Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Spent part of the day in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Have throughly enjoyed the park. Was thinking today, if I could only go to Badlands NP or Theodore Roosevelt NP, which one would I pick. The scenery is similar, ie. badlands. Badlands NP is flatter, and the road is straighter, Theodore Roosevelt is hillier, and the road is not nearly so straight.

My final decision was Theodore Roosevelt NP. There are plenty of visitors, but not the hordes that there were in the Badlands. Makes it easier to stop in unauthorized places and take a photo or two. Getting to either park before school is out would probably revise visitor numbers down some, but there were plenty of old geezers like me, so it might not make that much difference. I do think the scenery is slightly more dramatic, and there are far more animals to photograph. The last one is probably what swung the vote to TRNP.

Saw more Bison. This guy was really shaggy and he looked different from the others in this mini-herd. I suspect he is not an adult, though he certainly wasn't a calf. Right after I got this photo, he ambled across the road right behind my car and rubbed and rubbed on one of the posts holding up the guard rail. Guess he had an itch!


Friday I saw a mini-herd of feral horses up on a hill. Today they were down by the road, and that allowed for close up photos. These two mares seemed to be enjoying a few quiet moments without their colts nearby.


The rest of the critter pictures are here.

I went through Arby's drive through to pick up their Chicken Cordon Bleu (mmmm) for dinner on the way back to the motel. Noticed this sign, and couldn't resist the urge to photograph it.


Moving north and west tomorrow to Plentywood, MT

Lake Ilo National Wildlife Refuge

Saturday did not go as planned.

First of all I didn't get up as early as I would have liked, because I was up too late the night before. Checked the weather report and took one look at the radar screen and said, oops, guess I will sit tight for awhile. After that little squall passed through, I headed out. The skies looked pretty good. Dark to the east and south, but good to the north and west, which was where I was headed. Lake Ilo NWR was on my way to the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP, and since I can never pass a wildlife refuge by, it was my first destination.

This Willet chattered at me as I photographed him


This Upland sandpiper was posing nicely and I was firing away with the camera when I heard a big pickup approaching. I was mumbling under my breath to myself about it as he passed by. After he was gone and I was looking at the photos I had just taken, I mumbled, thanks pickup guy, you just got me a nice one.


I would have liked to stay at the refuge, but I looked at the time and said, gotta move on. The sky to the north and west still looked pretty good, so off to the west I went. As I went west the skies started to darken and the wind began to pick up. By the time I got to where I had to turn north to go to the North Unit of the Park, I had decided that heading south was my best option.

This photo was taken shortly after I turned south. The skies looked blacker than this photo portrays.


Got back to the motel and took Miz Winnie for a short stroll. Hustled her along as I could hear thunder in the distance. We hadn't been in the room long when the wind picked up, the thunder, lightning and rain started in earnest. Didn't last too long, and it cleared up after that. Probably would have been okay had I gone to the North Unit of the Park, but better safe than sorry.

The Scenery of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Some scenery photos from Theodore Roosevelt National Park

One very big, very white cloud

Fauna of Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Well, I made it through all the critter photos, deleted the junk, picked and chose the ones I think are the best, and got them uploaded to the photo site. So, here are the one's I like the best.

Photographed this Lark sparrow very early in my time at the park. So early, that I kind of forgot about getting his photo. I think Lark sparrows are the prettiest of the sparrows.


Aw, Mom, I love ya (Prairie dogs)


Feral horses reside in the park. After taking a bunch of photos of this herd, I realized the grungy white pickup also parked in the pullout was a guvment vehicle. So I talked to the Ranger for a couple of minutes. She verified that this was one of several mini-herds of feral horses in the park


Check out the nasty scar on the shoulder of this feral horse


Then there were the Bison. Look at the tongue this guy has!


The rest of the critter photos are here

Not even going to tackle the scenery photos this now morning.

Bucyrus, North Dakota

My Aunt and Uncle's house in Bucyrus, North Dakota. I should have taken a picture of the driveway. I still have a scar on my knee compliments of falling in that gravel driveway.


My Grandparents home. Mother spent most of her growing up years in this house. It seems to be in better shape that my Aunt and Uncle's home.


I spent most of the day in the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Took lots of photos. Saw Prairie dogs, Bison, feral Horses, and Pronghorn antelope. No photos of the latter, but quite a few of the previous. And lots of scenery photos. Just got back to the motel a little less than an hour ago, so will have a busy remainder of the evening going through photos. Tomorrow it's the north unit of the park.

More Badlands

A couple of photos from Wednesday evening in the Badlands.

From the looks of the moon this evening, I missed a full moon by one evening.


Sunset as I was leaving the park


The rest of the photos from the Badlands are here

I've concluded that one needs two mornings in the Badlands, and two evenings. One morning to go east and see and photograph from that angle, and a morning to go west and see and photograph. Repeat process for the evenings. Also probably need to schedule in a couple of extra days to accomodate weather.

I headed north today. Only covered about 250 miles, but I dawdled along the way and it took all day to get to Dickinson ND. After Miz Winnie and I got settled in, I laid down and took a 3 hour nap. Guarantees messing up the nights sleep!

I stopped for a good bit of time in Bucyrus, ND. It's the town where my mother was born and raised. Easily located the home of my aunt and uncle and my grandparents. Both are in disrepair. Was suprised how small they were. I was last there in my early teens and they seemed larger in my memories. Drove around the town a bit and finally found a man outside working on his RV. He allowed that he had lived there since 1968. Was able to confirm that the houses that I believed to be family homes were in fact, family homes. He told me where the cemetary was. Spent a good bit of time there. Never did find the graves of my grandparents, or my aunt and uncle. Lots of small town cemetaries are well kept, but this one isn't. It appeared that the grass isn't mowed with any frequency, and when it is, no one takes the time to clean off the markers. I guess the moral of the story is that one should have an upright marker. For some reason or another, it was an emotionally draining experience. Something I hadn't really expected. Haven't yet looked at the pictures I took today...

Theodore Roosevelt National park is the next photgraphy spot.