Snow Dog On the Run

I must write about my week in reverse. It's been snowing for two days now and although it has been a light snow it has started to accumulate. Koty, my Siberian Husky, loves running in the snow. So, this morning I could not resist doing a little photo shoot of him enjoying himself. I'm worse than a proud parent but what can I say? :)


Lakota Sunrise


Lakota Sunrise


Lakota Surise

Winter is well and truly here that's for sure. I remember the first Christmas after I moved here, in 2002, there was not a flake of snow on the ground and I was afraid I would get a white Christmas in my new home. It snowed that night. But, this year there can be no doubt we'll be having a white one.

Earlier in the week when we went for our weekly Post Office run I chased this juvenile red-tailed hawk in the car from post to post. Never was able to get a good shot but here he is anyway.

Red-Tailed Hawk

AS is our way in winter we just stuck around the ranch and hiked in the woods. There is enough beautiful nature right hear so as not to have to ever leave for the want beauty.

Out the Kitchen Window

It did warm up some from that cold spell that blew through. My coldest temperature was a minus eight but a pal of mine down in the valley scored a twenty below. That be real cold. Cold does create some beautiful images though. Like this photo of ice crystals that formed on the pond. They look like flowers to me.

Ice Crystals

I spent some time working in the woods. The burning season has ended but one can still build a warming fire and that what I do in order to keep on with my cleaning up. It's just so beautiful being out in the woods. The photo below is a scene I pondered whilst I worked. The clouds here in Montana are some of the most beautiful in the on the planet.

The Meadow

What more fitting end to a blog post than a sunset. The sunsets at my altitude are just too good to be true all year round.

Sunset

Well, that about does it for this week at Dancing Deer Ranch in magical Montana.

©Kinsey Barnard

Of Eagles, Deer, Rivers & Nikon ISOs

As things have turned out we have had November in October and October in November. This month has been absolutely beautiful. There's been a little snow but not much. Since hunting season is still on we have been going down to the valley and walking along the Tobacco River. There is no hunting on the trail but clearly people haven't been paying any attention as practically ever tree has orange painted on it (this is a no hunting signal) and every rock has orange "no hunting" painted on it. It's awful. Looks like graffiti so clearly there has been a big problem.

I always go in the middle of the day. Less likely to get our heads shot off. In any event, at this time of year, the lighting is like late afternoon all day long so it works out just fine.


Tobacco River In November


On one walk we came across a bald eagle perched in a tree across the river. Unfortunately I did not have a long lens with me so I wasn't able to get a very clear photo of him. As I always say "There is nothing so regal as the eagle". You'll just have to take my word for it how beautiful he was.


Bald Eagle


We are so very lucky to have this river trail so close and convenient.

When we weren't walking we were continuing our clean up in the forest. I'll never get this done in my lifetime. November is the last month that I can burn slash until March. I am also hampered by the fact every day is not a burn day. One must call the ventilation hot line and check. But, the way I figure it every little bit adds up to alot over time.

We have had some snow showers this week but nothing to write home about or plow. One afternoon is Mule Deer doe came up to the window whilst it was snowing and gave me the once over.


Mule Deer Doe


One of the odd weather features of this place, strange to me at least, is that the days of winter are mostly gray and dreary but the nights are very often crystal clear.


Night Frame


I like to experiment at night with no flash seeing what I can get with just increasing the ISO. The D300 goes all the way to 3,200 whereas the D200 is exactly half that. It's a HUGE difference and allows one a great deal of flexibility in low light situations.


Sliver Moon

As always, it was a great week in the woods.


©Kinsey Barnard

Clementine Throws A Fit, Squirrels Find a Home and A New Book Gets Published

Well, what a time we have been having. This is the time of year when we start battening down the hatches here at the ranch and start checking out gear for our winter photo safari. Clementine and Shadow are our most important participants. Regular readers will know that Clementine is our Winnebago motorhome and Shadow is our little Ford Focus tow car.

This week I went out to fire up Clemmie and her battery was dead. Not to worry I just boosted the engine battery with the house batteries and let her charge for twenty minutes. But, a couple of days later it started to rain and I noticed I had left the the driver's window down. When I went to put it up the window moved like glue. The battery was dead again. When I checked under the hood what did I find but a million pine cones some industrious squirrel had squirreled away for the winter. It appears we aren't the only ones preparing for winter. I was convinced the little varmits had chewed the wiring so the next call was to AAA. Away went Clemmie to the Dodge dealer in Kalispell 75 miles away. Clemmie's chassis is a Dodge Sprinter with a Mercedes diesel engine.

The Dodge people spent a day rooting around in the engine but couldn't find anything amiss. Apparently, it wasn't the squirrels fault after all. So, they sent me off to an RV dealer to check for a wiring problem and/or a battery drain. That is where she remains. Hopefully, we'll find out what the problem is next week.



We did manage a little trip to Lake Koocanusa. That's the Koocanusa in the back ground and Koty Bear looking handsome as usual. KOTY'S KORNER



The picture above shows Mt. Baldy across the Koocanusa and as you can see it already has snow on it. Those mountains are actually in British Columbia. Not only is fall in the air but a little bit of winter too. Now is when I start worrying about not beating the snow on my way out of town. If there is anything that gives me the terrors it's driving on snowy, icy roads. MOUNTAIN and LAKE LANDSCAPES



On our way home from Kalispell we did take time out to take a walk along the Whitefish River in Whitefish. The above photo is of a beautiful old willow bending it's branches down along the river. With the exception of the leaves on the right hand side the entire photo is just a refection of this stately old tree.



This last photo is of a giant sunflower. It was still in great shape. It seemed to be leaning over asking us what we were up to on this fine fall day. It reminded me a little of "Day of the Triffids" a story I once read in grade school. FLOWERS are among my favorite subjects to photograph. They are so colorful and alive.

The Fine Art o...

A few of my favori...

By by: Kinsey Barnard

Book Preview

Last but certainly not least I finally got my book THE FINE ART OF PHOTOGRAPHY published and I'm quite pleased with the results. Check it out if you have a chance.

That's it for this week.

Ciao for now,
Koty & Kinsey

©Kinsey Barnard