bozeman Public Library. This week the Bozeman Sculpture Park opened near the library and I couldn't resist taking a few moments to get some quick shots. I'm sure I will be a regular visitor in this section of the park as I didn't have nearly enough time to explore all the fascinating angles of these scultpures. I'm like Penny Marshall only no one will lend me a film camera:)

Enjoy and drop by Sundays in My City to visit other fascinating places.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Leaves and Seeds

2011-09-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hosted by Hey Harriet, Shadow Shot Sunday gives us all a chance play with light and shadow.

This week I was sticking pretty close to home, so I kept my eyes open for the little things that capture my attention. It keeps me entertained in so many ways. As luck would have it, when I went out the door to run errands, I saw a milkweed seed caught in a spider web. While photographing it, I noticed the long delicate threads of the seed made a very cool shadow.

My second capture caught my eye as I was flying down the trail on my daily walk. The shades of green and gray mesmerized me, so I made a quick stop to capture the moment.

Enjoy and have a lovely Shadow Shot Sunday.

Sunday's in My City - What's Under the Lid

2011-08-21T21:24:00.000-07:00

Each Sunday Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City giving us all a chance to boast about where we live. Come by and check out some amazing cities. Better yet, put up a post to show off where you live.

Today's post is about a lid and what I found beneath it. It would seem that our garbage can lid has become a nursery. Yup. For spiders. While I can't swear on it, I believe these are nursery web spiders, and I think they came along with the weeds I pulled out yesterday. (If I'd have known, I'd have waited for the little ones to hatch. Oh well.)

As things stand now, I'm hoping they will be able to stay attached to the lid until the babies hatch. I can't guarantee anything, though. I don't know how close these spiderlings are to hatching, and we can't hold onto our garbage forever. I'd really like some hatchling shots though. I hestitate to retransport them back. I'm not sure they will thrive on the plants left behind. Also, I don't know if they're poisonous. Being close enough to take pictures seemed to disturb the mama spiders causing them to go into an agressive stance. Mamas are very protective of their young throughout the animal world. Spiders are no exception, and I don't care to get bitten. So for now I'm waiting and seeing. Hoping for hatchlings before this next Thursday.

I think that small dot is the male spider.
He must not have provided a tasty enough treat.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Of Shadows and Leaves

2011-08-20T18:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd try something new and submit a post for Shadow Shot Sunday.

I spotted this leaf and shadow shot while out on one of my morning walks. I loved the delicate pattern the dry leaves created on the leaf next to them.

Skywatch Friday - Welcome Home

2011-08-19T20:29:00.000-07:00

Drop by Skywatch Friday and check out skies from around the world.

Coming home from a vacation in Iowa, we were greeted by this rainbow just outside of Billings. What a wonderful welcome home present.

One Gosling Is Not Like the Others

2011-08-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

One of these goslings is not like the others.
Can you guess which one?

Can you see why?

His feet are not right.
Question is, birth defect or boat encounter?

I voted for birth defect. My husband thought it might be boat related.

PS - Note that it's the sibling that's vocalizing at me in the second photo. Not the parents as I originally thought while shooting the photograph. I find that interesting. I don't know much about geese, but this gosling seems to be well protected by his parents and his siblings.

Colorful Darners

2011-08-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

A trio of colorful darners I photographed at a rest area in South Dakota.

Sundays in My City - Evening Walk

2011-08-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Each Sunday Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City giving us all a chance to show off where we live. Check it out and show off your hometown!

This past Sunday we went for an evening walk along the trails near our house. There's a small creek that runs through the park there. While the boys were tossing rocks into the water, I decided to try and take some evening double exposure shots. I also thought it might be interesting if I left the shutter open. Hope you enjoy the results!

Iowa Bugs

2011-08-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Back in June, we went home to Iowa to visit my dad. Behind his house, is a field which has always been a favorite wandering place for me. (Well, not so much in my early childhood since it was woods and kind of scary, but if all the kids were running in there to play, I'd follow along.) In more recent years, the person who owns the field has planted a wildflower garden in it. Now, it definitely calls to me. I find the most interesting things in that meadow. Ladybugs, fireflies and spiders are only the beginning. Just don't ask me what that fly at the bottom is. He's cool though.

Reptile Gardens

2011-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite places to visit when we're staying in Rapid City is Reptile Gardens. There's always something new to discover. This trip the two Bearded Dragons below ran out onto the walkway and started to tussle with each other. I don't know if it was a territory issue or what. They continued their wrestling once they made it back to their habitat. (Can't call it an enclosure. It's wide open.) Also while there I always check the trees especially once we're on the second level. I'm at least guaranteed a view of a snake. This year I was pleasantly surprised to find lizards up on the tree leaves as well. I highly recommend visiting if you're a fan of reptiles and ever in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Red-Eared Slider

Lizard on Palm Leaf

Bearded Dragons

Tarantula

Modern Day Clampetts

2011-08-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

In June, we volunteered at the Cub Scout Day Camp. Because it started to rain while we were packing up, we needed to figure out how to get all our gear in the car in one shot. Left us looking like modern day Clampetts.

