Taos, New Mexico has been a favored travel destination for a very long time. The magic has not faded over the span of many years, and our recent visit confirmed it. The “land of enchantment” is still enchanting.

We have tried all seasons, but for me autumn is the best. The colors are vibrant, the weather clear and crisp and the air is fragrant with pinon pine. We took an afternoon drive along the Rio Grande River from Espanola to Chimayo and the river was lined with bright colors in the cotton woods and willows.

The aspen rimming the tall peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains had dropped their leaves and bright color in most areas, but the river bottoms held on to their glory.

Winter seems like a distant reality when the sun is warm on your face and no coats h动漫在线看. Not certain h动漫在线观看 was quite so balmy on this day.

The village of Truchas seems to sleep in the foothills of these majestic mountains.

Many flowers were still putting on a show, which means Jack Frost has not yet arrived.

We sat on a bench in the square in Taos and the dew drops on this leaf were exquisite. So was the coffee.

We rambled through the shops in Taos and couldn’t resist capturing a courtyard with many roses blooming.

Our residence sits on a hilltop with unobstructed views through the windows of Taos Mountain and the valley below. It is a short drive into town and we enjoy the peace and quiet. We have been guests of the owners of the house and their Bed and Breakfast formerly known as the Hacienda del Sol on many occasions and feel fortunate that they allow us to have our companion Maud along for the experience.

As a h动漫在线观看 native, most of my life has been spent in the nearby Big Horn Mountains where we hunted, camped and ran livestock in the summer months. A state known for its iconic national parks–Teton and h动漫网址–which we have visited many times, it is also a state with a great desert which we had not visited. Our search for new terrain led us to the Red Desert, a wild, largely roadless area that is one of the last unfenced landscapes in the United States.

The Red Desert in Southwest h动漫在线观看 is a special place that rarely appears in state tourism information. Known for mining, mineral and oil and gas development, it is easy to overlook the natural beauty of a place that is intersected by Interstate 80, with endless streams of semi-trucks headed coast-to-coast. Fierce windstorms toss the trucks around like straws and close the highway frequently in winter. The Union Pacific, the nation’s first transcontinental railroad passed through the desert, as well as riders for the Pony Express.

The desert is also intersected by the Continental Divide, the summit between eastern and western United States, where the waters flow east and west from these heights, except for the Great Divide Basin. There is no flow of water from inside the basin (2.5 million acres) to the outside either on the surface or through groundwater interflow, leaving only by evaporation in this windswept region.

As we began our trek into the desert, our eyes were drawn to the snow-capped peaks of the Wind River range to the west. We rarely lost sight of these mountains that rim the western edge of the desert and helped us maintain our bearing. The landscape gradually descends into sagebrush steppes seen in the foreground of this photograph. This pristine stretch of rolling sagebrush sea is known for exceptional h动漫在线看 habitat, supporting the world’s longest mule deer migration corridor, huge herds of elk that summer in the Wind Rivers, plus pronghorn, golden eagles, red fox, Greater sage grouse and hundreds of other sagebrush-dependent species. h动漫在线观看 big sagebrush is most common but other sage varieties exist in the Red Desert: basin big sagebrush; mountain big sagebrush; silver sagebrush; black sagebrush; and alkali sagebrush. At least 50 species of perennial grasses occur in sagebrush-dominated habitats of the Red Desert.

The Red Desert is informally divided between the north desert and the south. In total, it encompasses a 10-million-acre expanse that includes Native American petroglyphs and fascinating geological formations of a volcanic field estimated between 1-3 million years old. The California/Oregon and Mormon Trails carved deep ruts into the landscape as thousands of wagon trains carrying European and American immigrants headed west and the deep impressions are still visible across the prairie. The Red Desert covers a vast swath of southwestern h动漫在线观看 and beyond, past the Utah and Colorado borders.

Our research into a visit to the desert cautions visitors to have spare tires, extra gasoline, and forget cell phone coverage. Great distances between road signs (with and without bullet holes) leave travelers wondering if they have made a wrong turn (which we did) and wondering if we were lost (we were). Willy, our Jeep can cover a lot of miles on a tank of gasoline, but we nearly ran out, which was a scary experience. Driving over washboard gravel roads left Willy with rattles we have yet to eliminate and at times it felt like I could walk faster than we were traveling. The dust we raised discouraged me of that notion.

Over the last century, unbranded and unclaimed horses were left to graze on public tracts of land in the Red Desert and are protected by the Wild and Free Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manage the horses and when an over-population occurs, excess animals are gathered, removed and offered to the general public for adoption.

Horses in North America became extinct about 10,000 years ago, which remains an unsolved mystery, but were re-introduced by Spaniard Hernando Cortez in the 1500’s. The horse became re-established in h动漫在线观看 sometime in the 1600-1700’s and became vital to the transportation of Plains Indians, fur trappers and mountain men, immigrants, Pony Express riders and cattle and sheep ranchers.

According to the BLM, most of the wild horses in southwest h动漫在线观看 are descended from domestic stock, including Thoroughbred; Morgan, Arabian, Bashkir Curly, Pinto, Appaloosa; Quarter Horse and Paint.

