PAINTING THE WOODSHED

The paint on the woodshed was long overdue for maintenance. Looks to me like mine is the first re-paint and that shed must be thirty years old. Amazing the thing hasn't collapsed when you think how harsh the weather is around here, -20 in the winter +100 in the summer.

Actually, the weather pattern has changed somewhat since I came here ten years ago. Summers are cooler and winters are warmer. Suits me just fine. Still, the weather is pretty severe and not for the feint of heart.

The paint on the old dear was so taxed that the color matching gizmo couldn't get a read on it so I had to choose a different color. I chose a brown that blends nicely with the surroundings. Foolishly, I purchased only a gallon and that thirsty old plywood gulped up the whole thing with only half of the shed covered. Well, drat!

Just looked out the window and saw two doe, one whitetail and one mule deer. A very unusual sight to see, the mule deer still here at this time of year. Usually, by this time, they are long gone to the high country. I have this feeling things are changing in more ways than we know.

Whitetail & Mule Deer Doe 6-22-12

©Kinsey Barnard

FAWN UPDATE

At last, I saw my first fawn this morning. I was on my way down to change the position of my solar panels and there they were in the meadow, a little bitty baby nursing it's mother.

A fellow I know said he thought maybe the rut was late last fall which would explain the lateness of seeing babies. Whatever, I'm glad their here. They are a beautiful part of the spring/summer experience here in Montana.



©Kinsey Barnard

WHERE ARE THE FAWNS?

I have been waiting and waiting to see this year's crop of fawns. Normally they are born in May and out and about by June. I have had at least a dozen does, both whitetail and mule deer,  hanging about but have yet to see a fawn. That there are whitetail and mule deer here together is also unusual. The mule deer usually move to the high country as the whitetail come up from the valley.

Last night I think I heard a fawn squeal. I hope the coyotes or the wolves aren't killing them. That certainly could be the case.

Seems to me things are a changing in nearly all respects. There is an old Chinese saying "May you live in interesting times". I think we are.



The above photograph of a fawn frolicking was taken June 19th last year.

©Kinsey Barnard

Fisher Bird Trifecta on the Tobacco River.

August 26, 20011

A couple of weeks ago a friend and I took a hike to Wolverine Lake in the Ten Lakes Scenic Area. On the way up I pulled a muscle in the back of my calf about a quarter of a mile from the lake. It was painful to keep walking up the mountain but I wasn't about to wuss out. Coming back down the mountain didn't seem to hurt much at all.

I know that, upon returning home, I should have immediately applied the RICE (Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation) treatment but you see my guest was thirty five years younger and I wasn't about to show any weakness. Pride goeth before great pain. 

Needles to say I didn't take proper care of myself and have suffered dearly for it. Koty has been going nuts waiting for a walk and since I live on a mountain all trails lead uphill either coming or going. So, today I decided we would take the Tobacco River trail which is flat as a pancake.

The river has come down quite a bit. One casualty I noticed was the old wreck that has been gracing the bank of the river for as long as I can remember. I liked looking at it. It had character. The old dear is probably resting at the bottom of the Koocanusa.

Old wreck on the banks of the Tobacco River

About a half mile into our walk I heard quite a bit of bird chatter. Someone was quite annoyed. The voice sounded like an angry osprey. I slowed my pace and tried to identify where the chatter was coming from. In a gap in the bushes I could see across the river. The first thing I saw was an osprey sitting in a cottonwood. Very nice.

Osprey

I kept searching the far shore and low and behold right next door I saw an always elegant Great Blue Heron sitting atop a fir tree.

Great Blue Heron

And, a little to the left of the heron was an ever regal Bald Eagle!

Bald Eagle

These birds are pretty common around here but to see all three sitting not twenty feet apart is pretty special even for these parts. I never did see who was making all the racket. Pretty sure it was an osprey and probably upset with all these other guys invading "its" territory. They looked to me as though they were staking out there spots for the fishing derby that is soon to begin. It won't be long now before the river turns red with spawing  kocanee salmon  and these birds will be fishing fools.

I did see one osprey get up and take flight.

Osprey Up, Up and Away

On the return we ran into a whitetail doe and her fawn. The fawns are getting pretty big now, lots of feed this year,  and their spots are starting to fade. This cute little fawn is very leggy.

