Going Home

I spent one week in Yellowstone with my wife, Ria.  I spent a second week in Yellowstone with 8 amazing students.  Doesn't it make perfect sense that when I started home today from Jackson, Wyoming, I went through Yellowstone?  It was on the way...... sort of........

I guess I just needed to say goodbye.  That place knocks me out.  So here's what happened.  I wanted to shoot Oxbow Bend in the Grand Tetons one last time sinse everybody was going crazy over the changing aspens.  Here's the shot:

Yeah - I think it was worth it too.

I was half way to Yellowstone sooooooo.......

It was really hot today and the light really wasn't special.  Add to that the total lack of clouds and my lack of time and you can see why I pretty much decided to just drive through the geyser basin and say my goodbyes.  I stopped for something to eat at Old Faithful.  I ordered a cheese burger to go.  It might not have been great out - but this was Yellowstone and I wasn't going to spend my limited time inside a restaurant.  I parked over by Old Faithful just for the heck of it and started to chow down.  The geyser went off just then,  Just for me.  OK, there were about a hundred other people around, but it felt like it was just for me.  I love Yellowstone.  That's all I'm saying.  That was the best cheeseburger I've ever had.

Heron Lift-off

Here are some photos from last week in Yellowstone:

Grizzly in Hayden Valley

                                      

Castle Geyser

My first vertical pano!

I think he liked me

 Here are a few from the Grand Tetons:

When I get home maybe I'll post some more and we can talk about the tech stuff.  For now, I'm gonna get some sleep.  It's been a long trip.

Oh yeah - and I promise to figure out how to align these photos!!

I LOVE YELLOWSTONE!!!

My beautiful wife and I have just spent the last week in Yellowstone National Park.  It was way too crowded.  It was a tad warm.  The light was a little flat.  It was heaven.  Nothing can ruin Yellowstone.  Nothing can even diminish the experience of that park.

I'll let my photos try to express the beauty and the magnificence of the wildlife and scenery, but I have to tell you - if you haven't been there - you just don't know how amazing it is. 

Here are a few humble attempts:

Avalanche Peak

Gibbon Meadow

The Secret Swamp

And some wildlife:

This one is of 4 wolves.  4 wolves!!!!!  It's not a great shot - but 4 wolves!!!

Ria got a great shot of 2 running.  Here it is:

Next week - I get to return to Yellowstone.  8 of you are joining me.  I am the luckiest man in the world.  (Except I already miss my wife.) (and I still miss my dog.)

National Park(ing lots)

I went to Glacier National Park the other day.  It was one long line of cars.  This was after Labor Day.  Very frustrating.  I pulled off only in places that no other cars were - just to get off alone - just to be contrary.

I got 2 shots I like.  Here they are:

Avalanche Creek

McDonald Falls

Hey, but don't get me wrong.  I still love the National Parks.  I love that they exist to preserve some of the most inspiring and spectacular nature this country has.  I love that they protect wildlife. I love that they give people the opportunity to immerse themselves in the beauty and wonderment of our country.  

It's just that I dig being lost in the middle of nowhere.  Places that people call home but don't see as...well... scenery.  Sometimes it's hard to enjoy nature amongst tons of cars and hoards of people.  Of course, there are exceptions (Yellowstone), parks so unusual (Yellowstone), and beautiful (Yellowstone), that I would enjoy them even during the busiest season.  I hope to get back to Glacier someday - probably in the late spring.  I do like mountains with more snow. 

I gotta say though that I love driving the 2 lane highways looking for the rare photos.  It's my way of hunting I guess.  You don't get to shoot as much, but those special finds are SO special!!

Here are a few from yesterday:

Bull River off Rt 56 in Montana

Rail Link Engines Rt 200 Montana

I've spent the last 3 weeks wandering the back roads of America's heartland.  I've loved every second of it.  I've shot some photographs I can be proud of.  Now it's time for a change.  I get to go somewhere special,  somewhere I love.

YELLOWSTONE!!!!!

So stay tuned for wildlife and wild scenes.  That is if I can find wifi.

13 Hours on 2 West

Yesterday I was lost in Montana.  OK, I wasn't lost, I was on 2 West.  It was one of those truly rare days when I actually had a destination.  I even had a reservation!  See, I've never been to Glacier National Park, and it is Labor Day Weekend and all...... well you get the idea.

I had never been on 2 West - so that was the plan.  It would take me all the way to Polson, MT where I had decided to stay.  I figured it would be about an 8 hour drive.  Nice easy day.  Wrong (but great!).  It was a terrific road or maybe I was just a shoot 'em up.  What ever it was - it took me 13 hours to get here which means maybe 4 or 5 hours shooting.  Believe me - that's a ton for the kind of nowhere specific area we're talking about.

