SEO Blues - Bear Business

I recently hired and SEO company to try and get my website rankings up. Yesterday I went to my site and all my photographs were gone ( http://www.kinseybarnard.com/gallery/category/landscapes.html ) and I could no longer gain entry to the site to try and fix things. I literally wept. Neither the web host nor the SEO company is willing to take responsibility.

No I have not "lost" my original photographs. My original work is backed up six ways to Sunday. What was lost was four years of uploading, descriptions and linking, hundreds of hours of work.

It was too much to take so I rounded up Koty and headed for the forest.

We still haven't had much in the way of warm weather, although they say we could get near 80 next week. For now it's cool and rainy.  Everything is such a rich green it's like a dream but we are way behind in terms of blooming. My apple trees have yet to bloom and the only wildflowers, besides dandelions, that I have seen are clematis. Deer enjoy dandelions but I don't think anyone is interested in the clematis. They are a lovely vine.

Clematis

So up the mountain we went. The route I took was pretty much straight up hill and quite a good aerobic workout. There's nothing like a workout in the woods to fight off the effects of life's curve balls. I didn't see any bears but I sure saw where they had been. Due to the lack of much else to eat they are ripping up old stumps looking for ants, grubs and anything else they can find. I think coming out of hibernation hasn't been much fun for them so far this year.

Bear at work.

This piece of stump had rolled down the mountain and onto the trail. It doesn't look very big in the photos but I can say without a doubt that it would have cleaned your clock if one were walking by at the particular moment the bear sent it rolling.

Stump caught on a tree.

All over the mountain side above me I could see where the bears had been at work.

I didn't see any bears themselves this trip. They have been up at the house in the night leaving their calling cards all over the lawn. One night a plastic water bottle I had left out was tooth punctured and mangled. Another one had been up on the deck looking for who knows what.

I must say a walk in the woods was the right prescription. I felt much better even though nothing had changed. I try to tell myself it doesn't matter, all that hard work lost. But, I can't say I'm totally successful. I am well and truly depressed about it.

 Koty, always the happy camper, sniffed out a squirrel. He dug for it furiously for about 15 minutes and when he came up empty handed he didn't care a whit. He was just happy to have had the joy of the hunt. I guess there is a lesson in that for me. Would that I could be as enlightened as my dog.

Koty with his head in the hole he made looking for a squirrel.

©Kinsey Barnard

Montana Winter 2010

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Well, 2010 got off to a great start as far as winter is concerned. This week we got the best snow storm of the season. It's been snowing almost constantly but only showers which didn't accumulate much. But, the storm we had this past week put down about eight inches of new snow and it was glorious.

Koty never ceases to amaze me with his sense of smell. We were out hiking and suddenly Koty took off to my right leaping over a huge old log nearly pulling me off my feet. I looked over the log to see Koty digging in the snow like a fiend. About two feet down he comes up with his prize, a deer leg left from hunting season. How in the world he can smell a bone two feet under the snow is beyond me. After we got home he paraded around with his prize for half an hour.

Koty & Trophy

As always the mulies were around digging for forage and resting under the trees. You can always tell where they have been because apparently their mothers never told them to pick up their feet. They just drag them through the snow leaving trails everywhere they go.

Mule Deer Doe

Sunrises around here are not usually much to see as we live on the side of a mountain range facing west. The sunsets are to die for but the sunrises we have to go elsewhere for, usually. But this week we had a pretty nice one as far as color goes.

Winter Sunrise

Speaking of color winter is conspicuous for it's lack of it. Yet, no color is just right for the landscape. After the storm the trees were just laden with snow and it was beyond gorgeous. But, there was one little problem. The clouds were so low we were in them and at times you could not see your nose on your face.

Snow Laden

But, nothing stops me. I slogged and flopped around in the snow for several hours looking for something special. It was also only about 10 degrees. That temp eats up your batteries PDQ. Persistence always seems to be rewarded however and so I was.

Winter Light

Just the hint of color makes a winter scene come alive. For those of you that think you need to have a big expensive camera to take a good picture I'll let you in on a secret. I took the photo below with a Panasonic Lumix. Which is a little point and shoot for which I paid less than three hundred dollars. I believe the photographer makes the camera not the other way round. BTW, I think this camera is a loser and would not recommend it.

Winters' Subtlety

This is my favorite wildlife shot so far this winter. Winter Camouflage

Well, that was our week. Another beauty by any standard.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

UPPER WHITEFISH LAKE - MONTANA

I worked so hard this week with the chainsaw I have gotten sore callouses on both my hands. I decided we had to get out of our own forest and into another so we made an exploration of Upper Whitefish Lake in the Stillwater State Forest. The weather turned on us again and we went from beauty mid-seventies to the forties and fifties over night. It snowed at the higher elevations. We have certainly had the whacky weather this spring.

UPPER WHITEFISH ROAD

You can get to the Upper Whitefish two ways, out of Stryker on the Marston Lookout road or out of Olney. The Marston Lookout way is a little more rugged, the Olney route a pretty good and level dirt road. In fact it's quite a pleasant drive.

