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!
Mule Deer in the Snow
These gals let me sit and watch them for a bit. She paws at the snow to get a bite then moves to the next spot to do the same. They definitely have to work hard for a meal. Grazing is an all day affair. Glad to see they have a healthy winter coat.
Snowy Tree Canopy
Had another little snow storm. Took another snowy drive toward the hills. I’ve always liked this canopy over this part of the road that crosses over a creek. We don’t have a lot of trees down low unless you are near a water source. The contrast of the Cottonwoods in a vast landscape of rolling hills always catches my eye.
The clouds were thick but I saw evidence of the clear blue sky through a thin split in the clouds. It’s still winter, y’all.
Poetry in Motion
Poetry in Motion
Nothing much prettier than than a horse walking though the snow at sunset.
Drift Bustin’
As I reflect on our last storm, just last week, big snow flakes are falling outside my window.
The wind had been howling for days, moving the six inches of snow into drifts and rivers and packed the roads with ice. So of course Patrick said, “let’s take a drive to the hills”. I bundled up, we buckled up and took a drive in the comfort of the truck. No ATV this time for me.
This is what’s called a blizzard. A ground blizzard. It doesn’t have to be actively snowing to be a blizzard. The wind was blowing 25 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
As soon as the truck made a track, it drifted back in.
We came out of the hills and had a great view of the blowing snow on and below Squaw Mountain.
Closer to home, the snow was whipping around hay bales.
I find it spooky yet fascinating when the snow blows. It dances in swirls all over the road creating a scene from a scary movie or a disco. It’s dangerous if you aren’t careful navigating through it, but pretty groovy to watch.
We busted through a couple of drifts to get down to the meadow to feed the cows. But that isn’t blowing snow you see surrounding the cattle. The snow and fog you see around them is a result of their hot breath and a wide open run straight for us.
When the wind comes up, it warms us up. It took a couple of days but we warmed right up into the 40’s and most of the snow melted. It finally stopped blowing some time in the early morning this morning and then, the snow started to fall. And so the cycle continues.
Keep toasty, y’all!
Wyoming Windchill
We are in full on winter mode. It is serious. We’ve had temperatures and wind chills well below zero. Like 20 and 30 degrees below zero.
It makes the horse frisky. He throws his head up and down while running alongside the truck.
And the cattle have become cowscicles. But just look at those round bellies. They are weathering the storm beautifully. We cake them daily and they get a fresh bale every other day.
At times, we can’t even see the mountains.
The deer are sporting their full winter coats.
At sunset a couple nights ago, when temperatures barely made it to zero during the warmest part of the day, the river looked like a hot spring with steam billowing out of it. Patrick said he’d be glad to watch me take a dip if I’d like to.
I passed.
Happy Little Snowflake
A happy little snowflake on the deck railing. Merry Christmas everyone! 🙂
November Supermoon
How ’bout that Supermoon last month?
It rose over the meadow during a family photoshoot and we were all pretty excited. We grabbed a few family photos with the moon before it got dark on us.
The clouds rolled in but not before I snapped a few in the complete darkness.
Where Did the Time Go?
I completely missed the month of November here at Uprooted Magnolia. I’ve missed you, to say the least. But all is well here. Actually, it’s wonderful. My calendar booked up with amazing new and former clients and I’ve had a joyful time with each and every portrait session and wedding. And it just keeps getting better. I am excited to see what the future holds with new and exciting projects on the horizon.
We brought the cattle home from summer pasture and good ole Gray is happy to have everyone back so he can boss them around the meadows.
Fall arrived in all it’s colorful glory and stuck around, extending the portrait season. Then all of the sudden, it turned to winter.
We had a cold snap that turned from chilly to downright freezing last week. Whoa, I hadn’t gotten myself mentally or physically prepared and the air hurt my face. I swear my eyeballs froze. Fortunately the river didn’t freeze completely so we didn’t have to break ice for the cows to get a drink.
Hello winter. And Hi everyone, I hope to be more regular again. ttfn. 🙂
October Sunset
I know it’s clichĂ© to say but I don’t care. October is my favorite color. 🙂
Here is a shot toward Laramie Peak at sunset to prove it. The wind has taken a lot of our leaves which means winter is coming. But I will hold on to this feeling for a while. It’s been a couple of really great months out here in the wild west.