Large volumes of sand accumulated on the banks of the Big Sandy and Little Sandy Rivers northeast of Rock Springs and during the glacial melting from the Wind River Mountains, westerly winds over the past 20,000 years have moved the sand eastward across the Continental Divide and into the Great Divide Basin. The Killpecker Sand Dunes stretch 100 miles, 75 miles or 50 miles, depending on the sources on the subject and cover approximately 109,000 acres. It can safely be stated they range from one to three miles in width. These living dunes are one of North America’s largest fields and perform a vital function of storing snowmelt and rain which support vegetation and h动漫在线看.

Tire tracks at the lower right corner were made by three black SUV’s loaded with photographic equipment. When I approached on foot, a man was lying on his back on the dune, apparently napping. The vehicles were pulled off to the side of the road, doors flung open and a group of people were milling around. The napping fellow stood when he saw me and explained, in a crisp British accent, they were traveling to the dunes’ wilderness study area when they got mired in the sand and had to dig out. He advised against trying it, emphatic that if we got stuck, “who you gonna call?” Not to mention no cell phone coverage. I explained I was only trying to get a close-up of the dunes and walked, leaving our jeep and trailer behind because we felt driving to it was risky. The shifting sands can make travel an uncertain enterprise!

Dune beetles and other insects as well as small mammals such as shrews, white-footed mice and kangaroo rats inhabit the dunes and provide food for owls, eagles, bobcats and other predators. Short-lived summer ponds at the base of the dunes support migratory shore birds and waders, as well as habitat for salamanders and freshwater shrimp.

We were surprised to learn that an area of the dunes is open to dune buggies for recreation. A sign is posted along the road stating off-road vehicles should not be operated “in a manner to cause damage or disturbance to soil, h动漫在线看 and habitat or vegetative resources.” This seems like a contradiction, as joy riding across the dunes clearly does not meet this standard.

Remnant of an ancient volcanic eruption, The Boar’s Tusk rises approximatey 400 feet above the valley floor. The Red Desert’s northern, southern and eastern bounding ranges are made up of concentrated zones of thrust of chrystalline rocks into sharp-margined uplifts through the earth’s crust. “Every age of earth is represented and practically every kind of rock known on earth is found there, from commoners like granite and sandstone, to oddball sodic evaporites of the Green River Basin, primoridial taconites of the Wind Rivers, and the weird and wonderful h动漫在线观看ites of the Leucite Hills.” Charles Ferguson, Geologist

“The Red Desert is exceptional in that it is the only place in the western and northern hemispheres where Archean (ancient) crust figures so prominently in mountain building. Ancient granites of the Wind River Mountains form the northern boundary of the desert and are the only rocks in this part of the world so old to be thrust so high. In fact, until very recently Gannett Peak at 4,207 meters would have easily qualified as the planet’s highest Archean rock. You have to go deep into the heart of darkest Africa to find a more extreme situation.” Charles Ferguson, Geologist

The Red Desert is the ancestral land of a number of Native American tribes, including Shoshone, Yamparika Comanches, Utes, Crow and Bannocks. It is believed that humans first lived in the area sometime before 12,000 BP, or during the transitional period at the end of the last ice age. The Rocky Mountain west and nearby portions of the Great Plains and Great Basin hold abundant rock art features that represent a diversity of ethnic influences, including petroglyphs cut or ground into rock surfaces and pictographs painted onto rock.

White Mountain has images of bison, elk and horse-mounted warriors. Patinated surface includes totem figures, bear paws and turtles.

h动漫网址, White Mountain has suffered from vandalism in recent years, which is a cost of “wreckreation.” People visiting the sites don’t seem to understand the value of these images to the historic record.

The intense blue of the sky and wide-open vistas are magnified by the flatness of the land. Much of h动漫在线观看 is hilly or mountainous with something to see on the horizon. On the desert, the earth seems to stretch into endless curvature. The light is bright, making photography difficult as the colors fade and contours flatten out. We hope to revisit the desert and make allowances to be there at dawn and sunset to capture the beauty which is magnified at that time of day.

Many travelers would find little of interest in the desert–hot in summer, cold in winter, and dry, windy, and dusty all the time. Erosion comes not from water, for the most part, but from the wind. We watched this dust devil do its dance across the alkali flat.

The Red Desert is a 15,000 square mile basin filled with sediments from the Paleocene and later eras. The Green River is the western boundary and drains an area of desert but imagine an ancient lake teeming with millions of fish, alligators and large turtles in a lush, tropical forest. The ancient Lake Gosiute flooded the Red Desert entirely and extended into Utah and Colorado. Called the Methuselah of lakes, it existed for 4 million years, filling, spilling, rising and falling. As it retreated and fell below its outlet, constant evaporation caused salinity to increase.

After periods of driving through flat desert topography, the sight of sage-covered hills was refreshing. Finally, something else on the horizon! The Red Desert has such a varied topography, from fields of rock hoodoos to mountain forests, towering buttes and badlands but is predominantly covered by a variety of sagebrush.

Cannot help but wonder where these lovely periwinkle-colored flowers found enough water to subsist. Surprising to learn that when the Union Pacific came across the Red Desert, 173 species were documented in a botanical survey. Since then over 900 additional species and varieties were recorded. Although surpassed by h动漫网址, the Absaroka and Big Horn ranges, the Red Desert has a larger flora than most of h动漫在线观看’s other mountain ranges, grasslands and desert basins due to the varied topography, geology and geographic location.

