Oh This Montana Weather

I am having a hard time getting my blogs prepared and published this summer.  I'm working long hours - although most of it doesn't feel like work - and not having adventures in places I haven't already written about. And currently my computer is not working and a adapter I have that allows my iPad to read my photo card isn't,t working so all those beautiful pictures about a fabulous Wildflower Tour are still unedited in my camera. Hopefully I'll have everything fixed in another week. That will include getting my bike fixed and visiting a friend in Bozeman while repairs are underway.

The one super changeable item here in the Centennial Valley is the weather. For almost a month now, one of my favorite jobs is to drive to the dam on lower Red Rock Lake to read thoe level of the lake and sometimes partially close the dam. I do this early in the morning and late in the evenings so I can enjoy wildlife and sometimes even sunsets or sunrises.

One morning about a week ago, I got to watch the storm come rolling in with beautiful light changes and play between the light and the clouds in all directions. I'll share those pictures with you this morning.  And I'll add some pictures I took the following evening as the storm cleared away over Lakeview, Montana.

And these are pictures as the storm was leaving the following evening.

I'm real excited because I've been asked by the University of Utah to give a talk about native bees. I had a good start on presentation, which included looking up lots of my pictures and posters, when my computer would no longer take a charge. And I had not backed up my file even though I have multiple ways of doing so.  So I had to start over using a borrowed antique computer, which can not fully access my saved materials over the internet or be much used for research. And I've forgotten my government pin so have to rely on others to gain access. Then, since only my boss and I were around, I got to play hostess to several visitors, and kept getting locked out of the computer.  But the program is finished and today I'll process some bees I caught especially for the program.  Hopefully the college will have received the microscope they ordered  to use with the bee program in  time to let the students see some of our bees.  Otherwise we'll just be using magnifying glasses. The program happens Tuesday.  I get free breakfast as an honorarium.

I'll also be helping to finish the cattle fencing and spraying for invasives this week before taking off a few days for rest, recreation, and repairs.  Life is never boring.

Git Along Lil Dogies

Just before sunup with the crescent moon still showning

After waiting four and a half hours for the no-show cows yesterday, I almost missed them today.  I was out about 5:15 A. to put ropes across our driveways. Then I came back home to grab, my coffee and water bag. By the time I reached the road, I realized from the sound that they were almost to town.  I speed walked up to the top of the hill to catch a few pictures, then ran back down the hill and stationed myself in what turned out to be a horrible place for pictures because half of it was in the early morning sun, while the rest was in shade from the houses.

Coming round the last bend

A wall of cattle appeared

Volunteer Jim leads the way

Sun's up and turning black cows red

What the heck are YOU doing there?

Cattle and horseman

Some walked and some ran

Thinning out

The tail end with the new chuckwagon

Does that herding tool also work as a broom?

The new horse

Modern chuckwagon.  The herders slept on the road last night 

Heading toward the Utah University part of town

The cattle were around the bend by 6:30 A.M. and I saw the cowboys coming back out from establishing them in their pasture about 8:30 A.M.

The town curves and we can see past the east side. The cattle are doing the last mile to the turn to the pasture. 

The last time I saw the herders as they came back
from getting the cattle settled

Here's a little movie I made so you could also hear the drive.

I spent the rest of the morning hunting an eagle nest to see if they have young. But that's another blog.  I'll still be visiting Yellowstone - a little 3.5 day vacation from all this work -  when this blog comes out. I'm sure I'll have lots to tell  you about that.