Cheers!
Barn Tour Under Overcast Skies
Our last art guild meeting took us on a barn tour. We’ve done this once before and it was a blast. We had the same blustery weather as the last one so it made for some soft lighting and an interesting sky. A lot of the barns in our area were built in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Here are just a few shots from that day.
The Shepard Barn
Wood-vine and plain old nature is taking over this little homestead near the Douglas Barn.
The Artery Barn
I just love the way the texture of barn wood photographs. And the old rusty horseshoes and metal fence make a nice subject as well.
Until next time…
Rainbow Over the Bluffs
I took an evening walk down to the river to scout out spots for upcoming portrait sessions and caught this gorgeous rainbow over the bluffs.
Happy fall y’all!
Roadside Fog
It’s that time of year for those misty, cool mornings that slowly introduce us to autumn. So of course, my camera and I rolled out for an adventure with some roadside fog on one of those mornings.
Next door neighbor, a longhorn cow, having her breakfast.
Field of sugar beets.
Red Angus are grazing in the background. They weren’t visible when I set up for this shot. So I waited for them to get a little closer.
This road runs alongside an already harvested corn field.
Flock of blackbirds “swimming” in the thick fog.
Sunflowers started blooming early this summer and are still popping up in our yard. They are a bright spot on such a gray day.
Intersection on the way home. Our mailboxes are enveloped in the dense fog up ahead.
These views are seen daily from the windshield of our cars and trucks but it looks completely different when it’s underneath a heavy fog.
Taking time to notice our everyday surroundings can be very soothing and even inspiring. I encourage you to the same. Hope you’ve enjoyed these images and may they bring some peace and quiet to your busy day.
Cheers!
Weekend with the Tetons
Storm clouds and rain over the Tetons
I have had a lot of client work lately and haven’t been here blogging as much as I’d like. I’m so thankful for the work and it’s been a great few months. Not to rub it in but I did get to spend the weekend with the Tetons to photograph a wedding on Friday. We were concerned about the fires going on in that dry part of the state but on Thursday, the day we arrived, it rained! It hadn’t rained there in a couple months and we had rain showers throughout the entire weekend. The next morning was clear and we spent time at the ranch while the bride got ready and had a first look with her groom. So romantic! We took a drive, walked across a beaver dam and stood with the Tetons as their backdrop while they said their vows. Everything went off without a hitch and we enjoyed every minute of it. The people we met, dare I say new friends, were a delight.
But the weekend wasn’t over. With a day off in between, I had the good fortune to photograph a newly engaged couple that came out to our gorgeous state from Illinois. He found me on the web, wanted a photographer for engagement portraits in that part of the state and I just so happened to be there that same weekend. We met on Sunday morning and had such a fun session. The clouds capped the mountains for the first hour and after a quick rain, it cleared off and we finished with a great view of the Tetons.
I’m now back at home and feverishly editing and processing. I do have more to share here…it just may be a little while. It’s cooling off and the leaves are starting to change. Yay for autumn! xo
Frisky Fawn
Fawns are definitely out and about and some have hit the ground running. They are the cutest!
Snowfall in Late June
Did that get your attention? Well, it wasn’t snowing the cold and wet stuff. It was snowing cotton.
We took a drive down to the meadows one evening to check the irrigation ditch and the water level of the river. We had already taken the cattle up to summer pasture so all was quiet except the summer wind blowing through the cottonwood trees.
Cotton was on everything. The barbed wire fence, tree limbs and blades of grass were covered. The scenes were out of a fairy tale.
This image is my favorite.
I ran around chasing the sun while trying to outrun the deer flies. We don’t frequent the meadows in summer because the bugs are bad. But wow. I’m so glad I went down there this particular evening.
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!
Tetons: Pronghorn and Lupine
We saw a lot of Pronghorn Antelope. Or Speed Goats. Whatever you wanna call ’em.
Lupine grows in the meadows all around the Tetons. It is a flowering plant in the legume family.
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