10 Things Friday

OK, a few more photos from my summer travels.

Just have to show you.
I guess because school is SO close now...the stress of going back is making me wish I was far far away on vacation- still.
Maybe next year I should plan my travels in late August to avoid this.

So today's 10 things Friday-10 more photos.

Still haven't done anything to these so here's some more raw snaps. Most of them still need a few moments in Photoshop to crop out the edges or to adjust the color, but you will have to handle these unfinished moments.

Today's theme is 

wildlife.

1. Mama Bighorn sheep and her cute little baby.

We saw so many Bighorn sheep. They come right up to car practically.
We also saw this sign...who knew this about Bighorn sheep?

I certainly didn't.

2. Some mountain goats. Mama and 2 babies perhaps?

Lucked out and spotted these right along the highway. Screeched at Dave so he would pull over the car.

Definitely think these are mama and her little ones. They're cuter than the sheep-I think.

3. A white tailed deer. Need to crop this one and the mountain goats too.

4. And we were SUPER lucky to see this mama wolf. She's been radio-collared. She ran down the road a good mile.

5. And she had 2 pups. You can see the 2 black puppies here. Mom is over the left hand side of the road. Can you see her? This wolf pack or partial pack was amazing to see.

A highlight of animal viewing for me as I have never seen wild wolves before.

(I am kind of a wolf fan...don't believe all this Red Robin Hood lies about wolves. They aren't  friendly like a lot of dogs but they aren't human killers either. Predators yes, so watch out for your pets and other farm animals, but hey, they don't know the human mind -they are wild animals who need to eat. In their world, as I tell my mom when she goes on about squirrels on her bird feeder- they don't know you put the food out just for the birds. Food is food to them. Survival is their prime goal, as is ours too.

OK, enough preaching for a Friday.)

More photos!

6. And how about a black bear, or 2. We saw a lot of black bears too-not exactly sure but it was over 5 and most likely closer to 10. Only these guys are hard to take photos of because you tend to see them running quickly across the road or poking out behind some brush near the side of the road. You get the photo of their back end darting into the woods or you just see the top of the back or an ear sticking up.This guy though went across the road and then stopped to pig out on this flowering plant. Eating to get ready for winter's hibernation is all he wanted to do. I need to crop this photo before I journal it also. 

But we did not see a grizzley. 

Not that I wanted to meet one in the woods, but had one run across the road in front of us, I would have been happy with that.

You see bear warning signs all over the place.

7. And I showed you this guy in an earlier post. He's such a beauty though. Here's another photo of him coming out onto the road.

8. Can you see this lady elk? She was just lounging by the side of the road in Jasper National Park just chewing her cud. Wish she would have looked at us though. But she was not giving one care about Dave and I in the car. We thought she might be a moose at first, but the white rump gave her away.

9.You see these ground squirrels a lot in Glacier. I believe they are Colombian Ground Squirrels but someone told me they were marmots. I don't think they are big enough for marmots, but maybe someone can clear me up on that. Seeing I've never seen a marmot before.

10. We saw tons of signs for the woodland caribou in Jasper National Park, but they say that the chances of seeing one is VERY UNLIKELY. I guess they are really rare and the one herd that is OK in numbers is found so far off the beaten track in part of the park where there are no roads that you wouldn't see them.

But I have never been any place where they even live before.

Seeing one would have been cool.

So that's my post for today.

Hope you liked it.

Happy Friday!

Photos for you

Green fields that go on for as far as the eye can see.

Lake Louise ( the tiny blueish spot in the lower center) under a cloud which is floating between the mountains. You can see a glacier right behind and above the cloud.

A memorial in the middle of an empty forest-reminders of a long ago, World War One, interment camp.

Roads through thick forests.

And vistas looking down in rivers in green valleys.

Lake Louise.

And look at the gorgeous blue these glacial lakes are. Especially in the right light.

And this cool feat of civil engineering. How about this road that goes along the edge of a mountain and has this cool bridge right over the waterfall.

And not just a highway overpass, but special bridges built for wildlife to cross the Trans-Canadian Highway just north of Banff. There's many of these. There's also underpasses for them to cross under too.

And someone was naughty and left behind some graffiti.

Though I like this image.

Smiley face barns right along the highway. Can you see it?

OK, I said wouldn't keep taking you on this vacation journey,

but I couldn't help myself.

(These pictures still need a bit of adjusting for gray-tones)

Have a fantastic rest of your weekend!

10 Things Friday

Ok,I won't be showing you trip photos for too many more weeks (LOL), I promise.

(Unless you're like me and love to see photos of places far away)

Today, 10 favorite photos from my trip to the Rockies. Majestic mountains would be another name for this post.