Sundays in My City - Langohr Gardens

2011-08-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday Unknown Mami gives us a chance to share where we live with others across the world wide web. Check it out and share a piece of where you live!

Langohr Park is home to Langohr Gardens, a combination of community gardening and some very breathtaking flower gardens. Every time I drive by, I think I really need to figure out how to get over here on the trails. Well, on Sunday, I set out to do just that. From my house, it's a mere 3 miles round trip, so a pretty basic hike. Definitely worth the effort, too. The bees were all abuzz amongst the flowers. Plus, I found a very beautiful caterpillar nestled among some purple flowers. Definitely the highlight of the trip.

Bumble Bee Preparing to Take Off

Unidentified Caterpillar - Possibly an Owlet Moth

To find Langohr Park on the map below you will need to scroll north. The map had Langohr Avenue marked, but wouldn't let me pinpoint the park itself.

View Larger Map

Call of the Wild

2011-08-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

On our way to Iowa, we always stop off at Rapid City, South Dakota. I missed out last time due to a family emergency, so the guys were really eager to show me this place they had found: Call of the Wild. A museum inside a convenience store of all places. Apparently, the owner needed a spot to showcase his hunting trophies. I really enjoyed the visit. He has a couple of different spots where dontations are subtly encouraged i.e. the monkey below. I will say this, I like the giraffe better from the outside. All you can see is the silhouette of his long neck through the window. Once you're inside, and you realize that's where the view ends, the feeling becomes a bit more disturbing. Still, most of the animals are in one piece so to speak and they are mounted to interact with each other which is pretty cool. My only other criticism would be that the pieces are crowded into the space which tends to ruin some of the views.

Skywatch Friday - The Sky Spoke

2011-08-05T17:58:00.000-07:00

No, really, the sky spoke to me. Terrible joke I know. You'll have to enjoy it while it lasts. It's rare for me to make a joke much less one so awful.

I took this photo in my hometown of Charles City, Iowa. This is one of the gates that opens into Central Park. I thought the bike wheel made a lovely frame for the sky that day.

For more gorgeous skies check out Skywatch Friday.

Bite of Bozeman

2011-08-03T22:39:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pea Festival time has come around again. It seems to fly up on me more quickly each year. As is tradition (at least for five years now) in our household, we kicked off Sweet Pea by attending Bite of Bozeman. This event is a lot of fun. Just walking down the street taking in the aroma that wafts through the air is worth the effort to brave traffic and get downtown. I decided that I would stick with my favorite choice - a turkey leg and a water. That way I get some food in my tummy and avoid the crankies. Which is a good thing because we often see our neighbors, friends, school associates and co-workers while wandering. I know they all love me for who I am, but only to a certain point. Besides the chance to meet and greet, I love to wander because I get to hear great music, see great art and check out all the chalk drawings from Chalk on the Walk. Enjoy the small slice of Bite of Bozeman that I captured below!

What Hail Leaves Behind

2011-08-02T21:29:00.000-07:00

Back in June, we had an amazing hailstorm. Fortunately, it didn't do much damage to the house as we hadn't gotten the previous year's damage fixed. However, it did leave behind some awesome photo opportunities.

PS - Old Photo of the Day chose a photo of my dad during World War II to post for family historical photos week. Check it out!

Strange Blind

2011-08-01T21:57:00.000-07:00

Back in June, I volunteered to help at day camp for Cub Scouts. Our station was an obstacle course which was very popular. So that we don't fry while we're running the station, my husband bought one of those backyard canvas frames. Works pretty well. Also makes a pretty good blind which is an unexpected treat. While there, I had the opportunity to snap a shot of a beetle on the side of our tent. Insects end up climbing all over the screens so I always get some good pictures. I also happened to catch a seagull who had swooped down to pick up a piece of food someone dropped. I'm sure the gull thought it was in heaven.

Do Not Get the Wristband...

2011-08-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

unless you're planning on being at the fair all day long. Since we didn't get there until 6 and didn't start riding rides until 6:30, we made a financial miscalculation. My husband wanted to know if I would ride ten rides since that was the break even point for buying a wrist band. Looking around at the rides while calculating my bravery factor, I confidently said yes. What I failed to take into account was the fact that as the evening wore on, the lines got longer and longer. It took us at least half an hour to get onto the Ferris wheel. I don't even like Ferris wheels that much, but I was going for full out brave. I wasn't going to let my fear of heights win. No siree. Not tonight. I actually enjoyed it. If you can stand the mundane conversation, you can catch the view in the video below. If you'd like the view sans conversation, you can always hit the mute button. I wouldn't blame you.

If you've been patient enough to get this far, here are some views of the rides at night. I do love the lights of the fairgrounds. Yet the lights in Las Vegas overwhelm me. Go figure.

Sundays in My City - Arch Falls

2011-07-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Every Sunday Unknown Mami gives us all a chance to bring our hometown to the world. Come check it out. Better yet, link up and show the world where you live.