First - here's a funny story.....  You gotta understand that I hadn't seen any wildlife worth mentioning on this whole trip so far.  I also miss the dog so I was totally fur-deprived.  About 9 in the morning I passed a sign about wildlife viewing area.  That usually means birds so I passed on it.  A mile or so later way off to the right I saw what looked like a huge herd of Pronghorn Antelope.  I took the first thing that sort of resembled a road to the right that I could find.  Trust me - if the farmer who owned that field had seen me he would have shot me. 

As I flew through the fields I wondered when I had last seen my long lens and tried to remember if it was set on stabilization or not.  I salivated over the great herd shots I was going to get, I could taste the excitement of the shoot.  Then I got there.  Yeah - you know what's coming.  It was another field of &^%$&^* hay bails.  The light was reflecting off the back of them and they were on angle and aw hell - they were hay bails!!!!

OK, stop laughing and check out this shot.  I think it might be my favorite so far.  I found it right after the great pronghorn fiasco.

That was the beginning of one of the best shooting days outside of a specific place or event that I've ever had.

Here are a couple more:

There were a bunch more - but these were may favorites.  I even managed a sunset!

It was a long but great day.

Oh yeah - and today, because I was so tired and didn't want to chance crouds, I took it easy and just went for a short ride near here.  Look what I found!!

And she had a friend!

Sometimes life is just good.

Motel woes.....:

So last night I was lost in South Dakota.  I was getting tired and there wasn't a town in sight  There was the Prairie Motel ..... it didn't look like much but I was tired and it was getting dark.

Now don't get me wrong - I really didn't mind sharing the room with 4 or 5 HUGE crickets.  What the heck - I miss my dog....... they were almost that big...... I like wildlife.  If it was just the crickets I probably wouldn't even share the story.

But I gotta tell you about the bed.  You know what a taco bed is?  It's a bed that's so soft it sort of folds in around you when you get in.  Add to that valuer (am I spelling that right?) sheets - no they weren't flannel - I know flannel.  These were fluffy and thick.  I wear pjs.  Hey -I've been known to walk in my sleep - it's safer.  When I got into bed it was like sliding into Velcro.  I'm telling you I couldn't move.  I was a fly on flypaper or a bumper sticker on the back of my truck.  I'm telling you I was stuck!!! 

Ok, enough ranting.... here are some shots from the Dakotas - yesterday and today.

Pond in North Dakota

Yeah - another hay bail

You may have noticed some recurring themes.  Hey bails, ponds.... that happens.  You start seeing the same things over and over again.  They're sucker shots but sometimes that's all there is.

Another series I seem to have been shooting for a while are wind machines.  I like that I'm seeing so many..... alternative energy turns me on.  I may actually do something with these.  Here are a few from just this trip.  The one from Illinois is a pano.
 

Texas

Illinois

Nebraska

Thunder showers with a chance of fair

Yeah - I couldn't resist that title.

Just a quick note today.  I made it back to the fair tonight - after it finally stopped raining.  I'm processing the panos I shot now.  Here's one. 

 

Tomorrow I'm heading north.  Gotta cool off!!  I'm gonna miss the twinkies but not the humidity!! 

Fair with a chance of thunder showers

I got up today all excited and ready to go to the Nebraska State Fair,  but it was raining..... OK - not just raining - thunder - lightning - the whole show.  I could see that there was an opening in the clouds way off to the north west.  So I went for a ride.  I got lost on some REALLY back roads and found some nice things.

Hey look - a place for captions!!  OK - it's a train.

Down the road I found this cool fishing pond.  Wasn't it nice of a fish to make the waves just for me?

Fishing Pond off Rt 58 sort of

After wandering the roads for a while I headed back to Grand Island and headed into the Fair. 

I walked for miles..... no photo ops.  Lots of cool animals, but all had ropes, wires, poles, bars, you name it in the way.  I did see the biggest pig I've ever seen.  This thing was HUGE - but sleeping and just not photo worthy, but it was REALLY BIG and that was cool.  So I ate a corn dog.  It was great!  I walked some more.  Lots of cool rides.  Good for night shots..... I'll be back.  I ate a deep fried Twinky!!!!!  Have you ever had a deep fried Twinky??????  I can't describe the amazingness........ 

I gave up and headed out.  It took a while because I had no idea where I had parked my truck..... yeah....... moron.  I'm going to try to get back tomorrow night for some ride shots.  I was planning on tonight - but it's raining again and I don't feel like standing out there with a metal tripod lightning rod. 

More tomorrow.  Maybe I'll have another Twinky, maybe I'll remember where I park.  The excitement must be killing you.