Daily Image - Nov '22 Archive

30 Nov 22 We've taken two trips to Glacier National Park, both times quite nice, but much more enjoyable for me than Jan so we haven't been back since. Not sure I'll go again based on reports on how visitation is currently being handled by the parks department. No longer the people's park. During the first visit we came upon a group of Rocky Mountain Goats that weren't concerned by the presence of humans and generally tended to just go about being goats. A nanny and kid were spending a bit of time around one chunk of rock with the kid ascending it first and remaining there for a period of time before mom said, get down, I'll use it now. I shot the whole interaction and this is a shot of mom taking her place and junior contemplating getting down. I've always been amazed at their ability to climb craggy mountain sides but this shot helps, I think, to explain it some. It appears to me that their limbs are relatively short for their body mass as well as having very wide feet. That combination I do believe would keep the center of gravity low and centered making it relatively easy to stay put on the rock's surface. Probably should ask a goat expert to fully explain it. Other than some serious cropping and color correction this is straight from the camera. My Turn Nikon D300; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

01 Nov 22 193 miles SW of Yellowstone is the site of Craters of the Moon National Monument. It spreads across 618 square miles (1,601 km2) and is the largest mostly Holocene-aged basaltic lava field in the contiguous United States. It is also the site where the Apollo astronauts trained for walking on the moon. It is both a spectacular and somewhat ugly sight when you first come upon it but with a little bit of curiosity and some time exploring it - at least for me - became a fascinating part of the history of the Snake River basin. If you should visit this monument prior to visiting Yellowstone your visit to Yellowstone will be greatly enhanced. There is a diorama at Craters that depicts the formation of the Snake River by virtue of several hot spots (volcanoes) that erupted over the millennia; the next one to go is named Yellowstone. I would encourage you to visit the linked site above and read about it. There are many different things to see and do at the park including a scenic drive through it, several trials to walk, a big hill to climb for a spectacular view of the greater area, and lots of lava to play around with. Most interesting to me was the different presentation of the lava in that it doesn't all look the same. As you approach the site you drive along long sinuous sections of black rock that will likely remind you of a huge snake. Once in the parking area you see less of that and more of the porous rock as depicted in today's offering. Lots of fauna adorn the grounds and while we were there at the end of September a fair number of birds. On our return visit 8 day later this same area was covered in several inches of snow. This is straight from the camera. Two Trees and Some Rocks Nikon D300; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/250 sec @ f /16.

17 Nov 22 Our condo sits at the base of Horse Butte, a large hill that is home to a fire lookout as well as a number of snow mobile trails with signage to keep you out of trouble when enjoying the sport. In the spring its hillsides are home to birthing bison herds as is its base on the Hebgen Lake side to campers and fishermen. The road from its lakeside base to its summit, if you dare call it a road, is littered with major sized potholes and plenty of serious erosion to make for wash-boarding going in either direction. At the halfway point where the road widens and offers a place to park you have a wonderful view of the lake with lots of interesting rocks and boulders to provide an interesting foreground. Once at the top you can drive on the snowboard trails but none will take you very far. But in the process there are lots of lovely sights to see such as this one of a stand of golden aspens and a length of old dead trees lying on the ground reminding one of a Mammoth graveyard. It's a fun drive to the top when we visit in the fall but one that is typically blocked by snow when we visit in the spring. As of this past week it is now covered in 2 feet of snow. So too the condo. This is straight from the camera. Before The Snow Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; IO 200; 1/400 sec @ f / 8.

16 Nov 22 About 45 minutes west of Jackson Hole, WY lies Swan Valley, ID. It is part of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem, and home to not only some wonderful dry-fly fishing on the south fork of the Snake River, but also home to a large range of Big Tooth maples. I was told many years ago that the name of the trees was Bear Tooth but it appears I was mislead. These maples turn a vibrant red in the fall and the hillsides around Swan Valley are covered in them. The first time we visited the area was on our initial visit to Yellowstone after having retired and returned to the PNW. We were simply in awe of what we saw as we drove around the area even though we visited past peak time as you will observe in today's offering. We've visited the area twice and I'm thinking we need to visit again but take in more of the surroundings as the images I've seen from there are rather enticing. Might be a good item to put on the list for the next fall visit to the Yellowstone area. That and another visit to Grand Teton National Park when it isn't continuously raining. This is straight from the camera. Like A Christmas Wrap Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/400 sec @ f /10.

