the magic of yellowstone....

We always read how Yellowstone is such a harsh environment, random summer thunderstorms, long hard winters, frigid alpine lakes and steaming geysers.  Yet beauty is found in all of these extremes.  In areas where geyser basins expand over time into forests, tombstones emerge.  The dieing, decaying trees become a vital resource for other organisms in the park.  These "treestones" lay idle as a reminder of what once was....

thinking of home....

I was thinking a little about home today, missing it a bit.  In doing so I thought of this picture I took before I left for Wyoming in April.  This is my dads rooster, King Leo, as my sister, Chloe, calls him.  My dad, Mike, bought him this spring at a livestock and flea market sale outside of Brazil, Indiana.  The drive was great, two lanes the whole way, which is quite enjoyable and the way it's suppose to be.  It was my last week in Illinois and dad, Chloe and I headed down in search of some yard birds.  As you can see the mission was a success and we came home with some good looking poultry.

The more excited the rooster gets, the higher his voice goes. He's got a little bit of a Barney Fife quality to him.

-Jeff Foxworthy

a small oasis...

Jenny Lake, Grand Teton National Park

Would you guess I was sitting on a large boulder in the middle of a river?  Two boulders were sandwiching a small amount of earth between, allowing for this tree and some small vegitation to survive there, and to not get washed away.  Another amazing thing about this spot is how different it looked from the other side.  The roots were a bit exposed and moss covered the rocks.  Though the river was rushing so fast around this oasis, I couldn't help but wonder how may small creatures call it home...

my toe in the water.....

Klean Kanteen Kozy

My first post is dedicated to this handy fellow.  You have become my right hand man, useful in many a situation.  I don't scald myself on you anymore when I fill you with delicious hot tea, you are handy at holding my ginger and whiskey around the campfire and of course you are so attractive.  Many times I have searched for something like you, only to end up with a bad taste in my mouth.  I finally realized it was just as my dad has always said, "If you want something done to your liking, then you will just have to do it yourself." 

And so I did.....