Wildflowers are beginning to appear and along this road I spied one of my favorites...

BEARGRASS

I've yet to run across the reason why it is called beargrass.

It's about thirteen and a half miles in to the lake. The road winds through beautiful meadows with distant views of the Whitefish Range. If one wanted to catch site of moose this swampy meadow is a moose's delight. Alpine meadows, you gotta love 'em.

STILLWATR FOREST & THE WHITEFISH RANGE

I love water and one of the great things about spring in the Rockies is that there is lots of water running every where when the snow begins to melt. I really enjoy trying to capture water in motion. It has so much mood and character. The below images were shot right along the road. Nothing still about this water.

STILLWATER STATE FOREST

STILLWATER STATE FOREST

STILLWATER STATE FOREST

There was quite a bit of evidence that the windstorm which had done so much damage to my forest had hit this area as well. There were downed trees everywhere. I am always expecting to get trapped one day, whilst traveling these back roads, by a tree which has fallen after me. I carry a hand saw but it wouldn't make a dent in some of the bruisers that fall across the road. All you can do when that happens is wait until someone with a bigger saw comes along. The forest service is pretty good about patrolling the roads to keep them clear.

FALLEN TREE ON UPPER WHITEFISH LAKE ROAD

By now you are probably wondering if I am ever going to show you a picture of the bloody lake.

UPPER WHITEFISH LAKE

According to the sign the lake is 100 acres and is at an altitude of approximately 4,400 ft. There are a number of campsites and it looked like a pretty popular spot for fishing, kayaking and canoeing. The road continues on past the lake and looked to b worthy of further exploration. But, the weather was beginning to close in again so we decide not to venture forth.

We had a great week and hope you did too!

Kinsey & Koty

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

MAMA, LET YOUR BOYS GROW UP TO BE COWBOYS

We are now in Cortez, Colorado. The weather man was calling for stormy weather starting last night. But, nothing happened. So, this morning, we headed out first thing to survey the landscape. Good thing we did because this afternoon the wind is blowing a gale and you can't see two feet in front of you from the blowing dust. The sky is literally brown.

I am going nuts trying to keep my equipment clean. It seem as though we haven't been out of wind and dust since we arrived in Monument Valley a couple of weeks ago. Clementine (the RV) is nowhere near air tight so as we sit, bobbing and weaving, the dust just seeps. And, poor Shadow (the little tow car) well I think it is safe to say I could grow potatoes in her. The back roads in this part of the country are mostly dirt and gravel. And, it seems every time I get out of the car to try for a photo a pickup comes along going fifty and, oh well. And, of course, you can add to all that the non-stop shedding of Koty Bear.




Boy, I love being back in cowboy country. Cowboys and country folk seem to be the last of what this country was once about, consideration, self reliance and integrity. The fellow in the above image is Kyle. I know this because he told me so.

I was driving down a back road and noticed a couple of cowboys saddling up. Using my telephoto I snapped a few shots out the car window. I moved on down the road where I took the photo of the yearling and foal. Whilst I was photographing the horses along comes this pickup pulling a horse trailer. It pulls up behind my car and stops. A cowboy gets out and walks up with his hand out to introduce himself and his son. He just wanted to say hello and wondered what I was up to. By the time we were done he had invited me to come visit his ranch any time I was by that way again. Only in the country.

I'll bet five guys stopped to ask if I was having any problems and could they help. They most likely don't see too many dizzy dames from Montana wandering around out there.



What an incredible landscape. There is an old saying and it fits me to a tee "You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl." When I look at rolling pastures with cattle and horses in them I actually tear up and choke up. It's so, so very beautiful to me. Can you see the beauty that I feel? Maybe not. :) These are really tiny pictures but they are the largest this program will allow.



There are a lot of old buildings out in this countryside. For some reason the above scene seemed like something old so I decided to take it black and white. It could just as easily be a picture taken in 1909 as opposed to 2009. Isn't digital amazing? Press a couple of buttons and you can move from color to black and white in an instant.



I'm hoping to find more of these old relics. But, the weather is going to have to get around to my side. Gads, it has been a caution. Wind, dust storms and blizzards. Crikey! It's spring! Someone ought to tell Mother Nature!



The mountain in the background is "Sleeping Ute". Much of the land around here is Ute Reservation. If you look at the mountain from just the right angle it really does look like an Indian lying in the desert with hands clasped over his chest and you can even see his feet pointing up. Maybe I'll get a good shot of it before I go. If I do I'll post it.

Well, that was how we spent our morning and it really was a treat.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

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

Boo Hoo! Ranch Chores Today

OK, this is my least favorite kind of day. Mom did ranch chores all the live long day and I didn't get to go hiking. All, I got was a walk down to the gate to pick up a package. Big freaking deal!

This photo mom took of me pretty much sums up my feelings on the day.

Hey mom! The best nature and wildlife is out on the trail!!!!! I know she knows this but it never hurts to yell a reminder. :)

Well, that about tells you all you need to know about this day!

Hoping for a better tomorrow,

Koty Bear