This past week, while my son was in camp I decided to try and find some of the other falls that flow in Hyalite Canyon. I've been meaning to do this for some time, I just hadn't gotten the logistics together. So I formed a plan. First I found a map.

Then I left early enough in the morning to get some decent miles in. The rest of it was pretty much a wing and a prayer as I did not know if each falls had a marker.

Well, I lucked out in two ways. Or should I say my planning paid off. To begin with, the above map is very accurate. To make things even better, there were markers noting the trails that led to a particular falls. That made my hike so much easier.

I probably would have still figured it out. Using my pedometer, I marked off what I thought was the proper distance between trails, and each time I did so, I was within feet of the marker and the branch leading to the falls. Had there been no marker, I would have used the map to know which way the branch went left or right. Still it was a great relief to have the branching trails marked. I felt a load lifted from my shoulders each time I found a marker because I knew I was headed in the right direction and did not have to second guess myself. For Arch Falls, pictured below, that would have been tough since the path is a bit narrow, and I'm afraid of heights. I didn't need an excuse to turn around. Also, at the point of the marker, you can definitely hear the falls. Always another good clue, but sometimes a bit misleading due to the way sound travels through the forest.

Even if I had had to use a semi-old fashioned method of navigating, the views would have been worth it. See for yourself.

Rock Wall Perpendicular to Arch Falls

River Flowing into Arch Falls

Arch Falls

Check out the following site for more information:

Hyalite Canyon Falls

Sundays in My City - Raging Waters

2011-07-18T22:52:00.000-07:00

Sundays in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami. Each Sunday she gives us all a chance to share our corner of the world with others. Check it out. Better yet, show us around your corner of the world!

This Sunday we managed to find time to hike to one of our favorite spots - Grotto Falls. The effort was worth it just to witness the sheer power of the falls at full throttle. With the high amount of rainfall we received this spring and the snow just now melting off the mountains, the falls were in full glory. See for yourself.

Downstream From the Falls

Fast Running Water at the Top

Fast Running Water 2

Side View of Grotto Falls

View Larger Map

Sundays in My City - Double Exposure

2011-07-10T18:29:00.000-07:00

Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City and gives us a chance to show off where we live each week. Stop by and check it out. Better yet, show us your city!

Not much was happening around Bozeman today. At least my version of it. I got trapped at home due to a car hood latch that broke - again! So my husband spent all Sunday fixing it. He's my hero in case I've never mentioned that.

And what did this lady of leisure do? I discovered that my camera has a multiple exposure setting. This feature is the bomb! So while my husband was straining away fixing our poor old car, I was running around the house finding things to photograph together. What can I say? My camera rocks and my husband rocks even more!

Birthday Blessings

2011-07-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was blessed with one of the most amazing birthdays I have ever had. Due to a change in plans (The road to Fairy Lake is still covered in snow.), my son and I ended up hiking The M. Thus far, this year has been lackluster where the insects are concerned, not so yesterday. You couldn't walk an inch without finding something. The best part of it is, the air was literally buzzing with cicadas. I don't think I've ever seen one before, and now I've got tons of photos. I'll take that any day over the darn horse fly that chased me for a portion of the trail.

Not only was I blessed with such a large presence from the insect population, I was also blessed with the hike itself. When my son was younger, I would load him up in the wagon and go exploring this park we lived next to. We'd spend hours walking around just seeing what there was to see, and then we'd have lunch. Those are some of my fondest memories. Now I can add lunch near the M as a fond memory as well.

Later in the day, I was blessed with birthday wishes from my mother-in-law. It's always good to talk to her and yesterday was especially helpful since we were talking about my dad. It's been hard since my mom passed, and I can't always put into words the frustration I feel being so far from my dad. It's hard enough to watch a parent age rapidly, but to do so from a distance is a special hell. My mother-in-law understands that I'm having a rough time without babying me. I appreciate that about her. And I enjoy the wisdom she shares with me as she tells me stories about helping her friend near the end of her life. While we have both lost women we were close to in the past year, I feel the silver lining to that is we have become closer. Loss is a tough thing to conquer.

While on the phone, my husband came home early so we could go to dinner and a movie. Once done talking to his mom, he promptly handed me my present. It's the last photo of the set, a little grasshopper in a plastic bag. No, he did not catch it. Yes, I set it free. He was bicycling home and a friend of our's child was selling grasshoppers with his buddies. So Chris bought one for me. I see this child when I work at the school and he's just the nicest kid. I always look forward to seeing him at lunch. That was just the neatest story. My only concern is I don't want him to grow up smuggling animals into countries. I know he won't. My brain just doesn't work right.

The day was topped off with a yummy meal at Watanabe Restaurant. Very tasty Japanese food. Then we were off to see Transformers 3. I know, I'm not sure what's out that I'd go to instead, but not really my first choice. Problem is last weekend, the bulb burnt out on the projector, so no movie for us. We had to use those replacement tickets they gave us sometime. I really can't complain about a day that just left me feeling like the most blessed woman on the earth.

