Oh, This Place, This Place

The landscapes here are amazing; even though I look at the same features almost every day, they are always different.

Friday, July 10, we had lots of storms around and lots of leftover clouds, which made for beautiful light all day.  I could not stop taking landscape pictures.

Many of the are from that Friday, but others are ones I've captured in the two summers I've volunteered here.

Early morning view on way to Elk Lake Road while we still had a little snow

Widgeon Pond

Looking across Elk Springs Creek

My favorite view on way to first bluebird box

Taken almost from the same place Friday under the clouds

Another view near area shown in previous pictures

The light on the sandhills on the north side

My favorite picture of the north, sandhills area which I've not been able to get to this year 

Corner of Widgeon Pond

Upper Lake on a sunny day with clouds near the horizon

Upper lake with a rain squall coming in

Upper Lake in the amazing light last Friday

Slightly different vista of upper lake that Friday

Taylor mountain from just west of town

And from still further west

Lower Lake between storm and sunset

Sunset over Culver Pond

On the personal front, I'm hosting my friend Teri ,a friend I met while volunteering at Malheur NWR.  We rendezvoused at Island Park and then did the Shotgun Valley Raptor Survey with Michael last Saturday.  We were finished by noon, so ate a salad at a local restaurant.  Then I suggested we drive less than ten miles further and go see Big Springs. We had a wonderful afternoon there. If you haven't heard my tale of that place, check out my blog from my last visit.

Today, Sunday,  we are about to leave to drive 100 miles around Centennial Valley to do another raptor count. Then we'll go to Yellowstone to do a lot of wildlife watching and hiking for a  few days. I'll probably still be there when this blog comes out.