Story

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. ...

This was my first year taking part in the Scotts Valley High School Art Show as an art student. I had three pieces in the show, my cigarette made out of matches and Marlboro Light packs, and the two pieces from my pencil shavings series. The whole week before hand I was just a nervous wreak and I am glad it is over. During it’s course I remembered why I do art or anything creative that I share with the public. ...

Gabe joined the wrestling team along with Doug and a few of his friends this year. He had a lot of fun with practice, but the meets were a bit too stressful for him. I’m glad I got to see one of his meets before wrestling became a thing of the past. Maybe one day he’ll be back, as he’s got some natural ability.

Sneak peek of lots more photos of coyotes coming up, because I didn’t get any great wolf photos I am making it up with great coyote shots. I know what people think, Oh great coyotes, the lesser more whinny wolf. Yes admit, I too have spent many hours yelling at the coyote out my window to shut up as you all know. This trip however changed that thinking. I always thought coyotes as pests but in Yellowstone they were still just such majestic beasts. They like everyone else there would have to fight for their life and had earned their living out there in Lamar Valley. Yellowstone definitely gave me a whole new light on coyotes. ...

I had never seen a river otter before I went to Yellowstone, and let me say THEY ARE ADORABLE We heard that at the confluence of the Lamar River and the Soda Butte River in Lamar Valley, Yellowstone there were some otter lodges. So we all hiked out of the car dragging our giant cameras and all the equipment out of the car and then walked a half mile to the second otter lodge along the river. We set up the tripods and waited for quite some time when we finally spotted one otter. He was bobbing in and out of the water regularly teasing us with his appearance as we tried to catch a good picture of him. We were about to head back in when Mark turned around and saw the three otters playing. ...

Here is the site I got to see everyday when I was in Yellowstone. This picture can’t truly describe how beautiful this place really is. I must say it is extremely different than Santa Cruz and this is one of the hardest parts of being back home. I keep looking outside expecting to see snow and gorgeous mountains but instead I see rain and lots of trees. I am not complaining, it is just such a shock because it is so entirely different. It really reminds me just how lucky I am to get to travel like this because I can experience all the different terrains and lifestyles of the world around me. That is why I believe it is essential to travel because people have to get out of their normal atmosphere and see the world in all of it’s different lights.