January 31, 2016 - The mountain beyond the aspens. 

January 30, 2016 - The blue Rocky Mountains across the basin through the mouth of Shell Canyon.

January 29, 2016 - A pair of Bald Eagles in a Cottonwood tree above Smith Creek on a bright winter day.

January 28, 2016 - This live juniper "Christmas Tree" is in the median strip on Interstate 90 between Lodge Grass and Crow Agency Montana on the Crow Indian Reservation.  It is a pleasure to pass this way. 

January 27, 2016 - Two hand carved fishing sets from long ago are framed now.  My great-grandfather carved the fishing game set.  The colored fish are weighted and float upright underwater.  They have numbers painted on the bottom for points.  The fish have screwed metal eyelets for mouths.  The little fishing pole has a hand made hook on the line that just fits through the eyelets.  We played this game over a bucket of water as children.  The fishing lures in the smaller frame were hand carved and painted by my grandfather Budge.  I wish I knew if they caught any fish.

Today is my 150th day of retirement.  There are 150 posts here now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January 26, 2016 - Full borrow pits on the road to town this morning. 

January 25, 2016 - The clouds breaking up over Doubledare Hill, and the sun breaking through this morning after the snow last night. 

January 24, 2016 - The skulls of the two large whitetail bucks with locked antlers found in the draw above the house one early spring after the snow melted.

January 23, 2016 - A small group of Mule Deer in the fog and frost. 

January 22, 2016 - Taking the late afternoon sun. 

January 21, 2016 - Shades of whites and yellows in the Whitney pasture this morning.

January 20, 2016 - Today is grey, monochromatic, dark and cold - but only outside.

 

January 19, 2016 - Snow on the cottonwoods along the creek out back after yesterday's storm. 

January 18, 2016 - Snow above Granite Creek on the mountain (from the drive last Saturday).

January 17, 2016 - Six inches of new snow last night and this morning.

January 16, 2016 - Panoramic view of a rare snowfall in Shell Canyon on the western slopes of the Bighorns.  The blue line at far left center is the Rocky Mountains 90 miles away across the basin.

January 15, 2016 - A Northern Shrike on Beckton Hill above Big Goose Valley.

January 14, 2016 - Thirty-four years ago near Banff Alberta.

January 13, 2016 - A pair of Great Horned Owls pass the afternoon in the Blue Spruce out back.

January 12, 2016 - A Whitetail doe in the yard.

January 11, 2016 - The walking sticks on the back porch waiting for spring. 

January 10, 2016 - A Mountain Chickadee in the Golden Willows.  This is one of our common winter visitors, though less common than the Black-capped Chickadees.

 
 

January 9, 2016 - The winter view up the draw and around the corner.

January 8, 2016 - Deer, rabbit and coyote tracks across the ice at the creek crossing.

January 7, 2016 - Moonrise through the aspens at first light this morning.

January 6, 2016 - A bright winter's afternoon at Custer Battlefield above the Little Bighorn River.

The Bighorn Mountains are on the horizon above.

 

The Wolf Mountains on horizon left and the Bighorns, horizon right.

 





January 5, 2016 - Afternoon light on the pine cupboard.

January 4, 2016 - I did something I have been wanting to do for a long time. 
I made approximate measurements of the closest (largest) Grandfather.
     Circumference 1' above ground: 19' 6"     Diameter: 6' 3"
     Circumference 6' above ground: 15' 1"     Diameter: 4' 10"
By proportioning from photo and height of person.
     Height to first branching of trunk: Approximately 20'
     Height of tree: Approximately 70'.
What a magnificent Cottonwood tree.

January 3, 2016 - Sharptail Grouse in the Golden Willows along the creek.

January 2, 2016 - Sunrise from Doubledare Hill out back this morning.

January 1, 2016 - Happy New Year from creekside below Harry McCormick Hill.

December 31, 2015 - New Year's Eve.  A Northern Harrier provides afternoon rodent control and dines on the front fence.