doggie in the window

 

The "call for entries" for the 7th annual "Putting on the Dog" exhibit at the International Cultural Center has closed.  This was on my "maybe" list but I decided not to submit.  It's a perfectly framed golden retriever in an RV-- but probably not what the judges are looking for!  Stay tuned for entries selected and exhibit dates.

 

 

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.18.2015



lamar valley

 

 

Today's rain reminded of a similar day last September while in Yellowstone.  As we left Lamar Valley, the sun came out and blessed up with a double rainbow!

 

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.19.2015

old faithful

 

The Texas Tech Museum has hosted a wonderful exhibit of Ansel Adams images.  Last night I attended a great lecture by Alan Ross, who served as Ansel's assistant for many years.  Alan shared intimate photographs of Ansel, little known portraits taken by Ansel, and stories of how iconic photographs were made.  As I saw Ansel's Old Faithful, I wondered what the pictures of Old Faithful I had taken last September would look like in black and white.  I had no dark room, just Photoshop, but I was pleasantly surprised at the result.

 

Yellowstone National Park

9.15.2015

Highlight of 2015:  Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

 

Life is like a camera

Focus on what's important

Capture the good times

Develop from the negatives

And - if things don't turn out right--

Take another shot!

 

Happy New Year



king of the road

 

This bison literally stopped traffic in Yellowstone by standing in the road and calmly observing the tourists.  Fortunately he was on my side of the bus!

 

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.15.2015

 

 

 

Isolated amid the grandeur that is Yellowstone, the area around Mammoth Hot Springs with dead trees and the spill of travertine offers a bleak landscape.

 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.15.2015

sightseeing

 

 

Even cold, drizzly weather didn't keep the tourists from "oohing" and "aahing" at the steaming thermal features.  Although caustic, the hot steam actually felt good! The Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces were first described by the 1871 Hayden Survey. The Terraces constantly change shape and thermal activity changes the color.  Fresh travertine is bright white and changes to gray as it weathers.

 

Mammoth Hot Springs

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.15.2015

 

through the aspens

 

Fall was a wonderful season in which to visit Grand Teton National Park.  The aspens were golden, the sky blue -- a perfect day.

 

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

 



how great thou art

 

The Chapel of the Transfiguration has no need for a stained glass window.  The window behind the altar frames God's creation.

 

Chapel of the Transfiguration

Moose, Junction, Wyoming

9.14.2015



chapel of the transfiguration

Framed by the Grand Tetons, the Chapel of the Transfiguration is a functioning Episcopal church with seasonal services.  The tiny chapel was built in 1925 on land donated by Maud Noble and was constructed so that the early settlers would not have to make the long buckboard ride into Jackson for Sunday services.

Grand Teton National Park
Moose Junction, Wyoming
9.14.2015

aspens

 

After several gloomy days, our last day in Wyoming was magnificent .  Gray skies gave way to brilliant blue with white clouds -- the better to showcase the glowing aspens.

 

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

9.18.2015

midway geyser basin

 

On a bright, frosty morning the colors of the pools in the Midway Geyser Basin were obscured by steam from the hot springs.  However the red tones of the bacteria mats were vivid and the blue sky shimmered on the reflections.

 

Midway Geyser Basin

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.18.2015

 



Yellowstone elk

 

All visitors to Yellowstone are on the lookout for wildlife sightings.  We saw bear, elk, pronghorn and bison but unfortunately no moose.  This guy watched us as the tourists photographed. 

 

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

9.15.2015

snow on the mountains

 

After three days in Yellowstone (no wifi!) seeing the sights and experiencing rain, snow and hail, we returned to Jackson on a glorious day with new snow on the Grand Tetons.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming



sunrise at oxbow

A great first day photographing in Wyoming!  Getting up at 5:00 a.m. was worth it. 

Oxbow Bend
Grand Teton National Park
Wyoming

devils tower

 

Devils Tower is not only a Wyoming landmark but also a destination for climbers.  The first ascent was July 4, 1893 by a couple of cowboys using wooden ladders, remnants which can still be viewed.  The first technical climbing ascent was in 1937 and today thousands explore the 150 climbing trails among the hexagonal or six-sided columns which comprise the laccolith.  The last large column fell about 10,000 years ago with the next one to go probably the Leaning Column; however, a park analysis in 2006 decided that the column continues to be safe for climbing.  I only hiked the 1.3 trail around the perimeter of Devils Tower.

 

Devils Tower, Wyoming

6.12.2014

devil's tower

 

Devil's Tower rises from Black Hills pine forest of Wyoming.  Long held sacred by the Native Americans, it was "discovered" and named Devil's Tower by Col. Richard Dodge in 1875 while leading a military expedition to confirm reports of gold in the Black Hills.  Rising 865 feet high, the formation was earlier thought to be the core of an ancient volcano: Devil's Tower is now considered an "igneous intrusion" -- molten magma which crystallized before reaching the earth's surface which cooled into vertical symmetrical columns of 4-, 5-, or 6-sides.  President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed Devil's Tower the first national monument on September 24, 1906 under the Antiquities Act.

 

Devil's Tower National Monument

Wyoming

6.12.2014