WOW! WE HAD A TON OF SNOW TODAY

We really had a bunch of snow today probably the most since I've lived here. Kinsey says it is winter's swan song. I don't know that she knows what's she's talking about but I do know she's hoping it's true.

Yesterday, I got to ride in the pickup for the first time. I like this a lot better than the Expedition where I have to get in a crate. In the pickup I get to sit up front and look out the windshield. Now that's my idea of stylin'!

Cute me chomping on my soup bone as the snow falls.

Some blacktail deer resting in the snow. I wanted to go see 'em but Kinsey wouldn't let me. :(

Me in the ranch truck. Uh, Kinsey forgot tell me to look at the birdie!

SAW THE TOBACCO RIVER FOR THE FIRST TIME

I got to see the Tobacco River for the first time today. It was pretty cool! I'm still a little leery of water though. Kinsey had a trouble keeping me on the trail because there was so much to smell off the trail. I got myself all full of tiny burrs. I was very patient about letting Kinsey pull them out of my nice long hair but it really wasn't any fun. Maybe I'll listen to her next time when she tells me to stay on the trail. Then again maybe not. :)

Before we went to the river we went to the dump. Where we live there is no garbage collection. We have to haul the debris to the dump ourselves. I got stuck in the back of the truck with the garbage. At first I was insulted to be keeping comapny with the junk. Then I realized it was only temporary. So, that was OK.

Wonder what neat thing we will do tomorrow.

©Kinsey Barnard

Looking out at the Tobacco River

Riding with the garbage

TINY TIM

On September 27th I adopted a new family member. His name is Tiny Tim, Timmie to his friends.

Since all I know about Timmie's birth is that he is around two years old we will make September 27th his birthday. His coming to us was a rebirth of sorts.

Tiny Tim was named Samson by his previous owner, who had also rescued him. The name seemed incongruous to me from the get go. Timmie is one of the smallest adult cats I've been around. I tried to use the name but couldn't. As I was cuddling him, the second day he was here, the name Tiny Tim just popped into my head. I started calling him Timmie. He responded immediately. It was like it had always been his name.

Timmie really lucked out in that he didn't have to go to a shelter. I found him through word of mouth. Timmie's previous owner was returning to California and was unable to take him along. The kennel owner where I take Koty knew I was looking for a kitty, told me about him and, voila!

When he arrived I set Timmie up in my bedroom and bathroom. I put a child gate on the door to give Koty and Timmie a little time to get acquainted. Timmie headed directly under the bed and there he stayed. Throughout the afternoon I tired to coax him out but to no avail. That evening when I went to bed I tried again. Nada.

I read awhile and then turned out the light. It bothered me no end to think of that little creature, in hiding, all alone in a strange place. After about 15 minutes I could take it no longer. I turned on the light and got down on the floor. He was just out of reach. I decided to try a little food as bait. I sprinkled some in front of him and he went for it. As soon as he had nibbled up the bits he slunk off to the bathroom all on his own. It was like the food was the all clear signal.

I could here him scrabbling in is food and scratching in his litter. I turned out the light feeling much better. A short while later I felt a very slight disturbance on the bed. The next thing I knew Timmie had lay down beside me. There he spent the night and every night since.

Timmie was supposed to be alright with dogs but he doesn't much care for Koty's steely blue stare. So we are still working on getting them comfortable with each other. Timmie runs. Koty chases. Timmie hasn't figured out yet that Koty couldn't catch him if he wanted to. Koty, 91 in human years, isn't quite as fast as he once was. Timmie could jump up on almost anything and be out of harms way. For whatever reason Timmie isn't making any effort to win Koty over. As soon as Timmie sees Koty he takes off running, literally flying over the gate into the bedroom.

I'm sure we'll get things sorted out over time. Meanwhile, it's awfully nice to have Timmie with us. He is a sweet an loving spirit and makes our place just that much more special.

Tiny Tim

©Kinsey Barnard

GOING TO THE DOGS

I came across this little story I thought was quite cute and quite true!


A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town he planned to visit on his vacation.
He wrote: "I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"
An immediate reply came from the hotel owner, who wrote: SIR: "I’ve been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I’ve never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware, or pictures off the walls.
I’ve never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I’ve never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcome at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you’re welcome to stay here, too."

Kinsey Barnard 

PS: I just realized when I posted this that it is my mother's birthday. Happy Birthday Mama! She would have been 99.

KOTY BITES THE HAND THAT FEEDS HIM

Egads, I can hardly believe August is almost over and I haven't made one post to my blog.

