Born to be Wild

Roosevelt had its magnificent wild horses.  South Dakota's Custer State Park is known for its wild burros.  With long-distance lens at the ready, we began our "hunt" for the wild burros.  We were told by a park ranger that this was a renegade herd.  At one time, these burros were pack animals for the park.  When they were no longer needed, the herd was released and now resided as one of the few wild burro herds in the nation.

Evidently, the term "wild" is used quite loosely in South Dakota.  Our first encounter with the burros came when one shoved his head through the window of the truck, looking for a hand out.  On another trip through their grazing grounds, a burro perched himself in the middle of the road in his own version of "you have to pay toll to the troll" to get past.  To say the least, these little critters easily stole our heart... and anything even remotely edible.

So I braved this wild burro herd to take photos while David and Rox fended off moochers from the back of the truck.  Let me introduce you to some of the gang...

South Dakota on Dwellable

Diamond in the Rough

We left Yellowstone, taking a wild ride over Beartooth Pass.  Quite honestly, its twists and turns rivaled Disney's Space Mountain.

Then... poof... the mountains vanished from the rear view mirror as we headed east toward North Dakota.  I admit that I was melancholy, leaving my beautiful mountains.  It was yet another reminder that our adventure is almost over.  I packed up the long-distance lens on the camera, figuring that I would not be taking many more wildlife shots.

We spent the night in Hardin, Montana, then continued eastward to Theodore Roosevelt National Park.  The terrain began to change, offering hope that perhaps God had a few more surprises for us.  He definitely outdid Himself!

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is truly a diamond in the rough terrain near Medora, North Dakota.  After a bison hunt in the area, Roosevelt was so taken with the landscape that he purchased a ranch that later became part of this beautiful national park.

The arid terrain is dotted with juniper.  Golden cottonwoods line rivers and creeks.  The mountains looked like Indian skirts layered in beautiful reds, greys, and browns, a mixture of sedimentary rock and stone.

We chatted with the park ranger in the visitor center about possible animal sightings.  He marked the map with the best wildlife viewing areas, warning us that with hunting season open outside the park that animals may be scarce.  The next morning, mustering optimism, I reloaded the long-distance lens.

We awoke to a perfect morning, crisp and cool... just a day after a hard rain.  Within minutes, we caught sight of a bull elk running along a ridge against a brilliant blue sky.

Around a bend, we found a bison basking in the sunlight...

And a beautiful doe grazing...

Then I spied him on a ridge... a wild stallion... and I caught my breath.

Since childhood, these magnificent creatures have stirred my heart.  My office is replete with horse art, including paintings, photos, prints, and carvings.  On September 25, 2010, God blessed me with the opportunity to take my first photograph of a wild stallion.  I admit that I wept at the sight of this splendid beast.

Although we had only planned to spend one night, we spent three wonderful days and nights at Roosevelt, reveling in the landscape and wildlife.  Our campsite overlooked a mesa.  Each night, Venus rose above the horizon, and we were bathed in starlight.  

The last morning when we awoke, David and I laughed and both said that we thought that we had heard heavy hooves around the camper during the night.  When we stepped out of the camper, Rox immediately found evidence that we were right.  An enormous bison patty lay not more than eight feet from our door.  After a quick survey of the area, we found the culprit:  a bull grazing about 50 yards from us.  (Roxanne has since certainly developed an affinity for bison... perhaps because she knows what the north and south end of a bison smell like!)

For me, however, it is the wild horses that will bring me back to North Dakota.  I leave you with just a few of the precious moments that we shared with them.   

Tonight I bow in deep gratitude to the One who gave the horse his strength and clothed his neck with thunder.  Job 39:19 

King of the Road... or Why You Can't Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd

There are so many things to write about Yellowstone but we must concentrate on the bison herd.  We spent a good two hours observing them... although not all on purpose!

About 4,000 bison roam free in Yellowstone.  They are the largest land mammal in North America with bulls weighing up to 2,000 pounds.  And just for the record, bison are not buffalos... the only true buffalos live in Africa.

Intrigued by these massive creatures, David, Rox, and I decided to check these critters out and see what we might learn.  Here is a photo collage so that you can see what we saw!

A bull and cow rest peacefully.