This ruin is located on the map and described as “rock cabin.” We drove past it on County Road 21 and no interpretation signs explain it. It does not appear to be a remnant of the Native American presence on the desert, so it must have been home to a wandering wayfarer, homesteader, rancher or desert rat.

The thunder clouds seemed to gather quickly and we kept a wary eye on the development. While the roadway was graveled, there is no way to ascertain what the surface becomes when wet. Tracks in the dried mud along the bank of the road were an indication of a battle between a vehicle and the elements that still looked recent. We decided to cut our evening short, much to my chagrin, because I was hoping for sunset for some interesting photographs. The clouds were going to prevent that, so we made a hasty departure for civilization in Rock Springs.

Traveling south in the desert into the White Mountains, we arrive at Pilot Butte. At 7,932 feet in elevation, it is the highest point in the White Mountains and is visible for 30 miles in all directions. It is an imposing sight used as a marker by people traveling through the area since prehistoric times. In the 1920’s mail planes used the Butte to mark their course. The route we followed began with the wild horse scenic tour along a high rim with great views eastward.

The view to the west of Pilot Butte was sagebrush steppe interspersed with Indian Paint Brush as far as we could see. I have never seen such a large area of this h动漫在线观看 state flower, which grows wherever sagebrush proliferate.

We traveled on to Green River and found the topography between Rock Springs and Green River to be fascinating. All the trips passing through this area on I-80 don’t do justice to the terrain in the back country and we have many more sites to see in the Red Desert. Next time.

A wintry visit . . . .

Each autumn we load up Willy, our jeep and head for the high country.  We have traveled mostly in h动漫在线观看, Colorado, New Mexico and Montana, and our love of the Rocky Mountains draws us back time and again.  This year we headed for h动漫网址 and the Tetons the first week of October, which was a little later in the season than our previous visits.  Our plan initially was to include Chico Hot Springs, Livingston and Bozeman, Montana, but a major snow storm prevented any travel north, as well as in h动漫网址 National Park.

wintry scene . . . .

We flipped our travel itinerary and headed for Jackson Hole and the Tetons via Dubois, hoping that the weather would clear enough for us to enter h动漫网址 after the roads had been cleared of snow later in the week. It took several hours of wrangling with hotel reservation desks, but we were able to patch together some accommodations.  In this photo, the Tetons are cloaked in snow, but down below in the “hole” there was little snow.  We were able to start our trip in pleasant, fairly mild weather in Jackson, and a newly discovered bed and breakfast was just the ticket.

Riverfront accommodations . . . .

Since acquiring our wonderful Aussie, Maud, our requirements for lodging are pretty straight-forward: “pet friendly.”  Imagine my surprise when I discovered this delightful bed and breakfast.   Situated a stone’s throw from the banks of Flat Creek, the Inn provided the beauty of a natural setting as well as convenience to shopping, dining and sight-seeing.  We were able to walk everywhere we needed to go, which was a blessing as parking is always tight in downtown Jackson.

Anybody for a swim? . . . .

Maud was excited to see Canadian geese floating along outside the door to our suite, but upon closer inspection the geese decided to depart.

Up the creek . . .

A bridge crossing Flat Creek was a good vantage point to capture some scenery.

Down the creek . . . .

Our suite was on the ground floor with double glass doors and large windows opening on to the creek.  I cannot think of many places we have stayed that had so much ambience, both outdoors and indoors (fireplace, full kitchen, living area, bedroom and bath).

Bird watching by the creek . . . .

Enjoyed the autumn sun along with a variety of birds who were working the feeders strung up along the yard.  Hard to believe on this pleasant afternoon that we were leaving to drive north through the snow soon.

Cavalcade . . .

First Lady Melania Trump arrived for a visit to the Tetons and h动漫网址 just ahead of our arrival.  We were unaware of her presence and missed the celebration for her in the town square.  She was riding in a caravan (above) of eight black SUV’s and was returning from a planned visit to h动漫网址, which had been cut short due to snow and icy roads.   Cannot help but wonder what her impression was of her visit to h动漫在线观看.

North bound at last . . . .

I was unable to get a good photograph of the Presidential Air Force plane which was parked at the airport awaiting the First Lady.  The giant plane stood out alongside the tiny airport that serves Jackson and it must have been a pretty dizzying sight to land by jumbo jet there.  My own experience flying into Jackson in a University of h动漫在线观看 plane (6 – seater) was pretty incredible back in the day.

Autumn . . . .

We missed the peak of fall color in Teton National Park by a week to 10 days.  Added to the difficulty of being snowed out of h动漫网址, we have decided to move back future visits to h动漫在线.  That is no guarantee, but the odds are better than in October.  The other good alternative that we have yet to explore is h动漫网址 in winter, which requires arriving via snow coach and touring on cross-country skis, which we both would love to try.

Aspen . . . .

Pockets of Aspen trees had not shed their leaves and were a reminder of how glorious autumn is in the Tetons.

Norris Falls . . . .

