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This week I don’t think I’ve seen the sun at all, and if I have, it was such a brief glimpse that the memory has all but been obliterated. Not that that takes much these days – to obliterate my memory that is. Anyway I digress. Since there was truly nothing worth photographing, my mind wandered (there’s that senile stuff again) and transported me back a few weeks, to a more stimulating and adventurous time – a Wyoming ranch. So, this is today’s entry and mindset. My body is firmly ensconced in my office chair, but my mind is hundreds of miles west. Gosh I hope the weather brightens a little over the weekend. I have plans!!

and Saturday evening, Eric and Nicole’s wedding on the beach at Seabrook Island

There’s nothing like running on the beach and getting all sandy and salty to blow out a week’s worth of office cobwebs. I also didn’t quite realize until my recent trip out west, just how many hours I spend every week just sitting at a desk in front of a computer. Gotta figure out a way to change that. The farmers market should be a wonderful place for an early morning cup of java tomorrow, and then I’ll probably go hunting for fields of golden rod on John’s Island before shooting a beach wedding on Seabrook Island tomorrow evening. I didn’t take my camera to the beach this evening, so this image is borrowed from last week’s shoot on Hunting Island, Beaufort.

This was what it looked like at Hunting Beach State Park near Beaufort, SC this morning.Twelve hours later …

This was my last photo outing of the trip – back to Triangle X Ranch. If you ever visit the Tetons and are looking for a great place to stay, with an authentic ranch experience, you gotta go there.The valley was still full of smoke from fires burning nearby, so lighting conditions weren’t ideal, but hopefully you get the spirit of it all.Tomorrow I catch a 7am flight back east. It has been a really great trip and I hope I can get back here soon – maybe next Spring.

Fires are burning everywhere it seems. I am so fortunate to have been here in the Tetons last week before it all started, because now you can barely see the mountains for the smoke. This image was taken in the Tetons this afternoon.I had an anxious moment when the small gravel road that I was exploring dead-ended, and it seemed as though the fire was racing up behind me. Actually it was the first time in my life that I availed myself of the 911 service, but I didn’t want to turn around and run into a line of fire. Anyway, all was well since the fire was a safe distance from me – it was just the smoke that was very intimidating.Later on, I re-visited the Triangle X Ranch at the time I knew they would be turning the horses out to pasture overnight. I think I would enjoy working on a dude ranch. Maybe in the spring after Leigh and Josh are married, and when I win the lottery…The wranglers are really friendly and now I even get a ride in the pick-up to the pasture, so I don’t have to walk with all my gear.This is Chase, a sheepdog who specializes in herding horses through the pasture gate. She follows them through the creek and makes sure they are all accounted for. I’ll be back there again one more time tomorrow.

That’s not as simple as it sounds, thanks to road closures, detours, and slow traffic. However, I’m on vacation and not trying to beat the traffic to work. The bison (we need to eat more steak) are everywhere, and they particularly enjoy just standing in the middle of the road. Everything comes to a halt and people seem happy just to wait until it pleases the beasts to move.Then I snapped this guy giving himself a great back scratch on the road sign that warns drivers about wildlife on the roadway! I wonder if he can read.A wildfire was burning near Fishing Bridge so visibility was poor due to the smoke for awhile. It did make for an interesting image though.One of the things I wanted to do in Cody was to photograph the Old Trail Town outdoor museum of original log cabins, wagons, and other western memorabilia that have been salvaged from all over and brought to this place to be preserved. It is fascinating, especially when you realize how simply these folks lived. When I looked at the wagons with their wooden wheels and lack of any suspension etc., I vowed never again to despise my car – whatever I drive.

This is not my “official” entry for the day, but since I have a good and fast internet connection in Cody, I thought I’d quickly upload it. This video novelty thing will wear off eventually, but in the meantime, look for the rainbow!

I’ve been in West Yellowstone for two nights now, and it’s time to move on. There’s only so many geysers and hot springs you can photograph before they start to look the same.In fact, I’ve been moving around so much for the last week (filled up with gas for the third time today) that all the roads, rivers, towns and motels are beginning to run together, and it’s hard to separate it all.So, tomorrow the plan is to drive up to the Northeastern entrance, through Cooke City, and along Chief Joseph Highway to Cody, Wyoming. Someone was telling me today that it is a “real” cowboy town, with real cowboys walking through the streets etc. We shall see. Anyway, it’s a long drive, but as I said, I’m done with geysers!

Today I have explored the area around Gardiner, Montana. This town is the northern gateway to Yellowstone National Park. The wonderful thing about travel is that you discover places that are really like the storybook versions. Yes, some of the stores etc. are very tourist oriented, but the people who live here, that own the local grocery stores and take-out places, they are the real thing. Anyway, I went back to Mammoth today to re-visit the hot springs, and also to be entertained by the elk who seem to dictate how life goes in that town. Right now, the elk rut is in full swing, and one bull moose is preoccupied with overseeing his harem of approximately 30 cows, all residing in the town square.The rangers have their work cut out protecting both the elk and the tourists and keeping traffic moving throgh the town. Today’s images are a collage of Gardiner scenes, elk in Mammoth and a video of Angel Terrace hot spring; lower resolution this time for the web. Next time I’ll turn the sound off on the camera which will take care of the wind noise and babbling tourists.