Harlequin

I was standing on the bridge watching the water race by....

When I noticed a pair of harlequin ducks by the water's edge....
this is another version of find the duck in the picture, try
looking where the water meets the rocks

suddenly the pair was swept into the swift waters

Under the bridge and farther down stream , no struggle just going with the flow

 finally they had a chance to float towards the shore to the quiet waters

Harlequin Ducks are fowl that prefer fast moving cold water. They nest close to shore in well concealed areas. So far they are good. However I worry about their nest if they have indeed prepared one as the High Country snow has yet to come down. Let us hope they know this and have built on higher ground.

In Celebration of the Rain

Nature's chandelier

yellow peepers

Mysterious black fungus

sweet lavendar violets

spring green venturing out

A Lunar surface fungus in a supposedly arid climate

Word has it that this is an semi arid environment. Hard to prove that at the moment as it has rained for 2 days straight. So we will temporarily pretend we are in a North Western rain forest and enjoy the drizzle .

Dusky Visitors

Helping with the yardwork

Twilight visitors

monday musings

rainbow over the Foothills

Late evening rainbow after a rain shower at sunset. It is always a miracle to see such colours in the sky.

Rainbow Saturday

Mountain Brook

A most satisfying Saturday. With great confidence we have taken off the snow tires. The snow melt continues to feed the Mountain Brook as it swells to it's spring time volume. We had rain showers with some small hail in the afternoon mixed with spots of sun . After the hail storm the mountains were treated to a nice rainbow. Elusive to catch on the camera but it does show faintly.

Rainbow after the Hail storm

After a day of working on the house and running errands there is nothing better than getting cozy with a pot of coffee and the dogs at my feet. Quite nice! Hope you had a wonderful saturday!

The best part of the day ! A spot of coffee to warm the body and soul.

Wheat Cradle

The fields that cradle the Wheat

In the mid 1960's when I was a young sprout there were 3.3 billion people on our planet. Now almost half a century later we have doubled ourselves. Through technology we have produced abundance and fed the world. The American farmer in my opinion is the unsung hero of our century. The world has become used to the success of our farm land. When we think about the stewardship of the land and our Earth we have to become aware of the implications of a growing population . Hard questions have to be asked. How many people can we sustain on the Earth? Can Humans become peaceful and put their collective efforts into  endeavors that enhance all persons quality of life? Are we able to plan for alternatives when Nature deals us floods and tornadoes that destroy cropland? It is my wish that every person on Earth wake up after a peaceful night of rest to find nourishing food on their table. There are so many who do not. Can the human race afford to spend our energy and resources on futile wars?

Feathered friends

Some of my favorite Turkey friends

Amazingly the turkeys do not see any danger in being in the middle of the road. A wise colleague of mine stated" you don't want your food to be smart." So I will continue to watch for the fowl and maneuver around them . This was a particularly fetching group.

Spring break up in the seasonal creek

Perhaps in the lower US winter does not have such a grip . This year in Montana we have had whopper snow that started November 17th and actually continued until April 29th when we had 4 inches. Before you send care packages of extra snow shovels and cherry pie Lara bars, know that it has since melted. So the arrival of the seasonal waters in the seasonal creek is a good sign. Snow melt this year will probably bring some flooding as the snow pack is generous.

Measuring

Good Earth

Life is not measured by time on this Earth . Life is measured by love given and love received. This is the essence and the measure that you carry in your soul. This is your treasure .