SkyWatch Friday - Rainbow and storm

After a great day of fishing on Henrys Lake and after getting a load of firewood, I planned on fishing during the evening.  Four foot waves and lightning accompanied by thunder stopped me from heading out on the water.

But as the storm passed just as the sun was setting we were greeted by a fantastic rainbow reflected off the water.

A little later as the sun had set, it reflected off the boiling clouds over Mount Jefferson on the southwest of Henrys Lake.

An unplanned way to end another wild day in Idaho.

See other great sky pictures at http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Ospreys at work

Most of the oprey nests are showing baby activity now.  But once you get close they hide in the big nests they have built on perches built for them.  One of those nests are just five miles away from my home and I have enjoyed watching them.

Here the female brings a stick to add to the nest even though the baby has hatched.  Maybe they continue building to keep the baby from rolling out of the nest.

While I am a long ways away, the male brings a fish to the female to feed.  You can just see the baby's head above the sticks of the nest

Several hours later, the male bring home a large sucker, probably for both the female and the baby.

Later, the female flies around exercising her wings.

Just another day in the wildness of Idaho.

SkyWatch - Beginning and end of a fishing day.

Sometimes the sunrise starting a fishing day and the sunset, closing it is a good as the catching part of the day.  I try to time my trip to Henrys Lake so that I will catch the sunrise on the Buffalo River or the Henrys Fork.  Here is the sunrise early one morning last week as I was heading fishing.

Then after a successful day of fishing, interrupted by a nap and getting a load of firewood for the winter.  The setting sun bid me farewell as it went to bed.

Just another wild day in Idaho.

Moose

Last week on a two day fishing trip to Henrys Lake, I spent an afternoon on the Henrys Fork looking for photo opportunities.  There were plenty, but the most interesting to me was a cow and calf moose trying to cross the river between tubers and all manner of people in floating devices.

Mama moose become quite concerned as the calf got into some deep water and started bleeting.

She worked closer to the calf and turned toward me with the calf coming behind her.  I slipped behind some pines to watch and photograph the action.

After the calf was in shallower water, the cow decided it was time to drink and eat.  I found it interesting that she would drink and then eat. 

With her mouth full of moss, she would let the water drain out.  I wondered why she did not eat and drink at the same time.

They finally made it to shore, gave me a parting glance and headed into the thick willows.

A floatila of floaters were then able to float on down the river, not having to worry about an angry mother protecting her baby.

Just another few moments experiencing the wildness of Idaho.

Range Fire

Awesome sights are created by impurities in the air.  Yesterday a range fire started west of Idaho Falls about 2:30 with winds whipping up about 40 to 50 mph.  Here are some of the images I took.

Here the plumb of smoke frames the Teton Peaks. This picture is looking southeast.

Here I took a picture of the St. Anthony Sand Dunes.  Everything was colored an eery orange or brown depending the thickness of the smoke.

Here the sun tries to shine through the smoke.

Here the sun filters through the smoke as the trees are still being whipped by 30 mph winds.  This morning the winds had calmed to 5 to 10 mph with the fire still burning.

A beautiful but a destructive way to end another wild day in Idaho.

Yellowstone Park - bears, elk, cousins and a wonderful day

Our Utah kids came to visit us last week and we did a lot of fishing and playing.  On Friday we took three car loads into Yellowstone Park and spent about 15 hours in the park experiencing the beauties of it.

Our first memorable experience was meeting up with three beautiful bull elk.  Here are two of the three in velvet.

Mud pots are not that interesting to me, unless some cousins are walking in front of Grandad enjoying the experience of the mud pots together.

We also saw a wolf - too far for any pictures - and four black bear.  Here is the first one we saw.

The day ended watching a cow elk cross the Madison River followed closely by a new-born calf.  At times all you could see was the calf's ears sticking out of the water.

Just another wild day in the life of this Idahoan.  And of course, we saw a lot of buffalo and people.

Burrowing owls - another beautiful show on earth.

Sitting in a blind for three hours in the hot sun is not fun unless you have some hot action that you are watching.  And hot action it was - seven baby Burrowing owls was intertaining for me as I watched them do all kinds of stuff.  I shot a total of 1200 photos in the three hours.

Here all seven of the owletts are outside the burrow looking for what trouble they can get into.  The one on the right has caught a beetle and is eating it.

One little guy does not like the heat of the sun and is always trying to get in the shade of a sibling.

Everytime a bird or a plane would fly over they would watch the sky intently.  Here all four that were out of the nest watches a plane fly over.

When the parents who usually sat on a nearby sage, would sound the alarm, all would head down the burrow.

Here one little guy tries out its wings, while another one watches and gives advise from the back seat.  Just like a bunch of teen-agers.

Spending just another day in the wilds of Idaho.  Entertainment at its finest.

Summer sunset

Last week while coming home from fishing, the sun was setting in the west between two storms.  I caught the sun between them as it was headed to bed.

A great way to end another wild day in Idaho.