Whitetail Doe and Fawn

As things turned out deciding to take a lowland, level walk was a great idea. Good for me in every way. I can never quite get over how fortunate I am to be able to see these fabulous images everyday of my life. If this isn't the Garden of Eden it's pretty darned close to it.

Oh and if the above wasn't enough I got this for my sunset.

Dancing Deer Sunset

I will soon be entering my 10th winter here in northwest Montana and I still feel like a kid in a candy store. I sometimes feel as though I must be the luckiest woman alive.

©Kinsey Barnard

KIKOMUN Provincial Park - British Columbia

One of the very handy things about living where I do is that I can get to Canada, British Columbia, in about fifteen minutes.

Yesterday morning was really a stunner so, still reeling from my website debacle, I decided to treat myself and Koty to a trip to Kikomun Provencial Park. I love this little park and it's a scant thirty miles from my home.

The park has a number of small lakes but my favorite is Surveyor Lake. There is a trail that loops around the entire lake and two beaches for people to launch their watercraft or just hang in an awesomely beautiful landscape. Koty and I probably spent two hours strolling the trail and taking in the sites. During that brief time I saw a loon, a pair of mergansers, numerous mallards, a great blue heron, a woodpecker, and a slew of painted turtles.

Another special feature of this lake and trail is the Canadian Rocky backdrop one can see from the west end of the lake, just spectacular.

Below are photos of some of the wonders that we saw.

A couple of redheaded mergansers out for a paddle.

Unfortunately, this loon was a bit far afield for my lens but I couldn't resist "shooting" it anyway. Loons are one of my most favorite birds. Not only is plumage design extraordinary but it's call is simply alluring. It is one of my most favorite sounds in all of creation.

The Surveyor lake water is crystal clear. This photo was taken of the lake bottom right through the water.

The view across Surveyor Lake to the Canadian Rockies, more precisely these mountains are called the Kootenay Rockies.

Painted turtles lined up on a log taking in the sun.

This was as much of the paint job as I could get a picture of from any of these turtles. Painted turtles are usually pretty shy guys and dive in the water at any sound or disturbance.

I nearly forgot to mention, the wildflowers were starting to bloom. If there is such a thing as a wild snap dragon then that's what this is. I'll have to look it up to make certain.

Mornings like this one are what life is all about for me. Imagine, I can be in and drink up this wonderland in a matter of minutes. I am one lucky ducky!

©Kinsey Barnard

Happy Fourth of July From Dancing Deer

We've been at the ranch all week working on several projects long over due. It's been colder than a well digger's behind this past week but gads it is beautiful. Along with the cool has come lovely rains and the grass is greener and more lush than I have ever seen it. The wildlife against this backdrop is beyond beautiful. Yesterday I had so many bucks passing through it was just amazing. The bucks are still in velvet and they are a ways away from full racks but there are going to be some beauties.

One of the things the deer come for is the clover, deer love it.  Clover grows everywhere around here and of course I have salted the place as well. When clover blooms it makes a very pretty flower.

Then there was the robin that took up residence on top of my outside sun screens. Lucky for me it's been too cool to need them because I would certainly have been out of luck! It won't be long now as the babies are now thriving and growing like weeds. And, just in time too as I think the warm weather may be just around the corner.

The little female grouse below was just posing on this rock for me. Grouse are really funny birds. I often joke that you don't need a gun to hunt them. You could just as easily get one tossing a stone and save your ammunition. Of course, I wouldn't do either unless I was starving.

Speaking of wildlife this year a little cinnamon black bear has taken up residence in the area and comes to visit a least once a week. I have named her Cindi after my oldest and dearest friend. I don't really know if it's a female or not but "she" is quite small. I reckon she is either one or two. Anyway she came to call yesterday and got up in a plum tree and was looking awfully cute. I don't know why she was up there except just for the fun of it because there is no fruit this time of year.

One of my most favorite wild flowers is the wood lily. Normally, these beauties bloom in June but I guess that the cooler than normal weather has kept them back as they are just starting to bloom now. In this photo you can see the raindrops on the petals.