14 Nov 22 At a point perhaps 100 yards north of where the Madison river flows under Hwy-191 a couple miles outside the park there is a small backwater area on the west side of the road that is often quite colorful in the fall and a location that I think would be the perfect spot for a moose to be kicking back and enjoying a nice browse. But such has never been the case when we've visited. Generally there will be a few ducks paddling around but for the most part there isn't a lot of critter activity. The colors are always nice, mostly oranges and yellows, but every so often the yellows are totally dominant and once in a while they all peak at the same time. I have no idea what is responsible for the behavior of the colors, but here is an example of how the area looks when it is one of those all yellow years. This is what the camera captured. Roadside View Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 8.

28 Nov 22 Turning right (south) at the juncture of the west entrance road and the grand loop road and driving roughly 6 miles south on your way to the geyser basins you come to a pullout on your right with a story board about the Nez Perce (French for pierced nose) Indians and the passage through this part of the park in 1877. The piercing of the nose was a practice the tribal members had abandoned sometime in the early 1830s but the name stuck. Maybe a quarter mile beyond the pullout you cross the Nez Perce Creek - actually the east fork of the Firehole River but renamed in commemoration of the tribes passage - over a bridge which gives you a view to both my favorite patch of cattails and frequently a group of bison, sometimes numbering in the dozens. There is no parking other than just getting off the road and to shoot you either hug the edge of the bridge or descend a few feet down to the creek. I generally prefer to walk down to the creek's edge but the best perspective of the entire area is seen from the bridge. Today's shot is from the bridge. In the background you can see a nice sized herd of maybe 40 bison but they are sufficiently distant that you will need to zoom in to 100% or more to really see them. On occasion we have encountered them right at the bridge on both sides and that's when it is the most fun to shoot. But with or without the critters it can be a lovely spot to just spread out your blanket and have a lunch with a marvelous view. If you are driving the road and haven't made this stop I would recommend it to you on a nice weather day. This is straight from the camera save for a little contrast enhancement and some burning in of areas. Where the Ancestors Trod Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1/1,250 sec @ f / 8 .

02 Nov 22 To date we have found three different approaches to photographing Mt Baker, Washington's snowiest mountain. The obvious one is where we just visited, at the end of the Mt Baker Scenic Highway, at Artist's Point. Another is at the Boundary Bay Wildlife Management Area in Southern British Columbia where you see the mountain from a waterfront perspective and where you can often see Snowy Owls. The third is a view of the back side of the mountain and the one we most often visit. It is at the end of a short road named NF-1118. There is a lot of really nice foreground material to add to the view of the mountain and if you are patient you can get some very nice sunset images. We generally visit the area in January when the weather can be very iffy and often a bit on the chilly side. One of the nice aspects of visiting the location is the surrounding countryside. Depending on how adventurous you are there are miles and miles of back roads that lead to all kinds of adventures. But you do need to be a little cautious as it is all too easy to get yourself in a tight situation. Four wheel drive, chains, AND a winch are highly recommended. The drive along NF-1118 however is easily accessible for any car. I've removed of a couple of distracting elements and enhanced the sky some. Evening's Approach Nikon D300s; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /10.

03 Nov 22 One of the members on this list has written a couple times about his visit to Yellowstone and seeing a large herd of bison run down and cross the Yellowstone River; it made a lasting impression oh him as I'm sure it would me were I ever fortunate enough to capture such. Unfortunately I've not had that experience although the winter I did go there and got caught in the storm of the century according to the rangers (got trapped inside the park), we did see a small group of bison meander across a tributary to the Yellowstone River in Mammoth, just a mile or so before the road exits the park. The water was at most belly high and they all just strolled across, made there way to a small section of land dividing the tributary, and settled down to chew their cuds with the snow falling all around them. This turned out to be the most critters we saw in the park during that entire visit. It was a spectacular visit, and one where I could have shot enough frames to have made a lovely tabletop book of Yellowstone in the Winter but the folks with whom I was traveling were only interested in shooting the animals who weren't there and ignored everything else. A totally wasted opportunity I think I'll never forget. Today's offering is of those bison kicking back and enjoying the morning 2 days post storm. This is what the camera captured. Kink'n Back Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/500 sec @ f /10. Hope you enjoy, dave.