Cicada

Female Field Cricket
with Damaged Wing

Mating Longhorn Beetles

Unidentified Beetle

Captive Grasshopper

Please know that my opinion is not represented by the following song, but I always loved it, so enjoy!

Sundays in My City - "The New Bridge"

2011-07-03T16:49:00.000-07:00

Each Sunday Unknown Mami gives us the opportunity to show off the places we live. Drop by and check out all the interesting cities. Better yet, show us around the place you call home.

This week I'm taking everyone back to my hometown of Charles City, Iowa. We just got back from a vacation there, and seeing as how nothing new is happening around here, I thought this would be an excellent time to introduce you all to "The New Bridge".

I'm not a big fan. I think most of that is due to how many fond memories I have of the Swinging Bridge. Unfortunately, the original bridge was destroyed in a flood over 3 years ago. You can click on the link above to view photos of the original bridge before and after the flood.

When you step back and take an objective look at the new bridge, it makes a fine replacement. In fact, esthetically, the new bridge is nearly a twin to the old one. Problem is, it doesn't swing. Welcome to the new area of safety, and I'm sure that was probably a requirement for them to get some FEMA money. Still, I feel like all the fun has been sucked out of crossing this bridge. I used to hate that swing when I was little. The bridge always felt like it was going to do a little loop de loop. Still, now that the bouncy feeling is gone, there's no character to the bridge. There's nothing that makes it unique or special.

The generations that grow up with this new bridge won't understand it, but my generation and those that remember the old bridge will probably always miss it.

A Good Old Fashioned Tipi Raising

2011-07-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of June our Boy Scout den was invited out to a tipi raising. A member's grandma and grandpa generously donated their time, land and tipi for the event. I was quite stoked as I had never been to a tipi raising. It was quite the hit with the boys as well. They pitched in as best they could, but most of the heavy lifting and such was done by the adults or should I say the dads, of course. Another first for me was the event of eating a hobo dinner. Apparently this involves wrapping meat and veggies in foil wrapping and cooking it over a fire. Unfortunately due to winds, ours were grilled. They were still tasty though.

The boys were a bit disappointed as they were to light fires for one of their badges. We were supposed to cook dinner in the tipi, so I totally concur with the feeling of being let down. Perhaps another time. After all, with such gorgeous vistas, who can be disappointed for long?

I Have Nothing to Fear But...

2011-06-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Fear Itself? Boy, do I wish. Of course maybe that's why I get myself into these messes. I'm not bright enough to be afraid.

While wandering through some of the most remote terrain I have ever been in, it occurred to me to wonder what should I be afraid of. Snowpack? Nah. I was plowing my way through that pretty good. A trail that's turned into a small falls. Not really. It's mucky but still passable. The rushing waters that could easily become a flash flood? Maybe. Still, those turbulent tides make for great shots. The trees that had fallen across the path? Well, nothing was creaking during my visit, and I was indeed grateful that those trees had the decency to fall over while I was not standing under them.

Indeed. What should I be afraid of? Mountain lions? Bears? Landslides? All solid concerns. In fact, one might even add in a wolverine or a moose. It's possible. I think we have moose out here. And we may even have a wolverine or two especially the higher up the moutain one climbs.

I was giving this some very serious thought. I was the only living soul for miles around in an area where cell phone availabilitly is a mere dream at best and a desperate wish at worst. Granted, the trail started out rather easily, but ducking under and climbing over trees had begun to wear me out. The farther I climbed up the trail, the muckier it became adding to my fatigue. To make matters even more trying, the snowpack became practically impassible. I fell through to my hip again and ended up pushing out with my other knee to climb out. Brrr. I was wearing shorts. My mantra became, "Note to self. Next time bring your hiking boots. Or better yet, learn to snowshoe." The only other humans foolish enough to come up the path behind me came to their senses and turned around.

I was alone again and once again reminded that I make a very easy and tasty target for mountain lions or bears. Especially since I'm wearing my very tasty pjb lunch on my back in my little lunch bag. This too was very tiring. The constant guard. The listening for a snap of a twig. Or perhaps a roar that doesn't sound quite right. A plane going over or a hungry bear? Sometimes it's hard to know the difference. So when I finally came to what I deteremined to be an impassable length of snowpack, I decided it might be best to look at my watch.

That's when I realized I was not going to uber hike a 4.5 miles in two hours and reach Emerald Lake. Nope. It'd been an hour and I'd gone one whole mile. Sigh. I finally realized that I had to give up the ghost. I came to the conclusion that it would not be worth the trouble to wade through part of that snowpack only to wear myself out for another twenty minutes. I also came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to sit and enjoy the wilderness while I munched on the protein packed tastiness that is my pjb sandwhich.

That's when I heard it and I definitely made it known that my lunch belonged to me. Sure, it sounded like a bird, but I knew better. Darn squirrels. No, still not what I'm afraid of, but man, they're not going to start bombing me with acorns and steal my lunch. Not on my watch.

