Clouds and Color

We were watching the sky over the Oquirrh's and caught the neat clouds and the setting sun on the mountains, then walked inside and ran for the back deck to catch the fabulous sunset that was sending the light out!

Chasing the light

Photographers are all about light so when Mother Nature provides a light show we are quick to jump aboard! Yesterday afternoon she did a wonderful show on the Stansbury Mountains as well as in the sky. Here's what I liked about it..

It was only a few months ago

That we bought our new house and began the transformation of the landscape. We moved in May 1 so will have been here 5 months as of 10/1. Seems like a century sometimes. In the middle of all the activity it is sometimes hard to keep perspective - that we have done this all in 5 months - actually 3 since we didn't start landscaping until July.
Here's a look at what is was then and where we are now.

Front and back then...

Front and back now

Windy Thursday

A strong (30+ mph gusts) hot dry wind dominated our day yesterday resulting in much less yard work getting done than planned. The wind just sucks the moisture and energy out of you requiring copious amounts of liquid intake!

But the birds and animals carry on regardless. In the morning we had several meadowlarks foraging in the grass and straw in the back, taking time out to sing their wonderful music occasionally. The antelope were out - this herd is just west of the 7200 west exit  on I-80W - so I stopped to say hello.
And finally, a tumbleweed made it's way across the yard - you can see the bird feeders headed towards vertical due to the wind, and the tumbleweed is blurry despite 1/200 sec shutter speed.

Serendipity

Cloud formations are quite varied and incredible out here in frontier suburbia. The same shade that we enjoyed in SLC blocked out seeing much of the formations - or being able to take a decent photo. While we miss the shade I do not miss the power lines and trees blocking my view of the sky.

Then there is the continuing light play on the flower - one last photo as it slowly 'bites the dust'.

Mountain views

This looks like our last warm week - 80+ during the days.  Cold and wet next week heading into fall and winter. Some pundits are saying snow in the valley in 3 weeks.

Diana, Murphy and I drove to the top of Middle Canyon, just a few miles from the center of Tooele but a world away. The canyon is beautiful, fairly narrow and seems to be well used. At the top we looked across Salt Lake Valley to the Wasatch Mountains with a very small piece of the Bingham Copper Mine showing on the left hand side.
Then we turned and enjoyed the view into the mountains to the west with yellow aspen, red maples and a variety of shades and colors to see.

Life in the slow lane!

Diana has this bundle of twigs and sticks and things on top of a piece of furniture in the living room that catches the sun every morning - beautiful.

Murph and I wandered out to a spring by Timpie Springs WMA and had a good run/walk around the area and through the water. Thankfully the wind was blowing well so the mosquitoes were tolerable - and that is from a former Minnesota boy!

Raptor looking for food.

Dragonflies and rushing water.

Flycatcher - he posed for us seemingly fearless.  Most smaller birds in the sagebrush are quick to fly away.

Murphy looking like he is 2 years old again - he had a great time running through the sage.

Looking up toward the spring headwater - in the summer and fall flyway time these waters are filled with the transients including white pelicans.

Sunshine makes me happy!

Diana cut some of our flowers and set them in a vase by the front door - and this was the result about 6:45pm!

Hummers are back

There are fewer of them but they have been quite active around the feeders lately. I wish there was a way to identify them so we'd know if they are the same or new ones coming by. My rule of thumb is that if they are very nervous around us they are new, if not nervous then old...but who really knows cause I don't talk their language.

Wednesday

Hump day as it is called in the working world! As slow as I am moving today it could be hump day for me also :-)

Here's a few shots from the last few days that I like.

Big sky country at Horseshoe Springs - stand here a few minutes and let it empty you.

Murphy on the alert for jackrabbits..

Morning has broken - once again over the Oquirrh mountains.

Never a dull moment on the frontier!

This morning I was working out on the back 40 when Diana called to me in an urgent voice - "there's a sheep in our garage"! I made her repeat that twice before it sunk in that there was a sheep in the garage!
Up the street are a dog and some sheep - normally only the dog wanders down to see Murphy but today, for some reason, one of the sheep wandered along with the dog. Cute little guy and he could recognize a rope right off and started running! The guys in the truck coming toward us in the last photo stopped to help and we caught him and dumped him (rather unceremoniously as these guys were cowboys) into his home field!
Another day and another adventure in frontier suburbia!

Peek-a-boo

Closeup

This guy has a rope - I'm outa here!!

Raptor Rapture

Murphy and I enjoyed a mid-day drive around the area, stopping at Horseshoe Springs and a rabbit sagebrush area along the way for some exercise. Raptors were everywhere posing for us - except the prairie falcon and the kestrel that would not sit still long enough to get a shot, even while the truck was moving!  Oh well, next time!
The mosquitoes at the Springs drove us out quickly - less than a minute standing still and you could not see the skin on your legs anymore! Down the road we went and stopped briefly to watch these kids driving cattle along. The front dog almost looks like a pig?!
At the rabbit sagebrush area Murphy saw a jackrabbit and chased it a little ways. Usually he is so busy smelling that he never sees the rabbit. But he got a good run in before turning off to check out another enticing aroma.
A wonderful day, as any day above the dirt is. With the plethora of morphs and raptors I am not going to try to identify these for you - enjoy their fierce independence as they gaze at you!

The ravens are on every other telephone pole, very wary of stopping vehicles.

Watcher

Sean and I were working on the garden shed Wednesday and took a break on the deck - only to be closely inspected by this bird of prey. A young red-tailed hawk I believe.

Big sky country

From our Erda house we have a great view of the lake and get to watch passing weather systems as they head into the SLC valley. Here's a storm cloud from earlier this week.
We also get the moonrise and set - when the clouds cooperate! Here's the full moon setting over the Stansbury mountains to the west.

Meandering

We had a great get-together last night, mostly classmates with a few spouses, and thank goodness for name tags! Jeez my memory is poor! But so what, eh?
I got to the park a little early and stumbled on a GBH juvenile so got a couple of shots; kids in Embarrass fair getting ready to show off their riding prowess and control, and the first maples I've seen that are bright red. A delightful day with clouds and sun and wind. Fall is coming.

The Old Home Town

I'm back in Ely, Minnesota, for a couple of days for the 50th reunion of our HS class. In my free time today I drove around town, back out by the old homestead, visited my folks and grandparents graves, and had a blast at the Wolf Center.
The weather cooled off today and the wolves were very active so I got a number of nice shots. They are aware of the people watching them and one came up and laid down right in front of the window that I was standing at - posing for some shots!  Love it!

Ely seems to have re-invented itself with a new slogan.

Cemetery shot.

The sun does come out in Ely amidst the ubiquitous clouds.

The next shots are of the wolves - they are fascinating to watch especially their interactions with one another.

At least one cutesy shot was deserved.

This is the male that came over to the window I was shooting from and laid down and looked up at both myself and the other guy with a camera.