Of course, we must have the docile scene of mother and baby.

Evidently not all mothers are as understanding as some!

No, this bison has not been shot.  He has flopped down and is rolling in the dirt.  Strangely enough, a park ranger  told us that this is a flirting maneuver by bulls... lucky ladies!

Of course, there are bull fights.

And normally someone loses.  (No bison was killed in the shooting of this photo!)

Then you have the bad boys on the block.  These two would graze one side of the road, then amble back to the other, apparently just to stop traffic.

King of the Road

It can seem pretty intimidating when a land animal outweighs your car!

If there was ever any doubt that you can't roller skate in a buffalo herd, this photo should convince you.  When the entire herd decided to move from one side of the road to the other, we were stuck in this bison jam for nearly an hour!  And you thought that Houston traffic was bad!

Posing for the next buffalo nickel!

I leave you with the words of philosopher and song writer, Roger Miller:

You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

You can't roller skate in a buffalo herd.

But you can be happy, if you've a mind to!

West Yellowstone on Dwellable

Contemplating the Stars

The moon rises full over the pines tonight.  The Big Dipper hangs over Lake Jackson in the Grand Tetons.  It seems ages since we have watched the stars.  Between Alaska’s midnight sun and overcast skies, we relish a clear night.

King David said it best… “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (Psalms 8:3-4)

When we were finally able to downloaded our email, we were shocked and saddened to learn that one of our church family members had passed away.  This is the second since we began our journey.  We also learned that one of Rox’s walking buddies also died.  Yet, we received a photo of one of our nieces, over eight months pregnant with our new grandnephew.

So we contemplate the stars tonight and wonder about the pain and sadness in the world.  We also anticipate the coming joys and marvel at the adventures that we have had over the past several months. 

Has there ever been a human who has not wondered why life’s experiences happen the way they do?  Even Christ asked “why” on the Cross.  Life has such ebbs and flows.  Why are there so many injustices?  Why are some stricken down in the prime of life?  Why do some of us lose babies before we have the chance to even hold them?  Why do some of us lose them much too young?

We have a dear friend who lost a twelve-year-old daughter to liver disease.  Milton told me that with such a loss you either run to God or run from Him.  Milton chose to run to God.  He now pastors a church in an underprivileged community in Conroe, Texas, offering Christ’s love to drug addicts, prostitutes, and the downtroden.

So why do bad things happen to good people?  I can’t answer that question.  Even Christ said that in this world we would have tribulation.  

I have another dear friend who reminds me in my hours of doubt that “God’s in charge.”  It seems too simple a comment… too innocent… but she’s right.  The highs and lows in our lives are written in the stars.  I believe that when we get to Heaven, Christ will show us the tapestry of our lives and the choices that we had and made. In my own need did I find generosity.  In betrayal did I find forgiveness.  In loss did I find greater love.

Over the years, I have come to realize that every lesson is about love.  That’s the reason that Christianity makes so much sense to me.  It is built on the premise of love.  The Bible tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  (John 3:16) 

Christ told us that there are two commandments, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Luke 10:27)

In our hearts, we know it is true.  Isn’t it love that brings inspiration?  The mother who lost a child to a drunk driver begins an organization to promote awareness.  The father whose child is abducted by a pedophile sponsors a law to protect children.  A wife  forgives her husband’s murderer.  Parents help other parents whose children have the same disease.  A son rides hundreds of miles to bring awareness to breast cancer after his mother's death.  A simple man who lost a daughter now helps lost souls.  Thank you… each of you… for your courage to love.

I feel so small and insignificant against the stars and their Maker.  So tonight we lift up the families of Dennis and Norma and Greta in prayer.  We also pray for Alison and the safe and joyful delivery of her new baby, our grandnephew.  And we bask in starlight and love and ask ‘what are we that You are mindful of us?’ 

Whatever the reason, thank you, Lord.

The Tetons

As many of you know, I love moose.  This entire trip I have tried to capture the essence of moose.  While I am extremely pleased with my Muncho Lake moose shot and the mother and calf shot on the Kenai, I still await my "perfect" bull moose shot.  So we find ourselves in the Tetons, home to nearly 800 moose.

David and I visited the Tetons in 1987.  It was here that I encountered my first moose and fell in love with this gangly yet awesome creature.

