Big Elk Redux

Here's one more of the big elk and some of his herd from this past weekend.

Another Elk Picture from Rocky Mtn National Park

The big guy with part of his "harem." He was very effective and keeping them in line; he obviously is a male chauvinist, but not a pig.

As a deer that panteth. . .

I shot this guy on a photo workshop last weekend up in Rocky Mountain National Park. He was one of the bigger elk bulls I've seen and he seemed king of the 'hood. There was another bull who emerged from a tree line about a mile away from this guy. He bugled once or twice which drew my subject's attention so he turned from here and mosyed over. The second, younger bull soon took off for the other side of a road that was behind me. He wanted nothing to do with a fight.

More Visitors to the 'hood

These two showed up late yesterday morning and spent almost all afternoon firmly ensconsed in the same location. It seems unusual to me to see bucks in the neighborhood before mating season begins around late November. It may be these are young guys looking for some fun. Notice the doe in the background.

I'll have to say, these visitors drive my wife crazy. They are really quite destructive of the lawn, not to mention all the vegetation they eat, because something in their hide seems to kill the grass. Anyway, I managed to get a couple of shots with my Blackberry.

The Big Picture

This is the scenic view.

This is the final shot.

A Mountain Stream

Here's a couple of shots of a small waterfall up near Kebler Pass.

More on the Mountain

The first shot is interesting because of the way all the trees lean up slope. I didn't notice that when I took the shot. The second shot would be pretty good except for the tree right in the middle of the mountain. I should have gone and cut it down, :) That mountain is, I think, either Ruby Peak or Mount Owen, most likely Ruby Peak.

Wildflowers in The Lake Irwin Area

I've been debating about posting any of these, but this weekend, I loaded the trusty camera and headed to the mountains in search of wildflowers. I went up near the Ruby Range, near Lake Irwin, up around the 10,000 ft elevation. There were kind of slim pickin's, due to time, I didn't get great light, and my technical skill wasn't the greatest. But I'll put a few shots up in the next day or so, anyway.

Visitors in the 'hood

This is what happens in my neighborhood when you leave your garbage cans out too long.  Driving home from an errand, I happened across this happy family celebrating their great good fortune.  If a few of these shots seem a bit shaky, there's a good reason, but I couldn't resist.

The owner of this house must have seen the garbage spread out on his lawn, but not the bears.  He came out to the bag to pick it up and looked just to his left and quickly headed back to his house.  

Colors and Angles on the Gold Dust B&B

A Flower Garden in Breck

A Daffodil in Breckenridge

Aspens in Breckenridge

A couple more shots from the morning workshop exercises. The ideas was to look for lines, color and texture, and this is one of the locations chosen.

Turn Your Eye to the Heavens

The first exercise of the workshop in Breckenridge was to go around town and take pictures of old buildings there. The idea was to try to develop an eye for color, texture and shape. Here's one shot.

The First of the Season

I went to Breckenridge last weekend for a John Fielder workshop and took nearly 500 pictures, probably 250 too many. Then, when I got home, I found this scene in my back yard, the first new fawn of the season.

Enjoy

A Couple of Random Shots

After a longish absence, a couple of shots I got this morning.  The weather until this weekend has not cooperated at all.  It has been cool and either rainy or snowy until this weekend.  Next weekend, it's up to the mountains for a day to take in a workshop with John Fielder.  Should be a good source of material for a few weeks to come.  

Looking for a Sign of Spring

It's been a while since I've had anything to post. So, reaching back to the files, this is a shot from June 2 years ago. In a month or so, this will again be a common sight around my house.

Update on Sarah

 Sarah and her sister, Felicity on the hunt.

We made our last trip to Ft. Collins Vet School two weeks ago.  Examination revealed that Sarah's esophagus was open to 8mm (from 5.4) and she could now be considered cured of the stricture problem.  However, the bad news was that the examination also revealed she had some little ulcers in her tummy, likely a result of the Prednisolone given to her after her last ballon dilation to help with the irritation caused by the endoscope.  She has been on a course of anti-biotics for two weeks and has a week to go, but we think that she can begin living a more normal life from now on.  

April in the Rockies

As you might have heard, we've had a bit of snow.  Here's a few shots from earlier today when the snow was coming down hard.  Easter Sunday was much like this so it's been difficult, to say the least, to get out and get some pictures.  

Stay warm!!!

Defeat (or, Who Will Win this Battle of Wits?)

Just checking in. I was lazy last weekend and didn't get many pictures, although I got a couple of shots at the bird feeder I set up on Sunday.

As for the feeder, this has been an effort in frustration. I set one up on a steel pole designed (see above) to hold potted plants. I did this because of the increasingly inventive squirrels that happen to live in my neighborhood. I think those guys all have Ph.D.s in pilfering bird feeders. I put it up about three weeks ago and started getting a few customers. Then I looked a couple of days later and it was empty. I was a little surprised but pleased; I thought the feeder had been discovered and was gaining in popularity among the intended beneficiaries. Then, a week later I looked out my kitchen window and there was a herd of five or six deer sucking the feeder dry -- it hadn't been the birds that ate the seed, it was the deer!

I got brave and headed out to Wal Mart. I picked up a supposedly "squirrel proof" feeder to hang in a tree, out of deer reach; I feared the deer more than the squirrels. I filled the thing only partially full, trying to hedge my bets, and hung it on a Scrub Oak branch. There appeared to be few takers, but I decided to be patient, at least it hadn't been drained. Came home last night after our second blizzard of the year had started, and looked out the kitchen window. The feeder, and the branch it was on, was on the ground. It was empty, of course.

I hate to admit it, it seems just wrong, but I 've been bested by our 4 legged, furry, neighbors.