Image of the Day – Snow and Fog in the Woods
Category: Photos & Photography
Image of the Day – Shadows over Snow
Image of the Day – White Baneberry Cluster
White Baneberries, also aptly called “dolls eyes,” are a toxic perennial that grow in woodlands throughout the eastern US and Canada. This example was found in the Green Mountain National Forest on the Appalachian Trail.
Image of the Day – Birch Bark
Birch bark strip found near Fairyland Pond, Concord MA
Western Journal, Day 2 (Part Two)
Tuesday, September 13, 2016 (continued)
Dad spotted a sign for the National Bison Range and immediately turned off the highway. This is something that would have been a pin on the map had we bothered with any planning ahead of time. Theodore Roosevelt, distinguished for his contributions to the modern conservation movement (and counter intuitively shooting a lot of animals in the process), among his legacies, left the National Bison Range. It is a reserve encompassing a section of these plains and some small mountains within it, for the protection of the bison.
We paid $5 to drive the roads winding about the preserve and within minutes were rewarded with the sight of buffalo silhouettes on the hillside. We rounded a bend and encountered a herd of them, with some of them actually crossing the road just a few tens of feet away from us. I frantically worked my camera, leaning far outside the window, snapping away. As I filled a memory card, I ripped it from my camera, cut open the package to a fresh one I had just purchased (but hadn’t anticipated needing so quickly!) and resumed my photography.
Image of the Day – Stream on the Farm
Image of the Day – Twig
Image of the Day – Dead Tree
Dead Tree beside trail at Sandy Pond Trust Land, Lincoln MA
Western Journal, Day 2 (Part One)
Tuesday, September 13, 2016
I woke up before my father, packed up my tent, and went for a short hike around the state park’s trails. When he rejoined the conscious, he sent me off in the car to fetch coffee. I drove back to a roadside combination café/casino (really a diner on the side of the road with slot machines) and made our purchase. Talking to the woman at the counter, I learned she was from Oregon and had a college roommate from Massachusetts. She playfully called me a “Mass ass,” but I corrected her, noting that the proper slur is “Masshole.”
Upon my return, we set off driving south again, entering the Flathead Indian Reservation again and enjoyed a drive through the country along the lakes the hills surrounding it. We took some detours to drive a few of the long dirt roads providing access to and marking the boundaries between the cattle ranches in the area. Eventually we arrived in a town along the lake and stopped at a diner called Betty’s Café – where they serve all-day breakfast! A delicious helping of scrambled eggs with sausage and the diner’s choice of potato innovations was happily enjoyed.
Moving on, we saw signs for the “Miracle of America Museum.” Anticipating some minor attraction, perhaps a cabinet of curiosities in a shack, consistent with roadside America’s reputation, we pulled off onto Memory Lane in Polson, Montana. Stepping inside, we were awed. Our six dollars for admission gave us access to an incredible collection of vintage motorcycles, carriages, and knickknacks.
Image of the Day – Throne
A rock outcrop in Newbury Field, Concord MA made more comfortable.