This last, I'm not sure if it's a wildflower or a weed. It's growing in my meadow and whatever it is it is very pretty.

So, that's what it was like this week at Dancing Deer.

Koty and I wish you all a great Fourth of July!

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Cinco de Mayo Snow - Name That Bud

Well, imagine my surprise when I awoke to three inches of snow on the ground! That's as good as some of our winter storms. My history here is short, eight years, but it is the first time that has happened in May. It was none too warm either, in the thirties.

Cinco de Mayo Snow

But, as is normal, the snow had disappeared by mid afternoon. Koty was whirling around trying to get me out for a walk. He's still making good use of that squawk box toy I bot him. What was I thinking?

Koty is like an exercise junkie. His addiction must be fed so off we went. The first thing that caught my eye was this bud. Buds are finally starting to pop out all over and the trees are getting there leaves. I'll give the first person to accurately identify this bud five dollars. I know five dollars isn't much but I still bend over to pick up a penny!

Mystery Bud

Next we stopped off at a pond and found a couple of goldeneye chasing each other. The little girl came in just close enough so that I could get a shot, she having tired of the game. Goldeneye are really beautiful little ducks. But, as is true in most of nature the males get all the looks. :) goldeneye male

I'm beginning to think I'm stuck in a rut as I continue to be fascinated with designs and patterns in nature. I found this knot on a tree stump.

Boulders continue to provide me with endless designs. I think there must be as many designs as there are boulders and that's a lot of design work.  I have an entire gallery of natural designs.

Piedra Oro

This last photo will have to stand as my favorite of the day. Again, it's just a natural design provided absolutely without cost by Mother Nature. Gads she is a generous lady. This is a photograph of pebbles beneath a running creek. It looks like a mosaic to me.

Chica Creek

So, I give thanks for another wonderful day in this wonderful place. Remember always, dreams do come true. I am living proof.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

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 

Spring Has Come Unsprung!

For the past week we have been having periodic rain showers. It was the "Spring showers bring May flowers" kind of thing. But, this morning it was just plain cold and snowing. It's typical rocky mountain weather and typical spring weather but it still takes me by surprise. Even the whitetail looked a little startled by the whole thing.

I always feel sorry for the deer because this cold and rainy weather will most likely continue on into May and that is when they drop their fawns. It seems like a cruel trick to serve these tiny newborns up into this cold wet world straight from the warm nest they have been gestating in. I often wonder how they survive, sometimes they don't.

But, the weather is mighty fickle around these parts. And maybe it will be warm and sunny when the wee ones come. I sure hope so.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

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Moose Encounter in Montana

Today was another work in the woods day. I did pretty well I cut up seven trees. Course, I had already removed the limbs this winter so it takes a lot less time. My back is killing me! The pile below is just one tree.

I wasn’t going to post to this site today but I am compelled. Whilst I was toiling away with my chainsaw I had a wonderful encounter with Mildred the Moose and Earl, Jr. Mildred and a much smaller Earl dropped by last fall. Came right up to the house and looked in the picture window. I’m fairly certain it the same cow and calf.

I was taking a break when I heard thrashing and crashing. This is always a sign that something big is close by. I looked but didn’t see anything so I went back to my sawing. About ten minutes later I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. And, there, about fifty feet away was a mother moose and her yearling just moseying by. I turned off the saw and watched. Then I called out “Hello, mama!” They stopped to look at me. The animals always do. I gave them my special salute. It was a truly magical moment. They stood there for several minutes and something passed between us.. Mother Nature really loves me this week, a mountain lion and moose encounter in the same week?

Sorry, there are no photos. There never is when encounters with big game take place at my ranch. In this life one must make choices, have priorities. I cannot be a photographer and at the same time be in the moment with these wondrous creatures. Being in the moment with the wildlife in the privacy of my ranch, is for me, worth a thousand award-winning, moneymaking photographs. The images of these intimate moments will live with me until the day that I die. That is all the reward I will ever need.

But I do want to share with you my favorite moose photograph. Sure wish I had that big boy down here to help me with the logging! This is my My Favorite moose photo.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

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Mountain Lion Encounter-Grave Creek Montana

Once a week I take a hike with a dear friend of mine. Since I spend so much time not in the company of humans it is a very important day for me lest I lose all my social skills. This day we decided to drive up Grave Creek Road which takes one into the Ten Lakes Scenic Area. We were curious to see how far we could get before running into the snow line.