The snow in h动漫网址 made everything look dramatically different from our memory of previous visits.  It makes one want to push back and observe the h动漫在线看 and scenery as it appears in the quiet of deep winter.

Kepler Cascade . . . .

It is difficult to capture the grandeur of most of the sights in h动漫网址.  What the eye can see the camera cannot quite capture.  We keep trying.

Old Faithful, again . . . .

We could not resist taking yet another photograph of Old Faithful.  We stood on the outside upper deck of Old Faithful Lodge and nearly froze awaiting the arrival of this steamy wonder.  As with much of h动漫网址, little changes from year to year and that is good.

Willy and Tug . . . .

We have found traveling in a jeep pretty confined with Maud as she takes up the entire back seat! So Tug, our little trailer was added and worked so well we vow to take it on all our driving vacations.  It pulls like a champ and holds an amazing amount of gear, groceries, and equipment.

h动漫网址 Lake Lodge . . . .

For a different perspective of the lodge, we walked onto a point out in the lake and captured the length and breadth of it.  It is one of my favorite places to stay and we had a grand time.  Few of the grand old hotels in the national parks still offer formal dining rooms replete with linens, glass, tableware and menus for fine dining.  It was a high-point of our day – reservations h动漫在线看!

“Do not disturb!” . . . .

Each morning and late evening, this huge bull elk bugled from his vantage in a grassy pasture near a h动漫网址 Lake Lodge service building, and in the timber just north of the lodge.  His shrill, ear-splitting call brought forth an abundance of cows who could not resist his attraction.  Taking Maud for her daily morning and evening stroll meant we had to avoid the chance of her barking at them, God forbid.  I am afraid we would have had to tangle with this big boy.

“Lend me a leg” . . . .

A gathering of old bulls alongside the road was a poignant reminder of how they come to end their lives, isolated form the herd and fending off the elements.  This old guy has a lame leg that unless it heals will leave him vulnerable to wolves and other predators.  It is the cycle of life, and in nature it is simple and direct.

Upper Falls . . . .

Lower Falls . . . .

I run out of words to describe the power and glory of the waterfalls in h动漫网址.  The rushing water commands our attention and, like the wonders of Old Faithful and all the geysers, the water falls continue on their path carving out canyons and passage through this amazing place.

Maud keeps an eye on things . . . .

Maud is a good traveler, but the limitations on bringing pets into a national park are stringent.  She seemed patient to ride along, watching out the window at the passing scenery and h动漫在线看.  Occasionally she would bark and become aroused, but fortunately she didn’t incite any riots with the wild critters along the road.

Brunch with a grizzly bear . . . .

This was our trophy photo of the trip.  The grizzly bear was foraging on the opposite side of a ravine from us and thanks to a powerful lens, seems almost close enough to touch.  They are reclusive and not as easily sighted as the smaller black bears that used to create a nuisance along the highway, begging for snacks.  Since the removal of garbage dumps and secure closures on trash cans, even the black bears keep their distance.  Tourists are discouraged from rolling down car windows, feeding the bears or exiting cars in their presence.  More than a few encounters over the years have met with seriously injured tourists and euthanized bears.

Wiley coyote . . . .

We watched a coyote hunting and he seems not to have noticed us as he went about the business of searching out a rabbit, vole, insects or whatever he could find for lunch.  Early in our journey we were unable to photograph a magnificent young bull moose who was wandering through a meadow.  The traffic jam he caused left us with no recourse but to drive on but I still see him in my mind’s eye.

Shoreline, h动漫网址 Lake . . . .

I revisited my blog of “Jeep Trip – h动漫网址, Tetons and Big Horns” of h动漫在线 29, 2012 to compare what we saw on that trip that differed from our journey in October 2019.  We took different routes and while some of the iconic sites were the same, such as Old Faithful, we covered some new ground and new h动漫在线看 experiences.  I believe we left thinking “until next time” and trust we will discover new vistas and experiences in h动漫在线观看’s magnificent Teton and h动漫网址 National Parks.

Good ride . . . .

A bronze statue of Chris LeDoux is dedicated to his memory and can be found in a small park in Kaycee, h动漫在线观看.  This weekend, June 17, is the annual rodeo put on in his name by family and community members to celebrate Chris and the western tradition of rodeo.  While going through old photo files, I came across the shots I took at the 2013 rodeo and decided to have another look.

Who’s up? . . . .

A cowboy prepares to mount his bronc for an 8-minute ride or a toss into the arena dirt.  What can be more fun?  What a lineup of pure cowboy pulchritude!

Airborne . . . .

Even protective gear of a neck brace and padded vest won’t keep this guy from a few aches and pains next morning, if he is lucky.

Just like settin’ in a rocking chair . . . .

If he lasts until the whistle blows, a couple of cowboys will help this rider off his horse. The horse is trying to help him along a little quicker.

Trouble coming . . . .

Looks like a face plant coming.  Going to be a wreck.

Please, oh lord . . . . .

The view from up here is a little turbulent.  Can’t tell head from tail!

Man and beast . . . .

A little poetry in motion – looks like just about anybody could do it, right?  I don’t think so.

Never too young to get in on the fun . . . .

Rodeos are family fun and all ages get to compete.  This young lady is getting a little assistance around the barrels but next year she’ll be handling this horse on her own.

