Cow Country
I was contacted by Liz from The Farm Paparazzi who needed a cover photo for the winter issue of Cow Country. I looked through my archives but wasn’t really satisfied with what I already had. So what did I do? I scheduled with my neighbors to join them and the ranch dogs during their morning feed.
I went over around Christmas after days and days of snow. It. Was. COLD.
It made for great winter photographs, however, and hopefully makes one appreciate what ranchers and farmers do to bring food to our kitchen table.
Try not to shiver while viewing these.
Ranchers don’t take snow days off. It is crucial that they get up and out the door at daylight to get food on the ground. With this much snow, their isn’t much grazing for the cattle so they must be supplemented.
The girls were happy to see us and gobbled the hay right up.
Bree gave her approval of a job well done.
And now for the cover image….
They feed a mineral cake similar to what we feed our cows but theirs is ground up.
I am thankful to my neighbors for letting me hang out and take pictures while they worked so hard feeding their livestock. 🙂
Shades of Gray
I wouldn’t be able to find the ole gray horse during a snow storm if he closed his soft eyes. 🙂
We have a few inches of snow on the ground and they’re calling for wind today. It’s already blowing in several parts of the state and even close to our place, but just not yet here on the river bottom. I like the snow, but blizzards make me nervous. I am thankful to be working from home and I say a little prayer for those having to be on the roads today.
Stay warm, friends!
BARk- Kindness Ranch
I continue to sit here with a huge lump in my throat after hearing the heartbreaking news of the senselessness in Las Vegas. The evil that this person unleashed is unfathomable and my heart aches for the victims and their family and friends. And yesterday I just sat here, numb, trying to process. So today I thought I would share a project I worked on this summer to remind myself, and to share with you, that there are still good people in the world with this glimpse into some goodness here in the tiny town of Hartville, Wyoming.
Kindness Ranch and Animal Sanctuary is a safe haven for former laboratory research animals to be rehabilitated and if all goes well, be adopted into a loving home. The article in the fall issue of BARk Magazine by Rebecca Wallick focuses on the great people that work and volunteer on the ranch as well as some pretty awesome animals. I hope you will take the time to read it. It will give you all the feels that you may be needing right about now.
Click on any of the article illustrations below to see a legible version of the story. I hope you enjoy this.
Love and Peace,
Leah
♥♥♥
Grazing With a View
Spotted these grazers out of the dining room window. Not sure if that’s a standoff or just a pause while chewing. 🙂
We’ve had a break from the snowfall. If there isn’t snow, there’s wind, which has thankfully warmed us up. But it’s overcast with the wet stuff in the clouds and it’s definitely on the way. We’re getting close to calving season too. With a storm on the horizon, I better get ready!
Tetons Roundup
Needless to say, it was an amazing adventure in the northwest section of Wyoming. Yellowstone and Tetons are both a sight to see.
Pelicans and geese float the lake. A clear sign that the fishing is probably pretty good!
A western meadowlark grabbed up some yummy breakfast!
Moulton Barn on Mormon Row. One of the most photographed scenes in the world. I put my own spin on it with a delicate spiderweb in the foreground. I’m sure I’m not the first but hey, here it is.
Bison in a field of dandelions. We stayed here a moment and looked through our tour guide’s spotting scope. We saw a brand new bison calf getting used to it’s long legs. So cute!
If the mosquitoes weren’t so bad, I could have watched this swan until dark.
This pond is in Jackson not far from the elk refuge.
We took this trip in late May, early June. I will be heading back to Jackson in September to photograph a wedding with the Tetons as the backdrop. I am excited to see how it looks as autumn begins.
Cheers!
Yellowstone: Wildlife from the Window
Thank you for your kind comments yesterday. I always enjoy hearing from you guys. While I was typing replies and looking over the shots from yesterday, I realized that some of them just didn’t have anything to help with scale. I mean, I’m sure you get it that it’s a large hot spring because the name is Mammoth Hot Springs, but my close-ups and detail shots may not have really shown that.
So in this image above, on the left and beyond the trees, you can see the boardwalk and people. Not only is it huge, it’s high. It was definitely a climb.
Pretty darn impressive.
As I said yesterday, since we didn’t make it to Old Faithful, we sought out landscapes and wildlife in other areas of the park.
