The Passing Storm

For a few hours today the storm that we had been experiencing passed to the east over the Uintah Mountain and the sun came out. I decided to drive over to Farmington Bay to the Wild Bird Reserve to see what was happening. Except for some really muddy roads, not much was going on..I saw only two types of birds: A few ever-present seagulls, and ducks, and ducks, and ducks. (more on that later.) I thought the sun breaking though the clouds as the storm passed over Farmington was quite pretty, and the sun was shining where I was, on the west side of the Bay.

Now, about the absence of birds except for the seagulls and ducks, and ducks and ducks. One photo can't begin to depict the number of ducks that are presently "camped out" on this portion of the Wild Bird Reserve, but this will give you an idea. Apparently the duck season is open now, because there were a dozen or so people launching air boats onto the Bay down on the south end, and I could hear an occasional shotgun going off when I was there. (Sorry Amy, some people shoot ducks!) You have to click on the photo to get the full effect.

The Wild Bird Reserve is only a few miles west of Farmington and it is not visted much by the general public. Good for me...I hate crowds!

What a November!!

Taken on Veterans' Day, November 11, 2008.

A colorful oak brush filters the light from the early morning sun, a scene not to be seen again for another twelve months.

The last couple of days have been kind of gloomy and cold. I think I must take after my mother in at least one respect, and that is that my mood is very much influenced by the weather. I recall many times, on cold, wintery, overcast days, hearing my mother say that she was feeling "blue". (Since my favorite color is blue, and clear skies are blue, I think it would be more appropriate to say you are feeling "gray"!) In any case, I have been trying to hold on to Autumn by taking photos of bright and cheery scenes. A week ago this tree was resplendent in it's Autumn colors. It will soon be bare.

As I have gotten older I have begun to dislike both the intense heat of summer and the bone chilling cold of Winter. Though my favorite season is late Spring, with its new, fresh grass, leaves and flowers, I have begun to become really fond of fall, especially "indian summer", as it is called. I love the vibrant colors of the changing trees and late summer flowers. These photos are my attempt to capture the feeling of this special time of year. (Click on the photo for a closer view!)

Some roses seem too thrive in the cooler Autumn weather.

A neighbor's kitty sits in the window and basks in the indian summer sun.

My grand children, Nick, Brigham and Brooke Griffiths, on an October evening are anticipating Halloween! Though it's not apparent, they are standing in a pumpkin patch.

A "Harvest Moon" rises over the hills east of Centerville dusted with the seasons first snow.

Taken at Sundance Resort in the Uinta Mountains

I was browsing through my photos and came upon this one of my six-year-old step-granddaughter, Brookelynn Griffiths, feeding her little brother, Brigham. (The picture is several months old, as Brigham now has four teeth and crawls!) There has never been any resentment from either Brooke or her older brother, Nicholas, towards this new addition to the family. On the contrary, they adore him and show great love for him. In fact, Mom and Dad have to watch very carefully, because Brooke tries to pick the baby up and carry him around with her, something her parents have tried to discourage for fear she will drop him. If every child in the world was loved and cared for like this little guy the world would be a different place.

Jackson Hole...God's Country

I never cease to be awed by the raw beauty of the area around Jackson Hole, especially the Tetons. These photos were taken during a brief stop-over enroute to Cowley, Wyoming for the Pioneer Day celebration on July 26, 2008. Our route to Cowley via Jackson was through Idaho Falls, Idaho, East and up over the mountains, dropping into Jackson from the West. This is beautiful drive this time of year, though one must use care crossing the mountains because the road is very steep and winding and it is easy to over-heat your brakes coming down (we did..kind of scary!).

This is the iconic photograph of the Snake River, with the Tetons in the background, made famous by legendary photographer Ansel Adams. This was taken from the Snake River overlook. Since Ansel is now dead, it is impossible to say for certain that this was the exact location from which he took his photo, but most experts agree that it was, at least, very near to this location. The trees in the foreground have grown so much that they now obscure part of the Snake River that was visible in the Ansel Adams photo, which was done in black and white.

The Tetons from the Snake River overlook near the northern edge of Teton National Park.

Indian Paintbrush, the Wyoming State flower was blooming in abundance, even in the barrow pits along the roads.

Small wild flowers were in bloom everwhere, even in the driest places.

Looking Northwest from the east side of Jenny Lake. A trail leads down some 20 or 30 feet to the waters edge. A young girl made her way to the tree overhanging the water and gives a sense of scale to the lake.

No matter where you are in Jackson Hole the Tetons dominate the scenery. This is heading south along the Jenny Lake road between Yellowstone National Park and Jackson .

Rustic mountain brook. This was probably ice just a few hours ago on one of the mountains nearby.