11 Nov 22 Living in the part of the world we do it is that time of year when the spiders are out in full force. Seems like they would do better when all the bugs and flies are everywhere (summer) but I seldom come upon them then. Once fall rolls around and we get some cool and generally moist air they seem to materialize out of nowhere. I especially like coming upon them when their webs are a meeting place for little droplets of water, especially so when that water is being lit from behind. Such was not the case for this portrait of a young lady taken of her underside. Zoom in and have a look at the marvelous coloring and design on her abdomen as well as those multiple eyes. Kind of an interesting critter when you take the time to see them up close. We'll call this Friday's macro/close-up choice a close- up; if you zoom in to 100% you could consider it a macro as it will be definitely much larger than the actual critter. This is straight from the camera save for some serious cropping. On Station Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 800; 1/100 sec @ f / 7.1.

21 Nov 22 Perhaps a mile, plus or minus a few feet, prior to the 7 Mile bridge you come upon an area where you can clearly see the shoreline of the Madison river as well as find a couple of parking areas, one with picnic tables and the like. It appears these are areas of easy access to the river for those interested in pitting their skills against those of the fish. If you elect to use one of these sites for river access there are a couple of things you might notice. The most obvious, and the central character in today's offering, will be the dead trees, some of which are really interesting in shape, texture, and color. More subtle will be the trails that the animals have worn into the ground that tend to generally parallel the river. In this section the river is at its widest inside the park but also quite shallow. We frequently see ducks, geese, swarms of flies, and the occasional elk. Never seen any of the other large herbivores in this location but I'll wager many of the others, bison and deer in particular, make the occasional visit. But the attraction for me is the downed trees. Today's offering is an example of why I like them. You can see a portion of an animal path under the tree's arch. This is straight from the camera. Road Block Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 800; 1/160 sec @ f / 9.

23 Nov 22 First off, HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you all. Not sending anything tomorrow so this will have to serve for both days. Growing up Puget Sound meant that every Thanksgiving I can remember was a wet, rainy, depressing day. It wasn't until we left the area on active duty for 30 years that we got the kind of Thanksgiving I dreamed about as a child. Although not very realistic, my idea of Thanksgiving and Christmas was provided by Currier & Ives as depicted on cards, calendars, and various other objects like collectable plates. Thanksgiving in my grade school mind was "Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go, . . . . . . through the white and drifting snow" except that it was never any of those in reality. This year it appears we are going to have a sunny Thanksgiving but sadly sans snow. But a sunny PNW Thanksgiving will be a first for me. And probably just as well as I don't have a Grandmother, horse, or sleigh. As I was thinking about the snowy Thanksgiving idea I figured a shot of a first snowfall at the condo might be a reasonable offering for the season. No sleigh or horse, or Grandmother for that matter, but a nice dusting of powdery white snow, a lake just starting to skim over with ice, and some lovely mountains and clouds to complete the setting. This is a view taken from roadside. This is what the camera captured. First Snowfall Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/640 sec @ f / 9.

29 Nov 22 With the weather guessers suggesting there might be a slight chance of snow in the morning (our first if it happens) I thought I go with a snow show that we enjoyed a while back in the area of the condo. This is from Beaver Creek / Beaver Pond on Hwy-287 between Quake Lake (officially Earthquake Lake) and Hebgen Lake. It was the first snow of the season and although it didn't amount to much by Montana standards, it was just enough to make for some nice images. The storm broke in the early morning so I took off to see what might be available and this was one spot I really liked. I would have appreciated some wildlife to appear but none did so I just went with the snow and fall colors. The two ponds are really just one but they are divided by an amount of plant life slowly taking them over. By the time our grand kids reach our age I expect the area to be just a nice meadow. Same kind of activity like that at Picture Lake. The game department maintains lots of bird houses in the area and you can see one in the right hand side of the image next to three evergreens. Another nice location to just hang out and enjoy the scenery with or without a picnic. This is what the camera captured although it is an 8 frame capture. Two Ponds Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/1,000 sec @ f /11.

10 Nov 22 With the first frost having been bestowed upon us this week as well as the first snowfall in some communities and the first blanketing of the Olympics, I thought something of a seasonal theme might be in order. So for today we have a look at the first hint of winter at Beaver Pond just outside the condo by maybe 20 miles. The little skim ice starting to form on the pond plus the frosting on the ground made me think about a number of different stories we read as kids in grade school. The color of the willows and grasses also brought memories of some of the illustrations that went along with those old stories, none of which I imagine would be allowed in today's excuse for schools. But I still have fond memories of them and scenes such as this bring them vividly back. Perhaps you may recall some of them from your childhood as well. Other than a wee bit of contrast enhancement, this is what the camera captured. A Hint of the Forthcoming Weather Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/500 sec @ f /11.