Rested and full of lunch, I felt a bit better as I began to head down. In fact, one might say, I let down my guard. That was my first mistake. OK, you can't count all the mistakes from my previous adventures. I can't count that high. My second mistake came when I went to hurdle my third tree. I realized that coming down put me in a better position because I was higher up from this side, so I wouldn't have to push up onto the tree to sit on it so I could get over it. Yeah. Easier said than done. While doing that, I made my third mistake. I trusted a branch to be solid enough for a hand hold without testing it first. The whole it looks sturdy error. I was in the middle of swinging my weight across the tree trunk, using the branch for a hand hold when...Snap! Ouch does not cover it. Although, I don't recall letting any language fly, so I'm pretty proud of myself for that. I knew I had at least scraped up my hand pretty good. Question is, was there a splinter. (I am afraid of splinters, but that's still not the correct answer.) I steeled myself for a look. Facing these things is much better than not doing so, especially when you're in the middle of nowhere with no help and no phone acess. I immmediately realized two things, it looked worse than it was and there was no splinter. Whew! In true fashion, I had taken a digger so to speak. The skin was still attached. The wound it left being somewhere between a mere scratch and a serious gash. I would live. It was bleeding but not at a rate that would leave me woozy and unable to hike. Although, I was amazed at what a small injury can do for one's coordination. Mine went totally south after that.

Gingerly making my way through the snowpack and the tree hurdles left along the trail, I made my way down in one piece. Although, by the end of the whole adventure my first two fingers on that hand were worn out. I used them to focus my lens. (I'm not taking my camera off manual focus unless I lose an arm.) I also used them to grip the steering wheel on the drive down.

In fact, I will admit that my heart did finally skip a beat or two when the car acted sluggish as I went to start it up. Are you serious? All that, and I'm stranded? Still, not what I'm afraid of though. A mere two mile hike down the road brings me to Palisade Falls and there's always someone there. Especially in the summer.

So what exactly is it I should be afraid of if not wild animals, being stranded, getting splinters or falling through snowpack? I have nothing to fear but...

me, myself and I. After all, I am the one who got myself into this mess.

Snowpack and Soggy Socks

2011-06-30T19:11:00.001-07:00

I should have paid attention to all the talk about snowpack, but no! Now I have soggy socks and a boo boo on my hand. But I also have some cool photos.

Mystery Key

2011-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Sundays in My City - Come in Out of the Hail

2011-06-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

Sundays in My City is hosted by Unknown Mami who gives us all a chance to show off where we live. Stop by for a visit and don't forget to give us a tour of your neck of the woods as well.

Bozeman saw quite the excitement this past Sunday. We had a hail storm! And not having the sense to come in out of it, I stood in our garage and video taped it. Well, no tape involved in this digital age, of course. My particularly favorite part is when the hail starts to ping pong across all the containers in the garage. You even get a glimpse of my lovely tennis shoe as I attempt to show how close it comes flying by me.

What surprised me was hardly any of it had melted when I got up this morning. I know our back yard doesn't get any sun, but wow, it's like the hail was here to stay. Check out the before and afters below.

Here's hoping the weather in your neck of the woods has been less exciting!

Sundays in My City - Insects at Kirk Nature Area

2011-06-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

Each week Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City giving us all a chance to show off the wonderful places we live.

I recently visited Kirk Nature Park and was pleased to find that the wildflowers were in full bloom. In fact, I couldn't believe how many Glacier Lilies adorned the trail. At one point, it looked like both sides of the trail were carpeted with them. This area is very colorful once the flowers bloom. The insects that this park attracts are also quite colorful. I've seen Robber Flies and Snakes Flies out here. This time however, I spotted one unidentified beetle, or as I like to say Little Brown Beetle, and a couple of bumble bees on the hunt for nectar. Still, that was a good sign that spring had come to stay.

Unidentified Beetle

Bumble Bee on Few-Flowered Shooting Star

Bumble Bee Homing in on a Glacier Lily

The Water May Be High...

2011-06-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

But water leads to this...

Which leads to this...

Submitted to Jillsy Girl's June Challenge.
Take the Plunge!

Arid and Thriving

2011-06-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, when the weather started to break around here, I decided to go hiking at Madison Buffalo State Park. Despite the fact that the wind was unrelenting, I continued on my adventure and was rewarded with some of the first insect spottings of the season.

If you look under the ant at the top and to the left,
you will see a beetle shell.

Lessons Learned From Taking the Steep Path

2011-05-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

We've had a few gorgeous days this spring where the sun has come out and the temperature is just perfect for hiking. On one of those days, we journeyed out to the M Trail eager to get out and experience adventure. Well, I had an experience alright. Little did I know that the guys would feel like tackling the steep trail. Fine, I see people jogging up that thing, but I'm barely in shape to walk it much less go at a decent hiking pace.

