Random Photos

Some people hear voices.. Some see invisible people.. Others have no imagination whatsoever.





The Moon


The full-orbed moon with unchanged ray
Mounts up the eastern sky,
Not doomed to these short nights for aye,
But shining steadily.


She does not wane, but my fortune,
Which her rays do not bless,
My wayward path declineth soon,
But she shines not the less.


And if she faintly glimmers here,
And paled is her light,
Yet always in her proper sphere
She's mistress of the night.


Henry David Thoreau


Tawney Marie, my goddaughter, the most precious thing in my life!

A red-tailed honey bee

At Del Mar California, My First Ocean Sunset

Read more!

Spontaneous Excursion into the Black Hills.

Into a Snow Storm!
the first of two trips.

Pauly and some drunk hitchhiker.


The drunk wanted to go out and camp in the coming blizzard...
I wonder if he made it??


I was content to warm up by the fire in the bar with a mug of hot coffee.

Read more!

Spring time Adventure part 3 - Frozen in Time

Next stop, Pine Creek where frozen waterfalls are beginning to wake from their
winter slumber. Spring breathes life into the dead of winter; the rebirth of
nature, the origins of reincarnation.

---

Click here for a satelight image.

---

Read more!

Spring time Adventure part 2 - Hike in Tepee Gultch

After crawling through the cave we decided to go for a nice hike in Tepee Gulch. Stopping for lunch about halfways.

---

Click here for a satelite image

---

Read more!

Spring time Adventure part 1 - Spring Creek Cave

In March of 2007 a few friends and I went on an adventure. This is part one of three from the trip which took us to the depths of the earth and to some of the highest reaches of the mountain tops.

---

Part 1 Spring Creek Cave _{aka Spring Canyon Cave}


Located on the walls of the Stratobowl near rockerville on Hwy 16.




Click here for a satellite image

---

Perched on the edge of a cliff in the Stratobowl, this cave is formed in the
Paha Sapa Limestone.










Here the cave has collapsed. This can be common in this the middle section of
the formation were the limestone is blocky and fragile. That makes this cave especially dangerous. 3 years ago when I last ventured here this is were I entered the cave.





The rocks at the surface exhibit beautiful boxwork and dogtooth spar crystal
formations.





This is were we enter the cave. Located near the bottom of the upper part of
the formation, it is common in this unit of the limestone for passageways to
have low ceilings with wide rooms. This generality held true here with the passageway being an average of 2 feet high by 12 feet wide.










Pauly! About 25 feet into the cave.










This is the typical low ceiling with wide room passageway. The entire cave was
a belly crawl.





Fracturing plains in the limestone.















The long thin passageway leads to this 12 foot drop. No way I would fit through
there. That and it leads to the area that colapsed.





Turning around....





....is not an option it is just way to tight. You have to back out.










Yes those are fresh pine needles 30 feet into the cave. Brought in by
porcupines. Pulling the porcupine quills out of ourselves was not fun.


You can see Pauly in the back. A good example of how thin the passageway is. Remember the whole cave is this way.





Leaving the cave you can see the green mold growing near the entrance














Jamie working her way out of the cave.





I was small, it was dirty, but it was fun!


Stay tuned for part 2 of our adventure as we hike down teepee gultch for lunch.

Read more!

Spring!

Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorun
Mostly seen in flocks, moving from area to area, looking for berries. Constantly makes a very high-pitched "sreee" whistling sound.


"Spring is when life's alive in everything." - Christina Rossetti


"You must converse much with the field and woods, if you would imbibe health into your mind and spirit" - Thoreau


"Listen, can you hear it? Spring's sweet cantata. The strains of grass pushing through the snow. The song of buds swelling on the vine. The tender timpani of a baby robin's heart. Spring." - Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider


Morning Cloak
Nymphalis antiopa
Brush-footed Butterflies


Hoary Comma
Polygonia gracilis
Brush-footed Butterflies

Read more!