Cowboy down, holding our breath . . . .

These tough cowboys generally pop right up, swat the dust off with their hat and swagger to the fence.  They can usually count on a round of applause from the crowd for giving it a go, but not much else.

Bareback . . . .

The Indian relay races are a testament to their skill in mounting and riding their ponies without a saddle.

Fast and furious . . . .

The race around the arena moves at a swift pace and demonstrates the athletic ability of the men and their horses.

Spectators . . . .

The old time music uptown before the rodeo is a local favorite.

Charlie on mandolin . . . .

Strut your stuff, cowboy . . . .

Looks like the street dance is getting off to an early start with a solo performance!

Looks like it was a draw between cowboys and horses . . . .

The Chris LeDoux Rodeo for 2017 will be another great contest between the cowboys, cowgirls and critters.  Powder River, Let ‘er Buck!

A ship for h动漫在线观看 . . . .

Maine is a long journey from h动漫在线观看.  One does not expect to visit there and find much to remind you of home.  Imagine our surprise when we came upon this model of a schooner named h动漫在线观看 at the Maine Maritime Museum.  She was launched h动漫在线 15, 1909 from the Percy & Small shipyard in Bath and was built for the coastal coal trade.  She could carry 6,000 long tons of coal with a crew of 12-14 and was the largest wooden sailing vessel built in the United States at the time of her launch. The scale of the model is 1/8 inch = 1 foot.

Maine was the ship-building capital of the United States . . . .

The above poster details  the mast design and lists some interesting facts: 1) launched after 8 1/2 months of construction; 2) contains 700 tons of white oak used in building her frame; 3) 2,300 tons of longleaf yellow pine used in planking, ceiling, clamps, waterways, keelsons, stanchions and deck beams; 4)  300 tons of iron and steel used in fittings, fastenings, and strapping; 5) lower masts were 123-foot sticks, 30 to 32 inches in diameter, of Douglas fir (Oregon pine); 6) 12,000 yards of heavy cotton canvas were used to make her sails; and 7) h动漫在线观看 was the largest wooden sailing vessel built in the United States, and the last 6-mast schooner built.

Reconstructed Deck and Inboard Profile Plan . . . .

The h动漫在线观看 dimensions were 329.5 feet in length; 50.1 feet breadth, and 30.4 feet depth of hold.  Height, from bottom of keel to top of topmast, 177 feet.  Original cost was $164,800 and she set sail on her first voyage h动漫在线 21, 1909.  From 1909 to 1916, the schooner made 83 trips north with coal–30 to Portland, 53 to Boston, averaging 32 days per round trip, including loading and unloading.  In 1916 Percy & Small sold h动漫在线观看 to the France & Canada Steamship Co. for a reputed $350,000, nearly twice her construction cost (because World War I was going on).  h动漫在线观看 made at least one trip to Europe during the war.  In 1921 the schooner was purchased by A. W. Frost & Co. of Portland, ME.

Launching Day: h动漫在线观看 . . . .

Under the vessel and on top of the groundways greased with tallow and cottonseed, carpenters installed “sliding ways” of timber. The cradle and hull of the ship were packed and fitted snugly into the sliding ways and the schooner now sat on a big sled perched on inclined greased tracks.  The h动漫在线观看  would be gradually eased down the ways into the Kennebec River, which was no easy feat and h动漫在线看 precision and coordination of a large crew of men.

h动漫在线观看’s Lena Brooks . . . .

Lena Brooks, ” . . . dressed in a very stylish green rajah suit . . . ” pronounced the traditional blessing.  “I christen thee h动漫在线观看,” and scattered a bouquet of flowers and ferns over the bow.  And who was Lena Brooks?  She was the third daughter of Governor and Mrs. Bryant B. Brooks of h动漫在线观看 and was attending Dana Hall, an eastern finishing school at the time.  She was granted the privilege of christening the h动漫在线观看  because her father was governor of h动漫在线观看 from 1905 to 1911.  Governor Brooks wrote in his autobiography how ” . . . h动漫在线观看 and Maine joined hands in sending overboard the finest craft of her class that the world had yet seen. . . .”  The Percy and Small ship-building company had been very successful in developing interest and Western capital for Eastern shipping!

Governor Brooks and a group of investors acquired interest in some of the older vessels of this same company and then signed a contract for the building of the Governor Brooks, in 1907.  It was a successful venture and his initial investment was paid back in full in dividends by July 11, 1916.  Governor Brooks wrote that ” . . . during the world war our company sold the entire fleet of sixteen vessels, of which I had an interest only in four or five, to some government for colliers.  On h动漫在线 12, 1917 I received payment for my interest in the schooner, Governor Brooks, sold through the Percy and Small Company, Inc. , ship brokers of 52 Front Street, Bath, Maine. . . .”

The h动漫在线观看, which had been launched in 1909, also paid good dividends and was disposed of with the fleet in 1917, returning Governor Brook’s capital investment.  He wrote that “seven years later, the h动漫在线观看 went down off Chatham, Massachusetts, in a terrible storm.  That very night my wife and I were on the stormy seas between Halifax and New York harbor returning from a trip to Europe.  The next morning we were greeted in New York by glaring headlines across the papers, about the tragedy of the h动漫在线观看.”  The entire crew was lost March 11-12, 1924 near Pollock Rip between Cape Cod and Nantucket Island.