The steepness is not only hard on my ability to breathe, it also sets off my fear of heights or should I say falling. It's actually not too bad except in a few spots where the dirt trail turns into rock. Those stretches are extremely frustrating for me as I have a hard time getting my footing right. To my credit, I am still here, so I have yet to totally mess it up. Frankly, the steep trail is probably good for me because I've learned a thing or two hiking it. A) Complaining wastes breath and energy. That's very important. B) I need to get in better shape. This isn't the only steep passage in the Bozeman area, and I'd like to be in good enough shape to hike these paths with ease. I know I would enjoy hiking in these spots a lot more if I didn't spend most of those trips stopping to catch my breath and the other half of them huffing and puffing up a mountain. Oh, and I learned that even a mountain can be conquered - erosion for instance. On this day, I saw some spots that had been carved out by water. That actually gave me new insight and a perspective of sympathy. The hike was much easier after that.

Looking back on it, I have no regrets. In fact, I'm very grateful we took the more difficult way up the mountain. When we came down, we took the "easy" way. Yeah, the trail was still mucky and very slippery in a lot of spots. I actually began to wonder if it wouldn't have been better to take the steep way down, too. The best reward for taking the harder passage up - more insects.

Skywatch Friday - Close to Home

2011-05-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Come see views of the sky from around the world at Skywatch Friday.

Here in Bozeman, the rain has hardly stopped all spring. I lucked out this Saturday. The clouds were out, the rain was not. Although it did spit snow for about five seconds while I was out walking on the trails by our house. Taking advantage of the break in the weather paid off for me, as I was able to capture the gorgeous landscape we are surrounded by everyday.

Sundays in My City - Keeping Score

2011-05-29T18:59:00.000-07:00

Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City which gives us all a chance to show off our fair cities. Come by and show us your city, too!

My Sunday was not as petty as the title may seem. Unfortunately, it really doesn't involve any major sports, either. However, I did win a round of mini golf for the first time since we started playing as a family. Even better, I got the whole in one at the end. Usually you get a free game for that, but we'd just bought season passes, so all I got was bragging rights.

The Lost Insect Post

2011-05-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

This bunch of photos may also be a re-post. Either that, or I'm getting distracted and not finishing my posts. These are from about a month ago when we had a really nice day of sunshine. I went for a hike with my family up Sourdough Canyon and was delighted to find some insects emerging.

Sundays in My City - Spring Has Arrived

2011-05-23T21:11:00.000-07:00

Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City. Each week she gives us a chance to take others along on a tour of our hometowns. Check it out!

We spent most of our Sunday running errands - some quite unexpected. (Broke my glasses in half while cleaning them. Bummer.) Still, my husband and I managed to find time for a quick walk among the chaos. I found it to be quite relaxing. Of course, I was wondering why we don't do that more often. Check out what we saw along the way. Spring has finally arrived bringing an abundance of life along with it!

Daly Mansion

2011-05-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

While in Missoula this past spring, we headed out to a local tourist attraction - The Daly Mansion. Unfortunately, the house was not open for the season, yet. Still, we were able to walk around the grounds and I took the opportunity to get some exterior shots. Fortunately for us, the weather was absolutely gorgeous the weekend we were there. I would like to go back sometime and tour the inside. My husband will have many opportunities to take classes in Missoula, so it shouldn't be too long before I can post some interior shots as well.

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Urban Art - Missoula Traffic Signal Boxes

2011-05-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

I apologize if I'm repeating myself since I could swear that I have posted these traffic signal boxes before. I can't find them in my posts, now, so perhaps they got lost in the shuffle when Blogger reset.

In any case, I totally enjoyed seeing these traffic signal boxes turned art projects throughout Missoula during our visit this spring. The splashes of color were a welcome breath of fresh air in the midst of all the city traffic. If you would like to see more check out the following link:

Missoula Art Project Traffic Signal Boxes

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Nature's Ice Sculptures

2011-05-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

This winter the frozen ice at the bottom of our water spouts formed some of the most equisite ice sculptures I've had the pleasure to photograph. Alas, though, all good things must come to an end as you can see from the last two pictures.

McDonald's and Wild Turkeys

2011-05-16T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is the second time I've seen this pair of turkeys at this McDonald's. I'm presuming, of course, it's the same set. Probably a safe bet since McDonald's hasn't added turkey to their menu yet. I'm also presuming they are wild, but I don't know for sure. Perhaps they are someone's free ranging turkeys. Unfortunately, the name of the town escapes me, but I know we were in Wyoming at the time. If I see them again next year, I'll take better notes.

Sundays in My City - Sourdough Trail

2011-05-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I went for a quick hike along Sourdough Trail. I was delighted to discover this blooming pussy willow had attracted a myriad of insects.

Check out Sundays in My City to see other dynamic locations around the world.

Sundays in My City - Flowers and Geocaching

2011-05-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

Best Mother's Day Ever!

One World One Water - Bozeman Public Library

Skywatch Friday - Madison Buffalo Jump State Park

2011-05-07T09:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday's weather was simply gorgeous which meant I could not resist a trek out to one of my favorite hiking spots: Madison Buffalo Jump State Park. The sheer expanse of the area is one of the features I find so attractive. Everywhere I turn, I am greeted with a magnificent view of the surrounding area. Another reason I enjoy this area so much is the abundance of insect life. Not a whole lot was buzzing around this past Thursday, but I did not leave empty handed thanks to the surrounding landscape and the clouds in the sky.