One creature that isn’t shy in the daylight or at any time of day in fact is the Raven. They are HUGE! Much larger than the crow that we have at home.
Not only is the size difference a way to determine a raven from a crow, the fluffy feathers around the head and neck is a feature of the raven.
Tower Fall. One of the several waterfalls we visited along the way.
I rolled the window down to get this rumble between two bull bison. The drama didn’t last long.
This coyote casually ran past the bison fight and trotted along with a mission. Not sure where he was going but I thought since he was close, I’d keep the window down for a quick portrait.
We drove for a bit and saw cars pulled off and people out with their cameras just snapping away. Three bull elk were grazing. The one farthest away is a young bull. The two older ones would stomp and chase him away but he’d always come back to graze with them. It’s typical behavior between the young and old. Competition at it’s finest.
I’d like to say that we stayed in the car to get our shots of these guys but we didn’t. We stepped out to get a closer look and we became the average tourist taking a risk to get “the shot”. It’s not a smart thing to do. This is not Disney or a petting zoo. These are wild animals and at anytime, they could look up and see that they are surrounded by a threatening presence of humans. And out of that fear of threat, they could injure any one of us. All I can say is that they are more than likely used to humans ogling at them but if anything were to spook them, we’d be in danger.
Fortunately on this day, these guys were pretty docile and were mostly interested in grazing the bright green grass. I shot this with a telephoto once back in the van. Must be nice to have an impressive rack to scratch that itch.
Artful Hand Studio and Gallery, Reception
My show last week at Artful Hand Studio and Gallery in Cheyenne was a great success. I met a lot of wonderful people and Georgia, the gallery owner, was delightful to work with. It was a great turnout and I brought my wonderful friend Laurie along with me to help set up. Here are some shots of the set up. Visitors came in waves as this gallery was part of an art tour that evening.
The picture at the top of this display is from my shoot in Lusk, WY of The Legend of Rawhide. Patrick encouraged me to get that image printed on metal and boy it was a hit. It is a 20×30 and is quite striking. If it doesn’t sell he says it’s going in his mancave!
I wish I got shots with it full of people but I didn’t have a chance to shoot for visiting and talking with folks. It was so much fun!
Thanks to everyone who came out that evening and to those who visited the following days…and to you who were there in spirit. It was a honor and treat to hang in this gallery and I look forward to more opportunities to work and play with Georgia Roswell and the Artful Hand Studio and Gallery.
Artful Hand Studio and Gallery, Cheyenne
Hey folks, it’s been a very busy summer and blog posts have been scarce. I don’t like it that way but I guess it’s good I’m busy right? Anyway, I have a good excuse. I’ve been preoccupied with printing, matting and framing as I have been invited to be a featured artist in Artful Hand Studio and Gallery in Cheyenne, WY. I couldn’t be more excited! I know many of you are not local but I wanted to share this for those who are and for those who like to travel….you are invited!
Thanks to everyone here for your encouragement and comments on my work. You all keep me going without a doubt. Thanks to Georgia Roswell, artist and owner of the gallery, for giving me this opportunity. I’ll be there Thursday for the artist reception and I hope you’ll stop by!
the Cowboy Rides Again….
I failed to mention to you that with this image, matted and framed, I won first place last year at the Douglas State Fair here in Wyoming. I mentioned it on my Facebook page but didn’t write about it on the blog. I was encouraged by gallery members and friends to enter another. Yesterday was the reception for the second contest I’ve ever entered, the 3rd Annual Platte River Photography Show, also in Douglas. Patrick and I drove the icy roads last Friday to get my images entered and hung.
The competition was fierce with big cash prizes. It was an open show, no categories and you could enter up to 3 framed pictures.
I entered Daybreak, Bald Eagle, and the Chugwater Grainery. The Bald Eagle is on the easel in the image above, 3rd one from the left.
Daybreak is hanging on the wall in the middle of the image just above the blonde looking at the framed pictures in the table.
Third place went to the sweetest picture of a Horned Owl peeking through tree limbs. It was a cute one and a favorite. Now please allow me to toot my own horn…drum roll please…..Second Place went to Daybreak!!! I was so surprised and very excited. The cash prize will definitely help with my travels back east in the fall for my best friends wedding.
First place went to an elephant photographed in a zoo in Utah.
I am so honored to be recognized for my work and am inspired now to enter more competitions and to work even harder at my photography.