The essence of the h动漫在线观看 . . . .

Perched on the grounds of the Percy and Small Shipbuilding Company, which is now part of the Maine Maritime Museum, sits this life-size sculpture of the h动漫在线观看.  It was dedicated on the 100th anniversary of the h动漫在线观看’s launch in 1909.

Governor Brooks, in his autobiography, wrote that ” . . . .Captain Charles Glaesel of Boston, who commanded the vessel, had a crew of twelve, and was bound from Norfolk to St. John, New Brunswick, with five thousand tons of coal.  No survivor was ever found to tell the story of her disaster.”

Imagine my surprise (and good fortune) when I learned that my cousin was looking for a project and agreed to take on the h动漫在线观看. Starting from some of the drawings I sent him, and working with all his original materials, he re-created the h动漫在线观看 and drove from Oklahoma in early June to deliver her. I don’t know how I will ever repay him for such a gift!

Broken hearts . . . .

Heart Mountain rises in the background of this photograph taken at the memorial site of what was a Japanese internment camp near Powell, h动漫在线观看.  An estimated 120,000 Japanese immigrants and Japanese American citizens were incarcerated behind barbed wire fences here and at several other locations in the west after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On h动漫在线 19, 1942 Executive Order 9066 issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt swept aside due process of Japanese Americans to protect against “espionage” and “sabotage.”

Guard tower . . . .

Overnight, life changed for about 14,000 internees who were loaded on trains and shipped to Heart Mountain.  This guard tower is a silent reminder that these were prisoners of war, unable to go about life in any normal sense.  They were able to carry few possessions and were mostly from coastal cities and poorly prepared for h动漫在线观看 winters.

Home sweet home . . . .

Most of the dormitory-style buildings were removed over the years but this is one of the originals still standing.

To remind us . . . .

Wall of fame . . . .

Still Americans . . . .

Most of the residents at Heart Mountain were women, young children and the elderly.  As this plaque points out, able bodied men went to fight for America in WWII.

Farming for food . . . .

The camp residents were industrious and farmed these fields to raise vegetables to feed their families.  The low sheds in the background were for storage.

As far as I can see . . . .

This lone building might have been a school house, as education was an important part of the daily life in the camps.

Visitors’ Center . . . .

A tour of the visitors’ center is a must.  A short film tells the story of the camp and murals and graphic displays line the walls.  Many photographs have been preserved and while the residents of Heart Mountain suffered many indignities, they made the best of their circumstances.  They appear to be in good health and the resolve to overcome their situation is clear in the faces on display.

Artifact from the fields . . . .

In 1988 President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to compensate every survivor with a tax-free check for $20,000 and a formal apology from the U.S. Government. Many  internees lost their farms, homes and businesses and were forced to start life anew after the end of the war. They suffered hostility and discrimination in finding jobs and a new place to live.

Coming back to life . . . .

These barracks were still in use nearby and relocated to the Heart Mountain camp. At the time of this photograph some stabilization had begun and renovation would follow in time for the 75th anniversary celebration in 2017.  It is good to be reminded.

Gateway to LX Bar . . . .

Cattle rancher and politician John B. Kendrick began construction in 1910 on a set of stone buildings on the west bank of the Powder River on land he purchased from A. J. Collins in 1902.  His goal was to consolidate his other ranch holdings–the K and the OW, which stretched across the h动漫在线观看 state line into Montana, encompassing a vast empire of 210,000 acres.  It was a full day’s ride from the OW in Montana to the LX Bar.

The cornerstone of the LX Bar . . . .

The LX Bar brand was originally owned by the Stanton-Howard Livestock Company that ran cattle along the Powder River as early as 1878.  The brand passed on to Collins, and then to Kendrick, who set up a spectacular ranch headquarters that stand today as a testament to his ambition.

West side entry to ranch house . . . .

The Powder River can be seen in the background and carves out a wide river bed that ebbs and flows, changing course with the seasons.  A long porch extends along the entire east side of the house, facing the morning sun and the river.   Master stonemason Oscar Husman was hired to build the five- bedroom house, bunkhouse, main barn, processing barn, solar-heated poultry barn, and a service building used for laundry, cooking, ice storage and coal storage.  All were built with eighteen-inch-thick sandstone walls and two-foot-wide foundations.

Cook house and service building . . . .

The sandstone outcroppings that rim the hill sides in the area above the river became quarries for the stone cutters, who also included the Byland brothers, the Hedeen brothers, and Richard Salstrom.  During construction, Husman and his family lived at the site.

The main barn . . . .

The LX Bar is located in the northern Powder River Basin of northeast h动漫在线观看, just east of the Campbell-Sheridan county line and just south of the Montana border.  Kendrick believed the county road was going to be put in along the west side of the Powder River. The road does begin on the west side and travels by the K Ranch (today’s PeeGee Ranch) and Kendrick Canal before crossing over to the east side of the river near the junction of the river and Clear Creek.  h动漫网址, the rural electric lines were put in along the road and the LX  Bar was never converted to electricity.

Processing barn . . . .