I've been pretty consumed with a kitchen remodel that has turned into the project from hell. Everything that could possibly go wrong has and some things I would have thought were beyond the realm of possiblity.

Then, to ice my messed up cake, three days ago Koty bit me to the tune of 5 stitches. Like most accidents it was completely due to doing something stupid. I was on the phone with Home Depot discussing this hateful project when Koty went to the screen door and, using his nose, let himself out. Koty is a runner so my first instinct was to stop him by any means possible. I grabbed his tail. Big mistake. Under any circumstances Koty does not like his tail fooled with. So he did the same to me as I did to him, attacked without thinking. It was pretty shocking for both of us.

This is one of those rare occasions that I intentionally seek medical attention. With blood flowing, down to the mountain to the Prompt Care place I flew. Turned out I hadn't had a tetanus shot for 45 years so I got one of those and five stitches. I also got some advice from the doctor that you probably wouldn't get just anywhere. He told me, in all seriousness, not to "go home and shoot the dog". I had to laugh. Only in nowhere Montana would a doctor even think it necessary to say such a thing.

To say Koty was remorseful would be an understatement. After I got home he stayed by my side the rest of the day. The poor guy. He's battling this damned Cushing's thing whilst trying to cope with the aging thing. It's hard for both of us.

Getting old is a bitch even for dogs.

©Kinsey Barnard

Coping With Cushing's

Just a week ago my darling boy Lakota was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. There is no cure for it. So, the best we can hope to do is extend his quality of life for as long as we can. Who knows, if we're lucky, that could be a good long while in dog time.

As  regular readers are aware, Koty is pretty much my family. We are as close as any two creatures can be being together twenty for seven as we are. I have decided to document our experience with the disease in a new blog. It seems a lot of dogs are getting this disease and maybe others will be interested in how we deal with it. Also, to do so makes me feel like I'm somehow being more proactive. Maybe some of my observations will be helpful to others.

In any event the name of the blog is Coping With Cushing's: Lakota's Story . Click on the link to go to the address.

2-16-2011

Mother Nature finally made up her mind and decided to go with snow. We got about and inch and a half over night, enough to shovel and plow. The temperature is mild at 38 so I don't reckon this will stay with us for long.

The pre-dawn landscape was just gorgeous. I guess it was the snow that gave it the blue glow. Whatever it was so pretty. This was taken at a very slow speed, 1/2 of a second.

Plowing was a bit of a challenge. The ground is a little bit soft and I managed to gouge a huge divit out of my driveway. I think there's something not right with that plow. It flops around like a landed fish. Need to get someone to take a look at it before I take it off. Hope to heck I remember. I get so anxious to get the damned thing off I'll probably forget ..... again!

My pal Mona came to call and we had a great time catching up and brainstorming. I need to decide what pieces I am going to show at the Bigfork Museum in May. I have just an awful time choosing.

Koty is really bent out of shape now. Whilst Mona and I were visiting he drug out his toys, tore open some tummies and scattered stuffing all around the house in a valiant effort to get some attention, all to no avail. I WILL take him for a good long hike tomorrow come hell or high water!

©Kinsey Barnard

Holiday Sale!

Well, it’s that time of year again when sugarplums dance in our heads, hard to believe. Here at the ranch we’ve already got snow on the ground and the temps are getting down there. According to the Weather Channel we will be dipping into the teens this week. Two weeks more to run on the hunting season and then we’ll be back to peace and serenity.

I wrote a couple of articles back about PHOTOSHELTER turns out that another very nice thing that site allows me to do is have a sale. I thought for my first effort I would have a holiday sale especially for my blog readers.

I know many of you many of you enjoy looking at my photography. I know because I can track this kind of information on GOOGLE ANALYTICS and it’s very gratifying to see.

Here’s a chance to own your favorites at 15% off the regular price! In addition to prints and prints on canvas you can also purchase note cards and mouse pads of all my images including limited editions. The note cards and mouse pads make great stocking stuffers and office party gifts!

I’ll walk you through the purchase process in case you haven’t tried it yet. Go to my Outdoor Photography Site. Choose an image and click on it to enlarge, this is one of my personal favorites . Click on the green buy button. The prints pricing page comes up by default. If you are interested in the note cards or mouse pads click on the “Products” tab. Once you have added your choices to your shopping cart proceed to check out. When you get to the “Review & Submit” page a pink banner will tell you to scroll to the bottom so you can fill in the code box. Simply type in “KOTY BEAR CARES 2010” and 15% will automatically be deducted from your purchase.