Thank you for encouraging me here at Uprooted Magnolia and for all of your comments, compliments and support. You give me confidence in my craft. ♥
*Edit* Duh, I’m obviously in the clouds and forgot to thank the Douglas Chamber of Commerce and the sponsers, Duke Energy and Cloud Peak Energy for providing the prizes.
Now, as soon as the 65mph gusty winds wind down, I will to get back out there with my camera.
Bye for now,
Leah
Scenic Drive Through the Mountains
We weren’t sure where we wanted to go so we jumped in the truck and just drove. It was a beautiful day and I wanted the folks to see our surroundings. Along the way, we caught this Mule deer relaxing in the brush.
We happened upon this quiet ranch. The fresh hay bales means someone is there but at first glance we thought it was abandoned.
We got out of the truck to take in the view and breathe the fresh mountain air. As I walked along a short trail, I stepped on this rock and had to take a picture of it. It came home with me needless to say.
We saw all kinds of wildlife but of course antelope were everywhere we went. You can’t go anywhere without spotting hundreds of these guys in various pastures. But the thing that is a constant frustration to me and Dad with photographing wildlife is that we always get butt shots. They are always running from us and we’re sick of all the rear ends in our lens. So don’t be surprised if one day there is a post on this blog with strictly deer and antelope butts!
But as this one got away, I was glad that the grass covered his backside and I got a good view of his horns.
Fresh Veggies, Bucking Broncs, and Rodeo Queens
Every Saturday for the past month or so at Pocket Park in Downtown Wheatland, local growers have hosted a Farmers Market. We enjoyed some yummy squash and zucchini last week and this past Saturday morning I made it in time to get a couple of ears of corn too. There is a young man who is growing corn to raise money for his college fund so next week I plan on buying a couple dozen to freeze for the winter.
I’ve also enjoyed some herbs from a sweet lady that offered me a taste of fried sage this week. She fried the sage leaves in olive oil with a little salt and pepper and boy was it tasty! Her sage bundles were all bought up before I got to her table so I grabbed the last bag of rosemary and hope to get some sage next week.
There was a young woman there who is a missionary with her family in Honduras. She’s in Wheatland caring for her grandmother for the summer and brought these lovely treasures that she and her siblings have crafted. They are vases and small pots made of pine needles and wrapped with colored thread. There’s even napkin holders and heart-shaped trivets.
She roasted coffee beans from Honduras and had a few bags to sell. Of course I bought the beans because I am a coffee fanatic.
I didn’t buy much but it’s a weeks worth of vegetables for the 2 of us. Squash, zucchini, corn, rosemary, and coffee. The corn is already gone, it was a test drive to see if it was as tasty as it looked, and the vegetables will be steamed every night this week.
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Saturday night, Patrick took me to the State Fair in Douglas for my first ever rodeo. It was so exciting! Those cowboys that ride the bucking horses and bulls are certainly brave and a little crazy I must add. I’ll write and show you pictures soon as I’m now sorting through all the wrecks that make my fanny a little sore just looking at them.
And stay tuned to find out which one of these lovely ladies was crowned Rodeo Queen 2011. I know you are on the edge of your seat but be patient, I will announce the winner soon.
867 Gilchrist Street: the Gilchrist Gallery
The Platte County Art Guild along with Helen and LeRoy Rutz decided to start a Gallery in an empty retail space in Downtown Wheatland. It is a local artist co-op and they’ve been up and running for a couple of months now. The art guild welcomed me in with open arms and now I too am a member of the co-op! Yesterday Helen helped me hang a few of my framed prints from my travels to Greece in 2008 and I also hung a few from my Wyoming collection.
Because this is a commission free gallery, the funds are low for obtaining a sign. But I’m sure if we artists put our heads together we’ll come up with something. Helen says it’s already in the works and we’ll be rid of the poster and cardboard sign soon.
My elk duo in the velvet made the front window!
When you walk in the front door, you will be greeted by one of the artists showcased in the gallery. Every member will put in a day or two a month of running the gallery.
There are all kinds of mediums in the Gilchrist Gallery. Paintings, pottery, stained glass, sculpture, photography, jewelry, and all kinds of arts and crafts.
My framed prints, “Rays of Light” and “Sidewalk Pelican”, hang among these beautiful paintings.