22 Nov 22 Firehole Lake is a seasonal affair whose size and duration is based on the winter snowfall and how hot the summer. One year it wasn't there at all but generally there is a nice body of water in the spring with lots of bird life both on its surface and riding the tall grasses and reeds. At it southern end there is a picnic area with about a dozen tables with a lovely view of the lake. On its western edge it parallels the road although there is no path from the road to the lake proper but you can crab walk down the hillside on which the road sits to reach the water's edge. The lake buts up against the hill in this location so you either stay on the hill or jump in. So far I've only elected the stay approach. On one of our visits the lake had not only failed to dry up for the summer but had overflowed its basin and flooded the parking / picnicking areas due to some apparently heavy rainfall. It was a bit strange but we drove in and found one lone table on mostly dry ground and had a very late lunch and then I did a little investigating to see what I could find that might be of interest. Most of the captures would not be very meaningful unless you are familiar with the area but I thought this one of just some old dead trees with some of the flood waters made for a nice composition that could stand on its own. This is what the camera captured saved for some compositional cropping. Over Flow Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/160 sec @ f / 9.

15 Nov 22 Just past the 7 Mile bridge as you are entering the park is the western end of what I call the Madison Valley for lack of a better name. It is one of my favorite places to shoot in the park and if you are a hiker not all that far to go from the West entrance. It is basically a 7 mile flat walk, bicycle ride, or drive with lots of rest areas along the way if needed. The first pullout after crossing the bridge has parking for lots of vehicles, and plenty of viewing area when there is activity out in the valley. It is a must stop on my way in each trip and often so again on my departure. At one end of the parking lot there are three stumps I like to shoot, two right at the water's edge and one out about 100 feet. This further out one is my favorite and it frequently has lots of waterfowl around it, about 2 dozen in the image I'm sharing today. It has been in the location it is since we've been visiting and I'm thinking it will be there a lot longer. Occasionally there will be a raptor or fishing bird perched on it but that is not frequent. The ducks are almost always there in some number. On this day the hardwoods were nearing peak color and the sky was a lovely blue, the kind of day that beckons you to be out and about. There is one dead tree that gets in the way of the composition that I can't get around when shooting and I could of course just clone it out, but the tree makes an nice reflection on the water and without it the reflection would look weird, sorta like one of the Aboriginal stories in the book The Dreamtime. This is what the camera recorded. River Bend Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/125 sec @ f / 9.

08 Nov 22 A capture that I think may be appropriate for today. Those of you who keep track of these mailings might want to look back to both June and July when I shared a couple images of the Firehole River. The review being of use in remembering the amount of water flowing in the river. The image for today is of that same amount of water as it ends its cascade over the series of rock drop offs that form the Firehole Falls. There are, I believe, three sets of falls that comprise the entire falls collectively called the Firehole Falls ( a fall that is more of a series of drops on a 45 degree slope vs the more typically 90 degree drop) but the one set most visible is this group of boulders at the base. Maybe 30 feet beyond the right hand edge of this capture the river is slowly snaking its way to join the Gibbon River to become the Madison River. The water is flowing gently enough by that point that fishermen stand in the middle to fish. I've even seen children playing at that same location but right where the water leaves the falls proper at its base it is a bit more turbulent. I would imagine it far more turbulent during the peak of spring runoff but as this area of the park is always closed when we visit in early May I've never seen it. This is how it looks in late summer, September time frame. While there aren't any salmon, just trout, in the river I'd love to see something like a salmon run trying to make it up the falls to spawn above it. I can even imagine a few bear looking to dine on such a feast. This is what the camera captured. Conclusion of a Bumpy Ride Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 50; 1/8 sec @ f /29 on a tripod.

10 Nov 22 Most every visit I make to see the Grand Prismatic Spring has me engulfed in the steam that arises off its surface. If the timing is right, meaning that the amount of steam isn't huge and the light is shining from behind, you can get some lovely multi-colored steam in shades of yellow, orange, blue, green, and yellow arising from the spring's surface. When it isn't the view is still nice but not nearly as spectacular. (I've shared some shots prior when the weather has been to my liking.) Today we are looking at Grand Prismatic from above on a day when there was little little steam to hide the underlying spring. Although I have none, I've seen lots of shots with the spring perfectly clear, but I'm thinking those shots at taken in mid summer when the air temp is a lot closer to the water temp. This capture gives a good view of the entire area surrounding the spring and the beautiful colors that give the steam its color. You used to be able to traverse the boardwalk anyway you wanted but in the last couple of years it has been changed to allowing for walking only in a clockwise direction. I've left in the people and vehicles to give some idea as to its size. This is a shot taken from the lookout that was opened about 6 years ago. It is mostly an easy walk from the parking area to where it is located. The last 100 feet or so are a little steep but well worth it. You park in the area for Mystic Falls and take the trail towards the falls; the lookout is about midway al the trail and clearly marked. If you plan of visiting Grand Prismatic Spring do add the walk to the lookout; it is well worth it. The smaller body of water at the middle left is Opal Pool. I've removed a number of annoying distractions. Otherwise, this is what the camera captured. From the Top Nikon D500; Aperture Priority; ISO 500; 1/1,000 sec @ f /9.

