Story

We found a coyote laying down on top of a snow hatted rock that just looked really amazing. We decided that we would wait for him to stand up on top of the rock because the composition of the shot would be perfect. He seemed pretty content just laying there though, trying to take a nap. He really was beautiful and I almost missed him. I hadn’t even noticed him at the time because I was watching another coyote out in the fields when another person pointed him out to me. It is funny how easy it is to miss things. It makes me wonder what else did I miss, what other wondrous creatures did I pass by as I was consumed by some other thing? ...

You may be wondering at this point in connection to the title, why the flowers. They aren’t green, there is no leprechaun hiding inside of it, and there is no possible way this photo can be related to Saint Patrick’s Day. My response to that would be: You are correct. There is absolutely no correlation between Saint Patrick’s Day and this flower. The question now remains as to way I chose this picture out of all the pictures I have (and that is quiet a collection to choose from). My answer, I don’t like Saint Patrick’s Day. To me, it is pointless, almost as pointless as connecting a totally unrelated photo to an irrelevant day. ...

While in Yellowstone I was searching for Big Horned Sheep. We didn’t have much luck because they always sat in the same place up on top of a mountain where we couldn’t get good pictures of them. Finally on our last day though we spotted a herd of big horned sheep grazing on a hill. They were so interesting to look at, they really are unique creatures. It was really fun to watch them chomping on grass. ...

Yellowstone is a beautiful place, it can be both a snowy wonderland and a snowy wasteland. While I was there I got to see both sides of the coin in numerous occasions. At many times it would just be huge stretches of white nothingness, empty and solitary. However at some moments you would see bright fields of red brush or a flower poking through the snow. You never know which side you will get, just cross your fingers for a wonderland where the color splashes across the snow. You will find me there waiting, as always for those who seek out the third path. Not black or white, but the colors that lie between.

The first real wildlife we happened upon in Yellowstone was the majestic elk. We spotted a group of bucks off on the side of the road in a snowy valley and decided to follow them for a bit. They had huge antlers because they hadn’t dropped them yet. It was quite the sight to see. They were just roaming around eating grass. The funny part about going on wildlife hunts is that at first every little thing you see is amazing and you stop for an hour to watch it, but as time goes on it becomes normal. At the beginning of the trip we stopped a good hour and a half to watch these elk go around a valley and across the road, which was amazing. But my point is that by the end of the week we would drive right past them without a thought. ...

Silence is not something we today hear a lot of in our lives. How many times can you just stop everything you are doing and listen. And when you listen, the only answer is silence. In Yellowstone this is a luxury I indulged in quite often. You could be walking around and just stop in the middle of nowhere. All there would be is silence. I would hold my breath and look around, all you could hear was the sound of falling snow and the world breathing around you. It is something very special to experience. I never really was aware of just how noisy and bustling life was until I escaped to the wilderness for that week. It was actually really hard to come back to Santa Cruz, especially school because there was so much noise that it was almost suffocating. ...

This time around we watched an otter hunting in a river. It was at the same place where we had spotted the otter trio except at the first otter lodge. The otter was bobbing up and down in the water trying to get some food. There was a whole line of photographers trying to get good pictures of it,I was just one of about ten trying to score a shot. I got to talk with a man who took photography trips to Africa. He had photographed, lions, elephants and much more. It was amazing to listen to his adventures while we waited for the otter to catch something. ...

When I was in Yellowstone, I saw some of the most beautiful scenery in my whole life. Valleys of snow and brush, trees lit by fading sunlight, and the bluest sky you will ever know. Montana is called big sky country for a reason (yes I know Yellowstone is Wyoming but we stayed in Montana). This tree was so pretty even though it was barren, the sunset hit it in a beautiful light making something dead look beautiful beyond words. I wish this photo could have captured it better but here it is anyway. ...

Feeding time is a sacred time in the snowy valleys of Yellowstone in the winter. Here, every chance at a meal is essential to survival. We were lucky enough to watch a coyote hunting around in a small valley. Just got to say, check out the pink little feet on that vole… Anyway, we waited around for a long time watching this coyote roaming about when he started to stop and was clearly listening. It was adorable, he would freeze and then cock his head to either side and wait then swivel to the other side. It was amazing to watch this creature hunt. ...