Grave Creek 4-22-10

We parked the car about ten miles in and walked as far as Clarence Creek before we hit snow. Clearly it will still be awhile before we can get to the lakes. We turned around and marched back down the mountain. When we got back to the car I said "Let's walk down a little further.", which we did. Shortly after passing the car Koty started pulling on his harness and acting like a crazy man. He'd been a whiny brat all day so I didn't really think that much of it.

We walked maybe three quarters of a mile before heading back up the mountain. Normally, when I'm in the woods, I am alone and very attuned to my surroundings. I often spot wildlife before Koty. But, when I'm with my friend I end up chattering like a magpie and paying absolutely no attention to what's going on around me.

As we were walking back to the car I was expounding on who the heck knows what, I have a theory about most everything. Suddenly my friend says "What's that?" I look up the road, maybe a seventy yards away, and I see a figure I can't quite make out standing not twenty feet behind the car. At first I thought it was a wolf. But then the coat was so dark I thought it might be a bear cub. I quickly snapped off a couple of shots.  Even looking through my 300mm lens I still couldn't quite make out what it was.  The animal just stood there looking at us until I started to move toward it. Then it scampered back down the bank toward the creek. It wasn't until we were back in the car out of the glare that we could clearly see what it  really was. Below is what we saw looking right at us.

Mountain Lion In Full winter Coat 04-22-10

No wonder Koty was having such a fit. He could smell this cat and knew it was quite near. Normally, I would have been on red alert based on Koty's beahvior alone but as I said this was my attention MIA day.

The rest of the day was anti-climactic but I still have a couple of nice photos I'll share. When we got back to the valley floor we went over to the campground. The below photo was taken from the bridge.

Over at the campground we puttered around in the rocks and boulders along the creek. I just love this stuff. The designs are to die for.


Intergalactic by Kinsey Barnard-----Loaded to Gallery

Here's another on I call "Moonstruck" because it looks to me like craters in the moon.



Moonstruck by Kinsey Barnard-------Loaded to Gallery

Well, this certainly wasn't a day I will soon forget. These are the days that I live for. These are the days when I know I am truly alive. These are the days that I bow down and give thanks for the inestimable privilege to live in this magical place!

©Kinsey Barnard Photograpy


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Montana Forests Are In Distress

This week I divided my time between working on my spring marketing campaign and culling some of my diseased trees.

All over Montana the forests are dying out. My property is not escaping the carnage. There are as many theories as to why the forests are dying as there are forests and I suppose there is a little bit of truth in most of them. I believe they are dying because of man's sticking his nose into it. First they clear cut then they no cut. Both practices equally unenlightened.

I try very hard to keep on top of the diseased trees and get them culled as soon as I can. But, it's awfully tough to stay ahead of the game.

Dead Spruce

Above is what one of the dead standing spruce look like. Not a thing of beauty that's for sure. And I think you can imagine what a virtual torch it would become in a fire.

Beetle Damage

You can see in the above photo that the beetles had really demolished the core of this tree. But, bugs aren't the only thing killing the trees. There's a lichen that is taking hold and killing fir, larch, spruce and everything in its path.

No Beetles Here But, this tree was deader than a doornail.

Here's a ponderosa that bit the dust from bugs. I thought it was actually kind of an attractive still life of sorts.

Ponderosa

I never get lonely when I'm out working in the woods. The mule deer always come to keep me company. For them that deadly lichen is a delicacy and a falling trees is like a dinner bell to them. I want to get these trees all limbed up so that I can burn the slash as soon as burn season returns. I like to get my slash burned up whilst the ground is still wet. Only two things frighten me in the forest, fire and ice.

Mule Deer

As you can see I did not spend much time with the camera this week. I really love working in the woods even in winter. I really hate working on marketing plans. It's nice to have the balance of being able to do office work and then go out and do physical work. It really helps keep me balanced. I'm one lucky puppy to be able to do all my work surrounded by nothing but beauty.

Winter Scene

Well, that's it for this week.