07 Nov 22 As most of you probably realize by now, 7 Mile Bridge is among my favorite places to photograph in Yellowstone. There is a roomy parking area immediately on your right just after crossing over the bridge on your way in and you can see a large portion of the western end of the Madison Valley - for lack of a better name - from that location. The Madison at this point is a mishmash of little streams that come right up to the edge of the parking area albeit a few feet lower than the tarmac. There are a couple of old trees/stumps in the water that are favorites of mine to shoot, as well as one being a favorite location for a couple of Great Blue Herons. They seemingly generally aren't too happy about having their photos taken - kinda remind me of the Amish - and don't stick around very long once I have the camera pointed at them. Most of the time I'm lucky to get just a shot or two before they take off for locations less traveled. But as they depart there is always the opportunity to get a few snaps of them in flight which often make for nicer images than those of them just sitting on the dead trees. Today's offering is one such capture. Other than a wee bit of sharpening to highlight the feathers and some severe cropping to feature the heron and not its surroundings, this is what the camera captured. Blue Heron . . . . . .Departing Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/400 sec @ f / 9.

04 Nov 22 As you look around the community most of the hardwoods are displaying a blaze of color while the brightly clothed flowers of summer such as dahlias and sunflowers are on their last legs. It's been an odd year with most everything being late but bountiful in spite of the timing. Our landscape centerpiece maple tree which usually has doffed all its lovely leaves is not yet in full color. Kinda nice to have a continuing fall when the weather turns foul. It was dry all summer through October, what we called an Indian Summer when I was a kid, but come November the weather has turned nasty. Temps have dropped over 20 degrees in a week, we have flood warning up through mid Saturday, and we are told to expect snow showers over the weekend while neighboring communities have already experienced their first dusting. 60s to snow in less than 10 days. I think that is a first for me. The last of the sunflowers occurred about a week ago and now they are looking like bedraggled mops but about that time I had a chance to photograph a few that were part of a fall decoration in a local nursery. Today's offering is one of those shots. This is straight from the camera save for a bit of darkening of the background. At Its Best Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 200; 1/200 sec @ f / 9.

18 Nov 22 One more close up of one of Jan's dahlias for this Friday's macro/close up offering. This is one of those images that is best viewed the further distant you are from the screen. There is a lot of green to either compete with or compliment the red of the flower depending on how you see it. Moving back some from the screen I think makes the two become more of one and as such a more pleasing image but tastes vary greatly. I had originally intended to make everything but the flower pure black and even began the process when I thought that the green might work as well but in a different way. Give it a try and see what you think. Other than some serious cropping, this is what the camera captured. Christmas-Like Crop Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 250; 1/125 sec @ f /13.

25 Nov 22 For this (Black) Friday's macro /closeup I've selected a close up of some lovely red grasses. At the point in the road at which it "Y"s offering us two choices for taking Maggie to her doc, there is a very nice farm stand which features not only fresh produce as you might expect but also a small selection of garden/house plants. On our last visit the weather wasn't exactly to my liking and we drove in rain all the way to the vet. But the rain stopped while Maggie was getting her annual check up and we decided to make a visit to the farm stand on the return leg to see what might catch our eyes. Jan found some colorful produce and I found a few plants to snap. Of them the red grass turned out to be my favorite. It was located unprotected outdoors and as such had a lot of small droplets of water clinging to each blade. Although it had stopped raining, the wind hadn't completely given up and was having fun with the grass moving it like waves in an ocean of air. Took the shots anyway concentrating on a single blade at a time. The resulting images were mostly blurry giving the sensation of movement with just a small portion of one blade being sharply in focus. In an abstract way it made me think of a natural drinking fountain. I liked the effect; let's see what you think. This is straight from the camera. Nature's Original Drinking Fountain Nikon D500; 18 - 200; Aperture Priority; ISO 400; 1 /500 sec @ f / 6.3.