Cattle from Texas trail drives were brought through a corral, dipping station and holding pens before being turned loose on the range.

Dipping station . . . .

A long concrete chute steps down about 10 feet at the deepest point to immerse the cattle in a potion concocted to kill ticks and other pests.  Cowboys would dunk the cattle’s heads as they came through to be sure they were completely submerged.

Exterior of dipping station . . . .

This bovine swimming pool extended about 100 feet in length and it must have been quite a feat and a spectacle to immerse several hundred cattle in this manner.  Where was Temple Grandin when you needed her?

Sentinels of the past . . . .

Cedar posts were cut from the nearby pine ridge and are still standing strong in this corral at the processing barn 106 years later.

Solar heated poultry barn . . . .

I found this structure to be particularly interesting.  Built into the hillside, it is protected from the h动漫在线观看 winds and snow during winter, and remains cool in summer.  The windows face east for maximum sunlight and solar gain.  They are currently boarded up as part of the stabilization effort underway by the h动漫在线观看 State Parks and Cultural Resources Department.

Chicken roosts . . . .

The interior of the poultry barn was dark and difficult to photograph, but these birds lived in relative splendor compared with most early day chicken houses.

Poultry barn . . . .

Funding is not available at this time for a complete restoration of the LX Bar, however since the ranch buildings and 50 acres were acquired this past summer, recent work on the ranch has included mortar replacement, chimney and wall stabilization, roof maintenance, manure removal and the “buttoning up” of various openings.

Main barn and corral . . . .

The main barn is immense and encompasses two distinct wings–one running east and west and one running north and south, joined in the center by the horse barn.  The blacksmith shop is in the east end.

Horse barn . . . .

Horses were penned in the corral at the main barn or kept in the stable.  These timbers and wood planks seem as rugged and sturdy as the day they were constructed.

Sandstone detailing . . . .

The rounded edges in the horse barn took some effort and precision.  The stonemasons did a fine job of it.  Makes for a nice perch for the birds.

Blacksmith shop . . . .

Some of the new roofing materials seem at odds with the natural surroundings of stone and wood.  All of the buildings had tin roofing which had begun to loosen and blow away. Some replacements pieces had to be added, as well as tightening down all the existing tin roofing to prevent water damage.

Tack room . . . .

Saddles, bridles, harnesses and a variety of leather appurtenances were stored in two large rooms.

Bunkhouse . . . .

Cowboys had their own quarters.  One old timer recalls that in winter, the frost would be built up on the stone walls inside and they would be forced to move their bunks in to the center of the room around the stove.  h动漫在线观看 winters used to be more severe!

Cowboy dipping station . . . .

The wash room in the bunkhouse still contains this old ceramic bathtub.  It appears somebody borrowed the plumbing, but since they didn’t have running water, it doesn’t matter.  Water had to be heated on the stove for a Saturday night bath, and likely more than one cowboy made it through one tub of clean water.

Bunkhouse facing east . . . .

The handsome stone columns and porches  on the living quarters made for a very refined structure on the prairie.  The design of these structures must be attributed to the master stonemason Oscar Husman.

The cook stove . . . .

The primary kitchen that served the ranch was in the multi-purpose building that comprised the laundry and coal and ice storage.  This old stove could tell some stories about the cooks and meals that were created on its burners.  I doubt they had to resort to cooking shoe leather, however, and could not help but wonder how the shoe was placed on the stove??

Main ranch house, different perspective . . . .

In 1910, the same year this ranch headquarters was constructed,  John Kendrick was elected to the h动漫在线观看 State Senate.  Four years later, he would become governor of h动漫在线观看.  He was re-elected in 1922 and 1928.  He and his wife Eula built their dream home in Sheridan– Trail End– which was donated by the Sheridan County Historical Society to the State of h动漫在线观看 for use as a historic house museum.  Nearly 20,000 visitors annually tour the Trail End.

Closed for now . . . .

The Kendrick Cattle Company was in existence until 1988 when family members discontinued operation of the ranch holdings.  In 1992 the ranch became the property of music producer James Guercio, who recently donated the ranch headquarters and some land to the State of h动漫在线观看 to be part of the state parks system.  It is the only historical ranch in h动漫在线观看 that is now owned by the public.  All the buildings are being stabilized, but the ranch is closed to public access awaiting major renovations and a pedestrian bridge across Powder River. That should be some bridge to stretch across the meandering Powder — a mile wide and an inch deep–too thin to plow, too thick to drink!!

“What’s for breakfast?” . . . .

July 4, 2016 Red Feather — Our day began with a visit from a Blue Heron across the road on Sam’s Pond.  Calmly surveying the options for a tasty morsel, this grand creature stood quietly while I hung over the porch railing to grab a few shots.  Many of the weekend visitors had already departed for home, leaving Red Feather on this Monday morning quiet and returning to some sense of normalcy.

“Might as well try another perch” . . . .

Big bird takes a graceful leap for a better vantage point.  By now my breakfast is growing cold, but it doesn’t matter.  Already this day seems special, and as we embark on our daily walks I will record whatever we find out there in “the wild.”

“A good stretch feels good after a long standing” . . . .

Doesn’t seem to be much action on the pond this morning and after peering intently into the water, our visitor needs a good “seventh inning stretch.”