The sale starts today and will run through December 15th.

If you have any problems or need any help please contact me. You will find a “Contact” button at the top of every page.

Go to Kinsey Barnard's Outdoor Photography  and use the code bellow.

The code is:  KOTY BEAR CARES 2010

Happy Holidays from Koty!

Speaking of my little darling here is a little slideshow of some of his images for your enjoyment.


Lakota Sunrise-Siberian Husky - Images by Kinsey Barnard

©Kinsey Barnard

Wolf Sighting

Here in northwest Montana we are in that place between fall and winter when just about anything can happen weather wise. Here at the ranch we have a little snow on the ground and the temperatures have dipped below freezing.

Yesterday afternoon Koty and I took a walk in the woods. It was a little on the cool side but that's the way we like it. It's Montana hunting season so we try to pick our time. Early morning and late afternoon are obviously out. Lunch time can be a little tricky because a lot of guys come out to try their luck. So we try and pick a time between two and four. I was born and raised a hunter and was pretty darned good at it. These days I have no heart for killing.  I prefer to shoot with a camera and I now root for the game.  :)

During hunting season we always dress in our orange vests lest we become targets ourselves. I meant to get a photo of Lakota in his but I forgot. I'll have to remedy that.

Our wildlife sighting for the day was a gray wolf. As usual, he saw us before we saw him and was off into the woods like a gray ghost. Such moments are what make my day. It is always nice to capture a good image but just to see these wild creatres is good enough for me. Of course Koty, once he caught on, was quite excited himself but he is always on a leash when we are out. Koty is a Siberian Husky but these wolves are at least twice as big as he. Koty looks a lot like a wolf but he'd be no match for the real deal.

It turned out to be a glorious afternoon and we didn't see a single hunter. I call this a betwixed and between time because there is a little bit of fall and a little bit of winter in the landscape, an entirely lovely time.

"Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it" ...... Henry David Thoreau



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©Kinsey Barnard

Moonset and The Internet

I spent a good deal of my time this week working on my new store at Imagekind. I’m quite impressed with the quality of the site and pleased with the sales it has generated. The site offers print only or custom framed and there are a gazilliion frame and mat options. You can have a lot of fun playing with them. I have a many more images to upload so there will be new photos as time allows.

I’ve also been working on a marketing campaign for my limited editions as well as working on updating the site. All this to say; I spent most of my week working on Internet stuff and it’s really hard work for one who doesn’t sit well.

Whilst I was consumed with Internet stuff I ran across this article Information Super Sewer. and it made an impression on me. It talks about the pros and cons of the Internet and I believe the author makes some really good points. I know I have a love hate relationship with the darned thing. Give it a read I think you will find it provocative.

Of course, this meant Koty did not get his full measure of energy release and I’ve been paying dearly for that. He hoots and howls non-stop in an effort to show his displeasure. He takes every toy (and he has accumulated quite a few over ten years) out of the toy box and tosses them all over the house. When that doesn’t get my attention he heads for the trash and picks out something he can shred. That does get my attention as I have to chase him all over the place to get it back. I try not to let on but it's hard not to laugh. I really admire his creativity.

My Angel

As always the mule deer were here to keep me company. They are such sweet and gentle creatures. When they arrive in the fall they are wilder than March hares but before winter is over they are as tame as can be. Some of them I get to know so well I am compelled to give them names. This is my girl Daisy.

Daisy

The snow is melting PDF (that stands for Pretty Damned Fast not Portable Format Document). And, the temps have been in the high 40's. The ten day forecast is for 50 degree days. So, if winter is returning it doesn't look like it will be next week.

As usual, Mother Nature reminds me I needn't go far to experience her wonders. In fact I don't even have to leave the house. Below are a couple of images of a recent moonset that came our way this week. Proving once again there is only one true Artist. The rest of us are merely posers.

Moonset Over Montana

The wonder of it all. It's so very humbling.

The View

Check out the "Skyscapes" gallery.

One last item. This must surely be a sign of the times Is Nothing Sacred? Banks are now foreclosing on Kentucky Derby hopefuls.


©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Mule Deer in Winter

**
This past week Koty made it on to the out an injured list. My poor boy just cannot get it through his head that he is not a puppy anymore. He gets so excited and rambunctious that he throws his back out of whack. As my vet says "Siberians are NOT the most stoic of dogs." That's an understatement. When moves the wrong way he screams like someone is sticking him with a red hot poker. As with me, when this happens there's not much you can do but take aspirin and tough it out.

