Category Archives: Nature

Sipapu Bridge Hike…and a Secret Ruin

Posted on May 14, 2014 by westerner54

It’s not supposed to be cold and windy in southeastern Utah at the end of April.  I’d envisioned clear blue skies, warm sun, and hiking in shorts and short sleeves.   What we got was highs in the 40s, and 25 … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Nature, Outdoors, Southwest hikes | Tagged , , , | 17 Comments

Evening in Canyonlands

Posted on May 10, 2014 by westerner54

Canyonlands National Park,  May 2014  “Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished. — Mary Oliver    

Posted in Hiking, Life, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Southwest hikes | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Hidden Yellowstone: What Else Have I Been Missing?

Posted on April 22, 2014 by westerner54

Waaaaay off in the distance – at least a mile away – we could see a brown dot moving around a meadow.     There was no one around with a good scope, so we had to depend on our binoculars to … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Humor, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Photography, Wildlife, Yellowstone | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

Pelican Island and Other Wonders of a Blustery Saturday

Posted on April 15, 2014 by westerner54

A winter storm warning put a crimp in our plans for a long spring hike this past Saturday. Instead, we checked out the weather, saw the storm heading our way from the northwest and decided to head southeast and see … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

April is the Coolest Month…

Posted on April 4, 2014 by westerner54

“Spring” in Montana is a weeks long exercise in frustration. Gray skies, wind-blown dust, snow storms, driving sleet…it drives me nuts. But when I hear the snow geese honking overhead as they make their way north, or see “my” eagles … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Life, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 20 Comments

A Nice Batch of Eagles

Posted on March 28, 2014 by westerner54

Snow geese weren’t the only migrators at Freezout Lake last week.  We were thrilled to discover a healthy bunch of bald eagles gathered at the south end of the lake.  We counted at least fifty of them – all ages – sitting … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

It’s Snowing Geese!

Posted on March 21, 2014 by westerner54

The snow geese are migrating, and earlier this week they were headed right for me. I’d heard that there were 35,000 snow geese at Freezout Lake in central Montana, so one afternoon we loaded up the camper and ended up … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Birding, Camping, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

Blog Neglect, Whale Fever and Just Plain Laziness: the Consequences of Three Weeks in Paradise

Posted on March 10, 2014 by westerner54

Here are a couple of things you might not know: Hawaii is beautiful. Hawaii is one wonderful place to spend three weeks in the middle of winter. Oh, you knew that already? Of course you did. Hawaii, of course, is not … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Nature, Outdoors, Travel | Tagged , , | 17 Comments

Bleu Horses: A Montana Artist’s Gift

Posted on January 31, 2014 by westerner54

If you happen to be driving Highway 287 between the little towns of Three Forks and Townsend, Montana, make sure to check out the herd of horses grazing on the west side of the highway. Montana artist Jim Dolan created the … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Montana, Nature, Outdoors | Tagged , , , | 11 Comments

Time to Tidy Up: Eagles Getting Busy

Posted on January 28, 2014 by westerner54

There’s a job for every season, and the eagles know that better than anyone. They can tell that the days are getting longer (so can I!) and they are suddenly busy with some important nest renovations. I’ve checked out two … Continue reading →

Posted in Birding, Montana, Nature, Outdoors, Wildlife | Tagged , , | 22 Comments