“Rooftop Shipwreck” (top left) “The Perfect Loop” (bottom middle) “Clouds:Santorini”, and “Village Windmill” (both in corner).
I’m so excited to be a part of this gallery and I look forward to my first day of “work” in September.
I haven’t met all of the artists but my new friend Victoria Bennett-Beyer has her photography hanging in this gallery as well.
I’d like to invite you to visit our art gallery and to explore our beautiful little town of Wheatland. And if you have any questions, leave it in the comments section or just shoot me an email!
Introducing ConcertSutra.com
Aimiee Allen at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA in 2009.
Martha’s Vineyard: My Nephew
Wonderful few days last week spent with my family on The Vinyud. Joey is 18 months old now, walking, talking jibberish, and is ALL boy.
He would flash his long lashes and baby blues after playing in the only dirt hole at the park .
Show off his teeth while laughing at that big guy we call Patrick.
And would act coyly when asked for a high-five.
Busy buzzy bee
We’re not the only ones that work hard around here. Remember my Sunny Flower? Well here she is this morning getting worked over by this honey bee.
Sunny Flower for a Cloudy Day
This morning was cloudy but being greeted by this lovely, wild sunflower made up for the overcast sky. They are sprouting up all over town now. I even saw some growing through the cracks along the outside of the grocery store. And to think I was lucky to have one mini sunflower to bloom out of an entire seed packet in my garden in Georgia.
Fawns in the Hay
fawn in our front yard
These twin fawns and their momma bedded down in the meadow out front.
nursing fawns
But now that the grass is short, they’ll need to find a new location. And they will, in the meadow just over the next fence. I’m sure we’ll see them again.
doe and her fawns on the move
A Quiet Drive to Nowhere
On a recent lazy Sunday, we took a drive through the Snowy Range within the Medicine Bow National Forest in Wyoming. It was absolutely beautiful. There was still snow in some parts and Patrick pointed out where he and his buddies drive, er um race, their snow sleds in the dead of winter. I’m still not sure I’ve got the nerve to do it but we’ll see come this winter.
We came across this guy sunning on a rock. He’s a yellow-bellied marmot or Rock chuck.
Rock chuck in the Medicine Bow National Forest
This young buck stopped for a smile while having a drink in this peaceful stream.
Buck Mule Deer
This little guy was perched on a fence when we stopped at a friends house in the mountains just across the Wyoming/Colorado border.
Mountain Chipmunk
no-name road through the mountains
I just love these drives in the middle of nowhere. It feels like we are the only people on earth.
The Laramie Plains
The cows are spending the summer on the Laramie Plains and we go check on them from time to time. I use the term “we” loosely because Patrick goes way more often than I do. But I like to think I do some good on these trips. Hey, I’ve got cows eating cake right out of my hands remember? Anywho, we see a lot of wildlife in this wide open space and I can’t help but share some of the beauty with you once again.
Twin Baby Antelope waiting for momma
Triplets!
The cows were happy to see us. They gobbled up the salt and mineral. They look really good and tubby out there.
Yum!
The bulls were not so happy to see us. They never are.
Staring contest with a bull can be scary.
But it didn’t stop them from attempting to get their groove on.
He's asking her if she wants to "see the inside of his truck".
Patrick spotted these guys as I got out of the truck to open a gate.
Bucks Running Wild
And I almost stepped on these. Thank goodness Patrick saw them before I became Godzilla and destroyed their town and family.
Grounded Birds Nest
As we were leaving, we finally spotted our first state flower of the year. You know it’s summer when you finally see Indian Paintbrush.
Indian Paintbrush, the state flower
more Indian Paintbrush
This guy needed to check us out before we went through his gate. We said hello and went our separate ways.
Curious Horse
It was a good day.
Saturday Evening Rainbows
I raced inside before the storm clobbered the house. Patrick was driving a tractor over from the South Ranch and made it in a little over an hour. It was still sprinkling so I went out to meet him at the shop and drive him home when I gasped, probably swallowed a bug or something. But there it was, a beautiful and vibrant rainbow. Then I realized it was a double rainbow. The further I drove, I could see it from one end to the other.
I sped past him and the shop yelling,” look at the rainbows! I’ll be right back!”
I didn’t go looking for a pot of gold or anything. It was a treasure in itself to sit and watch the clouds move out and the rainbow fade away. This was my kind of Saturday evening.
Uprooted Magnolia 
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