These are not in any specific order. Just 10 favorite photos...and believe me, I have way more than 10 favorites. 

Also, I have yet to play with these particular photos. They are just raw snaps.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

As you can see, there were fantastic views constantly. It was hard to pick 10 photos. 

I definitely think this is one of the most grand and glorious places I ever visited-at least on the natural beauty.

So I can't believe it is Friday-again.

Yesterday Dave and I went kayaking and then spent some time at his Mom's on the lake, until the thunder and rain drove us inside. No work out of me yesterday, what a summer bum I am right now.

I have been making some cards though-need them to send to Katie when she goes back to college. Pretty soon I'll some photos of those for you to view.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Summer Philosophy

Summer has really set in. I am in that lazy oh well, devil be damned kind of mood. I really want to be outside or on my screen porch reading a good book. This is what happens when you get a lot of weeks off from work. You start still in the go mode and then slowly, over the weeks, you get more and more out of that mode.

Then it is time to return to work and it is a SHOCK to the system.

Plus it is summer and all the heat and long beautiful days don't help you stay very motivated.

This summer it was a very distinct when it happened too. My trip. That's what did me in.

Let me show you a few more photos why it did me in.

Hiking through some peaceful woodlands-over hills, dales and streams.

Lounging in front of a gas fire in a cozy warm hot tub.

Driving through the splash of many little waterfalls that come right down onto the road.

Reaching great heights and passing over the Continental Divide.

Sleeping in a rustic little cabin.

And most importantly

Spending some quality time with my favorite guy.

Hope you like seeing my photos.

Enjoy your day!

Ok, More trip photos

Due to my lack of any art to show you...here's a few more photos from our trip-not the one to Maine, the one to the Rockies.

This is Parky, the mascot for the Canadian National Parks. He was out wandering when we did a mini-trip into Waterton National Park in Canada (sister park to Glacier) as it was Canada's Park Day.

Here's a view from Waterton Lakes. The slogan is where the prairie meets the mountains. And that is true.

I find the prairie an interesting place...coming from New England with our rolling hills/mountains and heavily forested land, grasslands without all the trees is so foreign to me. Do people want a way to hide from the sun? Although the sense of sky is unbelievable. I can see why Montana is Big Sky Country.

And suddenly you come upon this beautiful mountain lake. The end we are facing is in the US, that's how close we are at this Canadian Park.

Prairies and mountains...and lakes.

A pretty place to visit.

Today I am not sure what is on the agenda.

What's on yours?

Home again

Home from my mini-trip- we had 2 wonderful days on Lake Mooselookmeguntic near Rangely, Maine. Took a bunch of photos but I have yet to put them on the computer. Had a great visit. My brother-in-law showed us the lake from his dad's boat...it was beautiful!!!-even when the rain clouds chased us across the lake. We had a campfire on the beach the first night there and also went kayaking down the Kennebago River. We took the boat out and had a picnic on this rural bit of land between Mooselookmegantic and Richardson Lake where the cabins didn't even have electricity and the remnants of the old steamboats (that served the old hotels-no longer on the lake but used to be there to for all the crowds that arrived by trains) could be found. We also checked out this 100 year old dam that will be undergoing some big changes soon. Got to walk behind on the spillway which was neat. We also saw 5 bald eagles. Did NOT see a moose though-granted, I have seen plenty of moose before including in my backyard and almost ran into a bull moose once not far from my house, but still, I wanted to see one. Oh well.

OK this is NOT a moose and it is NOT something we saw in Maine, since it is an elk and as far as I know there are not any wild elk in Maine. But while we were in Banff this guy walked up from the woods onto the road right in front of our car.

He is quite a magnificent guy I think. Here's another view.

Anyhow, I will be back with some photos from Maine, more from my big vacation to the Rockies and I did finish my travel journal from my big vacation which I will take some photos of and post also.

That is if I can get my camera to work.

I had to use my phone in Maine the camera was being fidgety.

Hopefully, buying a new camera is not in my budget right now.

Anyhow....

Not going to bore you with little trivial complaints.

Have a fabulous Friday!

Off Again

Heading out to northwestern Maine later today to go visit my sister-in-law and her husband at their cabin in Rangely, Maine. Since Dave isn't working and we were invited, we figured we might as well go. I've been to Rangely once, when I was a kid, so it will be fun. Maybe I'll see a moose or two.

This little trip is only for 2 nights so I will be back on Thursday so I can work Friday.

Anyhow, a few more photos from my big trip to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies.

Today, wildflowers and garden blooms-since they were blooming up a storm.

I'll be back at the end of the week.

Have some beautiful blooming days till then.