Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Travels with an Old Man-1


I am out of school for potato harvest and decided to spend the day enjoying the outdoors.  I loaded my fly rod, shotgun, chain saw and camera and headed out at 5:45 in the dark.  About 10 miles out of town it started raining very hard and I almost turned around and headed home but then I thought, "If you wait for rain to stop, you may miss a life-time of experiences."
The rain had slowed to a misty wetness as I pulled into Sand Creek Pond #4.  The planters were hungry and I was enjoying them when other fishermen showed up.  The giggling told me some were teenage girls.  They went down the pond and soon the giggles turned into excited shouts - they were catching fish also. 
I found out that a young man was a very smart young man and knows exactly what to do with young women - pick them up at 6:15 in the morning and take them fishing.  They will never forget you.  Actually he and one of the girls are students of mine.  Here he is will a large rainbow - the girls also caught large fish.


The rain had subsided as I left the Sand Creek Ponds with the trees just starting to change into their fall colors.


I headed across the high mountain desert successfully finding sharp-tailed and sage grouse.  This is Split Butte, one of the dozens of buttes caused by volcanic eruptions.


As I climbed higher the clouds had dropped around the shoulders of Fog Butte - aply named.  There I was able to get a load of fire wood.


As I climbed higher and did some scouting for deer and elk, I found beautiful pockets of colored aspen.


After experiencing a sudden down pour, I found this Swainson's hawk trying to dry out its feathers in the wind.


What a great day spent in the wildness of Idaho.

9 comments:

Gaelyn said...

What a wonderful day full of beauty. In the NW, if you don't go out in the rain, you'd never go out at all.

Monts said...

Great post Bill feels like I spent the whole day with you.

Janie said...

I love the red aspen color.
Your student is smart to take the ladies out for early morning fishing.
Glad you braved the rain so you had such a lovely day to share with us.

Frostbite and Sunburn said...

Well, I'm glad you did not turn around and go home. Lovely landscapes.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

Very nice series of images. That Swaison's is a beauty, as are those golden autumn colours.

Nice talking with you. I posted the hawk images last week. It was an intergrade of a Harlan's and Dark morphed Red-tail~

troutbirder said...

Neat day all right. I never got a day off for potato harvest though. :)

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I sure enjoyed the day with you Bill -- and I didn't even get wet!

Great post! That's a very iconic Idaho sentence that you opened this beautiful post with "out of school for potato harvest!"

Fall is just beautiful there -- thanks for sharing.

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Hi Bill, That sounds awesome. Isn't it just wonderful to be able to get out in the wilderness and just enjoy what is around us...

George and I should name our posts "Travels with an Old Couple"..... ha ha

Have a great weekend.
Betsy

Grayquill said...

Better than nice