To see more views of our sky, check out Skywatch Friday.

Sundays in My City - Duck Antics

2011-05-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

Each Sunday we all get a chance to show off the town we live in thanks to Unknown Mami who hosts Sundays in my City.

Here in Bozeman, we decided to take advantage of the spring like day and go out to Bozeman Pond to feed the ducks. I think we hit mating season. All I know is the mallards seemed to be fighting over this one duck. Swooping in on each other. Trying to herd her around. Keeping close tabs, making sure she didn't wander off with the other one. Even another duck got in on it chasing the object of the mallards' effections off at one point. A lot of good that did her. Seemed like pairs had finally been chosen as evening fell.

In the meantime, I got some good action shots.

Shadows at the Duck Pond

2011-04-29T20:12:00.000-07:00

During one of our visits to the Montana State University duck pond, I happened to notice these shadows. The crookedness of the shadows was accentuated by the snowbanks that they rested upon.

Denver Zoo in the Daytime

2011-04-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

We usually go see the Denver Zoo at night because they put up some really cool Christmas Lights. The exhibit is called Denver Zoo Lights. This year, however, it was very balmy in Denver, in the 50s, so we decided to go by the zoo during the day. Glad we did since we were able to see most of the animals we miss when we go at night.

If you ever get a chance to go in the day or at night during Zoo Lights, I highly recommend it.

Sundays in My City - Late Easter Wishes

2011-04-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City and gives everyone a chance to show off where they live. Check it out or better yet, join, and give a tour of your town.

Well, I was supposed to be on hiatus due to Screen Free Week, but that was a bit of a bust. While I didn't get a lot of blogging time in, I did use the time to work on my mad Photoshop skills. Last night, though, I channeled all that creative energy into one of my favorite annual activities - dyeing Easter eggs!

Like last year, we used Karo corn syrup and food coloring to make the dyes. Like last year, it was a sticky mess. Still, the combination of those two items makes for some very vibrant colors. I tried using a toothpick to drag dye across the egg. I tried putting some in a dish and rolling the egg around to make a pattern. I tried a fork. The best results came from using the dye like a finger paint. So if you can stand touching sticky stuff, that's the way to go. If you like your eggs a little lighter, that effect was acheived with the bowl.

Meanwhile you can check out our results below.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T08:00:00.000-07:00

Technically I'm still on hiatus due to Screen Free Week. So I set up this automated post to wish everyone a Happy Easter!

Skywatch Friday - Sourdough Canyon

2011-04-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

This week's Skywatch Friday post features the skyline of Sourdough Canyon.

Being one of our favorite hiking spots, this canyon was a natural choice for a hike last Saturady. For Montana in the spring, this particular day was a rare treat. Mostly sunny and temperate, I was fooled into believing that actual spring weather was just around the corner. I am so glad we took advantage of the break in snow to get out on such a picture perfect day. Even the clouds were amazing!

Screen Free Week

2011-04-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Not that I've been the paragon of blogging as of late, but I will be absent this coming week, April 18-24th. This is Screen Free Week, well, here in the United States of America anyway. I won't get into a big discussion about how disruptive this is. Nor will I complain about how I am perfectly capable of managing my own child's TV / Computer / Cell Phone (doesn't have one - see? easy.) habits. Let's just say, this is not my favorite week of the year. And so because my child is still into following the rules exactly as they are, I will be off line next week. Sigh. This whole following the rules thing has its advantages, but this one is a disadvantage for me anyway. I'll catch everyone on the flip side.

Color My World Challenge - Come Join Us

2011-04-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

Jillsy Girl is hosting a challenge this April called Color My World. Come join us in some colorful fun!

Sundays in My City - The iPhone Rocks

2011-04-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Unknown Mami hosts Sundays in My City and let's us all show off where we live. Check it out. Better yet, show off your hometown.

Today's post is a bit lazy I have to admit. I've managed to come down with the flu again or maybe I never get rid of it, so I'm a bit under the weather. Even so, my enthusiasm for testing my new iPhone was not much dampened. So below are some shots I took around the house. They are unaltered except for cropping and a slight bit of sharpening. I was very happy with results.

The iPhone Rocks!

Garfield - Our Cat

Gold - Our Fish

First Grade Art Project (My Son's)

Cluttered Bulletin Board

How to Get Your Foot Out of a Bog

2011-04-09T16:07:00.000-07:00

Many years ago my husband and I lived in Utah. Our son wasn't even a spark in our eyes when we ventured out on this trip. Come to think of it, my D300 wasn't a spark in Nikon's eye yet. I was shooting with my Olympus 620 at the time. Fortunately I did everything wrong that day and survived to tell more tales of harrowing excitement.

The particular target for this day's trip was Utah Lake. I believe we picked that spot because it was supposed to be an excellent place to bird watch. True to this promise, I was quite entertained for awhile, photographing yellow-headed black birds as well as all kinds of bees and other insects. Still boredom began to beckon about half an hour in, and we began to look around for more interesting subjects. Our eyes settled on a field behind us with bits of debris littered throughout the grass. Hum. I love abandoned things. Don't know why. They speak to me.

In the blink of an eye, we were off to investigate. Mistake number 1 had clearly been made. We had gone off the path. Technically there were no paths around there, but we had left the gravel road that circumvented the lake. At first, I couldn't complain. I was finding thistles. Huge Russian thistle with those beautiful purple flowers. What I found crawling on the flowers was equally amazing. Flies, some I've never seen before or since. Vividly colored bees called Augochlora Green Metallic Bees seemed to love this thistle the most. I couldn't have been more ecstatic. That's when I began to notice that some of the discarded junk looked like encampments. Great. I couldn't see anyone else around, so I figured they were older and abandoned as I had originally presumed. Still, not a good feeling.

Desptite this somewhat red (pink?) flag, my husband wanted to press on so we walked through the field and began working on mistake number 2. At the back of the field was a stream, river, none of the above. Bog or swamp comes to mind, but it did seem to be a flowing body of water or at least it once was. Mostly stagnant by this time, the river / stream appeared to be more of a flowing mass of scum than anything that represented water. I kind of forgot about the unease all the detritus left in the field instilled in me and began to photograph the bog / swamp. I'd never seen anything like it and figured short of visiting Louisianna, probably never would. Although to be fair, when I was really little, my Uncle Leo drove us past the swamps in Florida. All I remember about that is having a really eerie feeling and wanting to get back to civilization. This particular day would have gone much better had this new found swamp instilled in me the same sense of eeriness. But that was not to be, a sense of awe had overridden the unease, and I continued to follow my husband back into the overgrowth that surrounded this bog.

That's how I arrived at mistake number 3. We came across a log used to reach the other side of this soupy mess that was once water. My husband's sense of balance is much better than mine. He probably should have gone first, but I went ahead of him. Perhaps a small piece of me was still in tune with that unease. I think though, I was just eager to see where we came out on the other side. Eagerness is a fatal flaw of mine and I tend not to pay attention very well when I am within its grip. Which is how, I managed to step into the bog instead of stepping onto the bank once I got across. Now I have one leg on the log and one leg being sucked into the mush.

The first thing that runs through my mind is - Oh my God, I've stepped into quick sand. How in the world am I going to get out of this. Don't struggle. You're not supposed to struggle. I pleaded, "Help me.", surpising both myself and my husband. To this day, I think he thinks I was talking to him, but I wasn't. I was actually praying to God. I even remember thinking please don't think I meant you and try to rescue me. I had seen too many of those darn shows on discovery where both people get sucked into the quick sand to actually want my husband to try to physically pull me out. I was hoping he would call 911, but I can't recall if we had our phones on us. I don't think there was any way he could have rescued me. Because of my position, half on the log and half off, he couldn't have gotten to the other shore where he would have had enough leverage to pull me out. Even that would have been a big risk. I sure didn't want him trying while balancing on the log because I was afraid he would fall in all the way and sink to his doom.

I decided as all desparate people do, that the only way out of this mess was to make a deal with God. Practically begging, I stated, "I don't want my tennis shoe back, just my leg. Please just let me have my leg back and I will walk out of here barefoot if I have to." (I really didn't want to do that. Even the road had some stuff on it that I wouldn't want my foot to come into contact with, but I figured tetanus shots were better than suffocating in a swamp.) I received my miracle answer shortly after my offer. Literally on a wing and a prayer, I began to do everything wrong.

I realized that my foot had an air pocket under it. I noticed that the swamp did not suck my foot down during the brief respite where my foot rested on top of this bubble. I realized my only chance to escape was to calmly and quickly take advantage of that. Before the current air bubble robbed me of all of my leverage, I yanked my foot up very smootly and very fast. This created another air pocket which gave me enough room to pull my foot up towards the surface. I did it again and again managing to free myself from my would be entombment. There was a brief moment when I thought my shoe would come off. I cheated the swamp of its prize by curling my toes around the inside of my shoe. Can't really say why that worked, but it did.

The swamp did get a taste of sweet revenge, though. My new mud bath attracted quite the swarm of mosquitos. My leg looked like a lump of mystery meat when they were done biting me. (Actually, this trip was the inspiration for the title of my autobiography: How I Got West Nile Virus and Other Adventures. May need some work. I'll worry about it when I write it.) The good news, beside surviving such an ordeal, was that we weren't far from the road and were able to walk back to the car that way. Trust me, walking back over that would be death trap would have been just as risky if not more so than the first trip across. Knowing me, I would have fallen in again. Not from carelessness, but from being too careful. What can I say? I am a woman of extremes.

This is the second story in a set about my adventures while out photographing nature. You can find the first story here.

Warning - Death Trap

Misquito Attractant

Putting on a Brave Face - Not

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Indian Winter

2011-04-08T07:39:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as Indian Winter? If not, there ought to be. Why let summer hog all the glory? I woke up to this, and as far as I can tell, it's still lightly snowing out. Welcome to ~~winter~~ spring.