I found my perfect bull moose today... drenched in sunlight and dripping velvet.  Unfortunately, he was across a lake.  My lens was not quite strong enough to make this shot the close-up that I wanted.  It did, however, elicit a promise from my husband that we would return yet again to get that perfect shot.

In the meantime, we bask in the beauty of one of the most beautiful of all national parks (in my humble opinion), the Grand Tetons.

The Problem with Kalispell

Several years ago, we visited Glacier National Park.  We flew into Kalispell, Montana (losing luggage along the way), and drove to a lovely cottage that we had rented online.  Less than a quarter of a mile from the cottage, we were surprised to cross a railroad track.  For six straight nights, we were jolted awake by the bellowing of a train whistle as it rounded that track.  The trains came a minimum of six times each night.

Tonight, we are in a wonderful little campground in Whitefish, a town just outside Kalispell.  Once again, we find ourselves next to that notorious train track.  While the whistle doesn't blow as close as the one in Kalispell, trains are passing every forty-five minutes.  The tracks are less than 20 yards from our campsite.  The very ground shudders as each train passes.

While Kalispell and Whitefish are beautiful little towns, please be advised of the trains.  While we are staunch supporters of the railroad system and its benefit to our country, we would rather sleep as far as possible from an active train track.

As of tonight, we are crossing this section of Montana off our sight-seeing list.

Why We Left Canada

We're back on the road again.  We awoke to a heavy deluge of rain with temperatures in the high 30s.  As we drove over the pass into Banff National Park, the rain turned to snow.  Then we hit a blizzard.

It seemed that even this bear was headed south!

We spent the night in our favorite cabin at Johnston Creek.  The lady who checked us in told us that snow was predicted for the entire weekend... 

And that, dear friends, is the reason that we're leaving Canada!

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy

After our maintenance tour in Wetaskiwin and Edmonton, we left for Jasper, one of Canada's national parks... and one of our most favorite places in North America.

As we entered the park, we saw a bull elk resting on a sandbar.  He was surrounded by about eight cows and yearling calves.

Further up the road, I was able to photograph two elks sparing.

When we arrived at our campgound, the park ranger warned us that the elks were in rut and very dangerous.  He cautioned us to give them plenty of space.

Our loop had only a few other campers.  By the time we had Oz set up, we noticed more and more elk cows surrounding us.  Then we heard our bugle boy.  As you can tell by the photo, so did this cow.  It quickly became obvious that we were in the middle of a bull elk's harem!

We finally caught sight of the bull elk, a massive, magnificent creature.  All night, he bugled to his girls.  If you have never heard an elk bugle, it is almost an eerie sound, something like a high-pitched whistle.

We awoke to rustling outside our camper and found that we were surrounded by over a dozen cows and their yearling calves.  The bull elk bugled close by but we couldn't see him through the trees.  I couldn't stand it any longer, knowing that my camera was on the front seat of the truck.  Once the cows had wandered a bit further from the camper, I made a mad dash to the truck to grab the camera.

What a show!  I was amazed at how the cows seemed so comfortable with us around them.  At one point, one of the cows came within five feet of me and the truck.  As I continued snapping photos, she moved a step closer to me.  Discretion being the better part of valor, I opened the door to the truck with as little motion as possible, placing it between me and her.  Thankfully, she moved off and began munching mushrooms.

Jasper on Dwellable

Then I spied the bull.  He was in a thick forested area with one of the cows.  As he moved onto the road, he spied me.

We must have watched the bull and his harem for nearly an hour.  

He would round one of the cows up, rake his antlers on a tree, then bugle again.

Finally, the herd moved back into the woods.  When David and I left the campground, we saw the bull by the men's washroom.  I took this shot just moments before he corralled one of his ladies off into the woods.

A few seconds after he moved off, five guys came barreling out of the washroom.  They had been trapped in there by the bull!

That afternoon, David found the bull resting in the forest.  

That evening, it began to rain in earnest.  We heard no more of our bugle boy and left the next morning for Banff.

Dear Friends, We are having difficulty finding reliable internet sites and have been unable to update the blog as frequently as hoped.  We will continue trying so you won't miss a thing!  

Jasper on Dwellable