Koty Out and Injured

So, there wasn't much hiking or traveling around searching for photo opportunities. We pretty much hung around the ranch and I entertained myself by photographing the mule deer.

Mule Deer Traversing the Meadow

One of the interesting things about winter photography can be that you get nearly black and white photos without shooting in black and white. And you get just a hint of natural color from the landscape. Of course, you can always make this happen n Photoshop but I prefer to shoot nature naturally.

Mule Deer Doe

The other thing you will notice is how well they blend in to their surroundings. In winter deer predators are abundant in this environment. Mule deer must be particularly alert to wolf packs and mountain lions. The mountain lions on this mountain are enormous. So are the wolves.

Mule Deer Foraging for Grass

The gal below was so pretty resting in the snow with the last little bit of sunlight reflecting just off her big mule deer ears.

Catching the Last of Winter Rays

I really love mule deer. They are elegant and charming creatures. Much less skittish than the whitetail deer. Before the winter is over they will let me draw very close without a care in the world.

Mule Deer Portrait

That's it from Dancing Deer Ranch.

The End


GREAT GIFT IDEA!!!! MOTHER AND CHILD


©Kinsey Barnard Photography

MY PHOTO PICK OF THE WEEK

Naturally, I'd be delighted if you were to purchase but looking is free and you should see this photo if you are interested in the old west. It's truly lovely and will transport you to another time, if only for a moment.

I'M A SLACKER

12-20-08 Tucson, Arizona

I can't say as I'm particularly fond of Tucson but I'm certainly certainly beginning to appreciate the weather. My home town of Eureka, Montana is having the snowiest, coldest December since I moved there six years ago. You can see for yourself .

Global warming indeed. What a sham that concept is. I am truly amazed by the American ability to make something out of nothing and money for nothing. We quite literally have take this ability from an art form to a science.

There is no one on this planet that has more regard for nature than I and very few who spend as much time in her company. I tell you this, and you won't even have to give me a $500,000 grant, when Mother Nature has had enough of our foolishness she will take care of it just as she has for billions of years. Our arrogance to think we have any clue what is "normal", when our entire history on this planet is beyond insignificant, is a marvel. In truth, there is quite a lot of scientific evidence that we are actually moving toward a new ice age.

Do not misunderstand, I think each and everyone of us should do all that we can not to poop in our own nest. But, that's just common sense and shouldn't cost billions of dollars to implement. Although, common sense does seem to be a commodity in very short supply. And, because we seem to be so devoid of it every slick shyster on the planet is out there just ready to lighten your load. Did you hear the one about every American gets to live like a millionaire just by investing in the stock market and real estate? What's in your wallet?

Ok, enough ranting, on with my day which was not very productive. It was beautiful, sunny and in the 60's. Koty and I took a morning walk over to the Pet Smart store a couple of miles from the RV park. I like to take this walk because it's a nice distance and Koty loves to go into the store. I just let him have his head and go wherever his nose leads him, which is usually the bird or fish sections. My boy isn't interested in food in a package. He likes to catch his own! It really is fun to watch!

After a little RV housekeeping I put my sweats back on and jumped back in bed with a book which I polished off over the course of the day. The book was "Cruel Justice" by William Bernhardt. I don't know why but I am addicted to murder mysteries. I don't think I'm very unique in this regard. Half the television shows are some type of police/murder tale. I watch most of them myself. My favorite is NCIS but I think that may be because I find Mark Harmon delicious. He is aging so very well. My least favorite is CSI Miami. That Horatio Caine is without a doubt the most one dimensional character on television. Every time he strikes that pose with his hand on his hips, which is usually fifty per episode, I want to barf! How any self respecting woman can find that wimp sexy is beyond me.

Anyway, I finished off Cruel Justice and got a new volume to entertain myself, Sandra Brown's "The Alibi". Don't look for these books on the bestseller's list. I got them from the park library and they are more than ten years old.

I was able to pretty much fritter away the whole day in these pursuits. I didn't even attempt to go out to the desert to see about a sunset. There wasn't a cloud in the sky.

A friend sent me this link which only goes to show I'm not the only one that has non-productive days! According to the meter nearly 50 million! :)

Holy Smokes! It's Winter Again!

Holy Smokes look what was on the ground this morning when we got up! In Montana it really is true "If you don't like the weather wait ten minutes!" Personally, I like it! This has been the coldest, snowiest spring since we moved here 6 years ago.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography