My Art and Music

Day 4 - To Yellowstone

But first, a few pics around Tetons.  The sun was out today - first time, and it shows.

Today's featured photo is what I call "the money shot"

 

This is apparently the most photographed spot of the Tetons, and I can see why.  But the sun and no breeze helped.  As an artist I love that reflection!

Today was mostly bird, but particularly owl day.

We visited the more mature owl chicks (are owl babies chicks - well they are here), and got a great shot, in the sun and dry (no spiky mouse treatment this morning)

 

Now I ask you - how could you not love this bird - even though it should have moved out of the house years ago, who cares!

 

Well, the mother could care, and she's just frankly bored with all the hoopla and wants the kids out!

 

At another owl nest, it seems to be the parent's prerogative to sleep - a lot.  Course they are nocturnal, but still - it's all with one eye open!

 

And when the parent will sleep the kids will peep...although this is clearly a bad hair day for someone!

 

And finally two great duck shots from the Tetons river. 

 

Tomorrow is a first full day at Yellowstone and we've already spotted an Eagle's Nest!

Day 3 The Tetons

For today's installment, we have decided to feature the photo of the day!!!  This is a photo for one reason or another we (usually Walt) think(s) would be particularly descriptive of our trip or day.

To understand this process one must understand the logic of Walt which can be succinctly summed up in this photo for Walt posing in front of his favorite aircraft...ha ha!!!

So for today's photo - voila!

 

Yes - this is hilarious...with dinner in the mouth, I call this making room for dinner!

Here's a cuter shot:

Although this makes the point of how severe the winters are here, to see this little red fox so thin.  He was trekking very fast toward his den, we figure to feed some of her kits.  Hopefully she will have a plentiful summer, now that winter's over....

Well, sorta!

It's May 24th - one week from Memorial Day - and good grief it's still snowing!  The snow is not what is so bothersome, it's the clouds and in particular no sunshine for photographers that's such a bummer!

But I digress...

This one is for my sister who has a fondness for owls.  We actually found an owl nest with two babies and a parent (don't know if it was mom or dad!).   These "babies" looked a little more like adult-child-live-ins!!!!  And the "parent" had flown to another tree - hopefully to get the kids out of the nest!

Lest you think the new trend for young owls these days is spiking your feathers, we did have a night full of rain, so everything (including the humans) were working very hard to stay dry and warm!

Looks like one is getting the hint and trying to get out  - or at least spreading his/her wings.

 

A great shot of a bull elk from Walt.

My shot of life in these parks (Tetons and Yellowstone) - Bison in the foreground and elk in the background - every one is grazing with everyone else.  A lot of the property owners run cattle on these grazing lands as well.

 

But by far today's find was a mama bear and her two cubs.  It's hard to catch them cause you do NOT want to disturb them at the same time it would be most beneficial for we photogs if these bears would at least get into a clearing!  This is a Black Bear which the books are quick to tell you may be black or this reddish brown color.  The main difference is there is no hump as there is in the Grizzly.

Here she is feeding and grazing on the new grass just coming up.....and

 

....here's junior trying to keep up as mom crosses the road!

Tomorrow we head to Yellowstone - the grand dame of national parks!

 

 

Spring Break Travels

OK - I'm a little late - taxes and all, but finally up and running.  So what did we do?.....diving!!!   I know it's a shock but there it is.

I know - it looks terribly commercial.  We divers all laugh and usually sing the first line of "The Lo-o-o-o-ove Bo-o-o-o-oat!!!!"  Fortunately there aren't too many of these people below the water.

First we got our reservations late, so we decided to go early and come home late - that of course costs us more than just sucking up and paying the extra for the flights, but it was also a lot more fun.  So we got into Cozumel early afternoon - and takes a while to get to the hotel and then went diving.  Couldn't wait to get in the water - or rather get the camera in the water.

Isn't she beautiful....looks like she put her eyelashes on just for us.  But immediately in the water and we see this.  I'd just read an article about triggerfish who attack - actually you really have to provoke them - apparently getting near their nursery is a big no-no.  This one was alone and probably could have cared less, but I was excited to see something so important immediately on entering the water - I'm like that a lot when I'm diving!

Angelfish pair for life, here are two really big ones - about 12" to 14" long.  They were just trolling around looking for stuff to eat.  These are French Angelfish.

This is the beautiful Queen Angelfish which is always a wonderful find, and yes, they are this colorful.  They are beautiful in the water.

I never, never fail to marvel at the beauty and delicacy that is throughout the ocean.  Here is this unbelievably strong place - the ocean with its currents, drifts, and really big  fish and eaters, and here's this beautifully delicate stuff growing all over.

What are you looking at bub?....You look at me and I'll take a picture of you - with a macro lens, objects may appear closer than they actually are!!!!

A word about our accommodations.  We usually stay at Casa del Mar

It's a lovely place and they have geared their operation to diving and divers.  But we made our reservations late, and so we couldn't get in.

So we booked a place at Casa Viento

This is Diva - the house dog - and she's as sweet as they come.  It's a large casa (behind the pool in this photo), and little rooms along the other side of the pool.  We had a 1st floor room, which was great with all our equipment.  I can't say enough fabulous things about this place.  It was off the beaten track - very clean, very neat and just the sort of place that Walt and I love to stay in.  The only thing is that it is about 5 miles north of downtown San Miguel.  But if you get a scooter, then you can run all over the island.  For us we had to get transportation to the marina at Caleta.  It wasn't bad, cause Casa Viento was such a marvelous adventure. 

I would recommend it highly.

The rest of our vacation was in a time share on the Riviera Maya, which was not our cup of tea.  It was big, huge and just too many people stuffed into a place that was also just too big for us.  Not saying the place was bad, but it was just not for us.

After a week in Playa and the Riviera Maya, we came back to Cozumel.  It is so much fun and still quaint and yet settled - good food, good diving and so far - good accommodations!   

Evening view out our window!