My Week in Pictures-Montana

It was a pretty gray week here in NW Montana. This is not unusual. Sunny days, in winter in my area, are the exception. If you are a sun worshiper you would not like it here in the winter.

This icicle was exceptionally long and lovely but whilst I was trying to find a good angle to photograph it, i.e. without the eave of the house, it fell to the ground in a heap!

Throughout the winter I have been trying to capture Mother Nature's artistry in the form of icicles. Earlier in the week I published my results Icicle Series.

The snow has been so deep I have had to put on my snowshoes to take my hikes. The snowshoes were also one of the most colorful sites I saw all week. Here I am lying flat on my back looking up hill. The stuff was like walking in mashed potatoes. Koty is also looking up the trail yelling "Get up you lazy bones!"

Along the way I took this photo of some aspen trunks. I just find their skins so interesting and beautiful.

In case you can't tell, this is a photo of Koty's front paw. The reason I'm showing it to you is because I find this fascinating. Notice all the feathery fur sprouting from between his toes? This is something that only happens in winter to help insulate his pads from the snow and ice. By summer it will all be gone. I think that's so amazing.

Speaking of ice.

 

Thursday we had a reprieve from the gloom. This is a photo of "The View". I call it that because it is what I see when I look out my living room window. This landscape is ever changing and ever beautiful. No two are ever the same.

Since it was kind of sunny I took the opportunity to slide into town and run some errands. This is the main county road down to town. It isn't paved either. Around here we don't drive SUV's with four wheel drive just to look cool. If I didn't have one I'd never be able to live where I do. I also use studded tires in winter.

I love clouds and Montana has some of the best.

One of the chores I must attend to is taking my trash to the dump. No garbage service in the wilderness. I really don't mind. It's a great value and I can attend to it on my own timetable. This photo is of the Canadian Rockies (sorry for the strand of barbed wire across the bottom. I was too lazy to get out of the car). :) The reason I'm showing it to you is because even from the dump the views around here are spectacular!

Not to belabor the point but the views are spectacular even from the parking lot at the market. What you are looking at is the Galton Range and, I believe, Poorman and Kasanka Mountains.

Ho hum, just the landscape on the drive home.

Another phenom I find interesting. When it starts to warm up, which it has done in the past couple of days, these tiny insects appear on the snow. It looks like someone has sprinkled pepper all around. They just started showing up a few years ago. I don't know what they are. I call them snow fleas but they are much smaller than dog fleas. I thought this photo of them looked like a portrait of Koty.

That's all I have to report for this week. As I was writing this it started snowing so I reckon winter has quite thrown in the towel yet.

Until next time .....

©Kinsey Barnard

My Week in Pictures

A selection of images that shows the kinds of things I got to see this week.

Koty riding on the four wheeler. Not much snow but that would change overnight.

Walden Pond still frozen

Took this through the bedroom window which is why you see the reflection above her head. This is my special girl Daisy. It won't be long now and she will be returning to the high country. I'll certainly miss her.

Mule deer mom and her baby down at the house pond

Mom doing a little grooming

Baby posing at the pond.

Baby wondering what I am up to.

Over at the creek

Another view of the creek

The moon setting over the forest.

Kootenay Rockies, British Columbia

Kootenay Rockies, British Columbia. This is my ninth winter in northern Montana and this is the most snow I have seen. You can only see it a little bit but it was just beautiful the way the wind was blowing the snow off the peaks.

The Canadian Rockies with the Elk River in the foreground. Fernie, British Columbia. Fernie is a great little ski town and only about forty-five minutes form my place in Montana

Kootenay Rockies, British Columbia

Sun setting on another beautiful week.

Surveyor Lake Reflections

One of my favorite places to hunt for new and interesting images is Surveyor Lake in Kikomun Provincial Park, British Columbia. There are several small lakes at this park with Surveyor being the largest.  From the west end, looking across the lake, the Kootenay Rockies provide an awesome backdrop.

Surveyor Lake

Generally when I go to this park there are few if any humans around but there is an abundance of waterfowl and painted turtles.

The turtle below is nearly invisible as he sun's himself in a maze of driftwood and reflections. These turtles are timid little beasts and scurry back in the water at the slightest noise.

Painted Turtle

The birds on this lake are pretty skittish too and generally fly off before one can capture an image. The two geese below continued to paddle back and forth despite my presence. I suspect their nest was somewhere very close by.

Canada Geese

The thing I seem to have the best luck capturing at this little oasis are reflections. I don't know why that is but I always seem to get lucky. The image below is 100% Surveyor Lake reflection. I think the image has a unique quality about it. See if you don't agree.


Kikomun Creek Provincial Park by Kinsey Barnard


 This next image is nearly all reflection except for the branch which I think adds a little extra interest to the photograph. The rippling of the water adds seems to create a surreal effect.

Last but not least is my favorite for this shoot. This photograph is one of those that you need to step back or pull your nose away from the computer screen to get the full effect. Up close it doesn't look like much but step away and I think you'll see a whole different image.

The dead branches seem to create the illusion that the tree is floating on clouds an intriguing effect me thinks. Adding interest are the painted turtles that sun bathe on the trunk. One turtle has created ripple rings. I think this is a very cool image. I'd be very interested to know what you think?

©Kinsey Barnard Photography 

Winter Comes Early In Montana

The weather in Northwest Montana has been wild and wooley this past week. One day we are taking our weekly walk along the Tobacco River, delighting in a beautiful autumn afternoon, and the next .....
MORE FALL LANDSCAPES





In the six years that we have lived in the Tobacco Valley this is THE most snow we have ever seen on the Canadian Rockies at this time of year. Last weekend Interstate 15 was completely closed south of Dillon and through the Monida Pass and we just heard from a friend that Red Lodge got 50 inches of snow! Now that be a lot of snow! Also, one night this week, the temperature fell to 23 degrees! Last night it was downright balmy at around 50 degrees.
MORE MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES

With all this crazy weather we are re-thinking our departure plans for our winter shoot in the Arizona desert. We've already had our plans upset once by the weather. Originally, we were scheduled to shoot the Gulf Coast of Texas and up into the Piney Woods Region of Texas. But, Ike pretty much took care of that notion. Now we are on pins and needles as to what the weather will do next. The Monida Pass mentioned earlier is right on our route. Bottom lime is, if we can take care of business here we'll try to leave a week early. Stay tuned for this trip. If we make it out it promises to be an interesting one.



The weather can run you ragged but Mother Nature always provides some beauty to help you make it through.
MORE CELESTIAL PHOTOS

That wraps things up for us this week. Hope you all are enjoying your autumn season as much as we are. Maybe not so much if you are in the stock market? We are and wowser what a ride it has been! This is a time when we try and spend as much time with nature as we can. It helps take your mind off the messes man seems determined to make. Until next time.....

Koty & Kinsey

PS: Be sure and check out KOTY'S 2009 CALENDAR He's a looker! :)

©Kinsey Barnard