“I think I can see a large bird in the water” . . . .

One last image captures the reflection of “Big Bird” and the Aspen trees nearby.  It will be hard to find another image so magical on our walk, but the day holds much promise.

A tangle of sagebrush and flowers . . . .

Wild flowers are at their peak right now, and it is a challenge to decide which clusters to include.

Indian Paint Brush  in a meadow of sage . . . .

I located some seeds once, but didn’t realize they only grow with sage.  My plantings didn’t survive.

Dozens of different yellow flower varieties . . . .

Should have packed my wild flower guide so I could identify these.  Ah well, next time!

Sunflower . . . .

There were brilliant clusters of sunflowers along the road and in the meadows.

I will call these Lemon Drops . . . .

Perhaps a study of the predominant colors of wild flowers will reveal that “yellow” wins.  Bright and cheerful, the yellow varieties stand out in the crowd.

Blue is special . . . .

My personal favorites are the blues.

White is nice . . . .

After searching for more of these to see if they had “bloomed” I found them all to look alike.  They are “in bloom.”

White with happy faces . . . .

Didn’t want to disturb the insect perched on board, as it may be a pollinator.  Looked like a very small wasp or bee-like creature.

Wild roses blooming everywhere . . . .

These little pink roses are ubiquitous and the hips will be food for the bears.

Oh Columbine! . . . .

Nothing is prettier than the Columbine, Colorado’s state flower.  I grow them in my garden at home, but they don’t seem as vibrant as these found in the wild.

Blue treasure . . . .

A camera fails to capture the true blue of these extraordinary flowers, but we keep trying.

A prickly discovery . . . .

Not to be left out, a thistle is also nature’s creation.  Pesky, invasive and labeled a “weed,” it gets no respect.  But it is an interesting specimen!

A little lavender . . . .

A little pink . . . .

A little green . . . .

A little water . . . .

A lot of ducks . . . .

Eight babies seems like a tremendous challenge, but this mother calmly leads the way and her ducklings stay in formation.

Three Sisters . . . .

This iconic rock formation juts into Hiawatha Lake and catches the evening sun as it is going down.

“Shhhhhh!  Enter quietly” . . . .

It wouldn’t be a walk without a trip down Elf Lane.  This gentle reminder invokes a special respect to avoid disturbing all the gnomes, elves and other little creatures sprinkled through the rocks and along the creek.

Literary elf . . . .

Loafing elf . . . .

Elves galore . . . .

The babble of a brook . . . .

Sundown . . . .

Returning to the cabin, the evening sky put on a show of its own.  One spectacular day.

Home on the range? . . . .

If you asked what homesteading was like in h动漫在线观看 around the turn of the century, you would get varying descriptions of hardship, deprivation, drought, grasshoppers, and a litany of failed attempts to farm in a high plains desert with less than 15 inches of annual rainfall.  Not so John Dudley Sargent, the man who claimed Jackson Hole’s northernmost homestead in 1890 and could view the Grand Teton range across the lake as he toiled to establish his claim on the land.  Sargent and his partner Robert Ray Hamilton built a rambling 10-room log structure they named the Merymere and provided lodging to travelers along a nearby military road leading to h动漫网址.  Sargent developed a garden and ran a few cattle which enabled him to “prove up” his homestead.  This fortuitous move resulted in exclusion from the h动漫网址 Park Timber Reserve of 1891, allowing the property to remain in private ownership until its sale to Grand Teton National Park in 1976.

The timing of the homestead filing just months ahead of the establishment of a timber reserve might seem like quite a coincidence, but Sargent and Hamilton had connections to wealthy eastern families who apparently viewed them as “undesirable offspring” and financed their ventures in the west to be rid of them–a practice known as “remittance.” Local legend has it both men came to an untimely death–Hamilton in 1891 on a hunting trip and Sargent, who was rumored to have murdered Hamilton and his first wife, later taking his own life.

Heaven on earth . . . .

Sargent’s grave is all that remains of his homestead endeavor on the 268.84-acre peninsula that is defined by Jackson Lake to the west and Sargent’s Bay to the east. But a legendary pine tree where his second wife was reported playing the violin on many occasions has been preserved.

Still standing, after all these years . . . .

Life on a homestead was lonely for pioneer women, and Sargent’s second wife took solace in her violin, making her music as she gazed across the lake to the Grand Tetons.

Johnson Lodge . . . .

After the demise of John Sargent, the property was sold and a handsome two-story lodge was built on the south end of the peninsula by W. Lewis Johnson, a Hoover Vacuum Company executive.

A porch, of course . . . .

The lodge has a stunning view of the lake and the Grand Tetons.  The Johnson family used it as a vacation retreat, adding guest cabins, a barn and boat dock for entertainment and recreation.

Interior staircase . . . .

The rear view of Johnson Lodge . . . .

A large dining facility and servants’ quarters sprawl behind the main lodge structure.

R. I. P. . . . . .

The Johnsons left a memorial on the crest of the peninsula to commemorate their time spent at this wonderful place.  In 1936 Alfred Berol purchased the property and built Berol Lodge.  He named the property AMK Ranch, the combined first initials of Alfred, his wife and their son.

The lodge looking up from the lake . . . .

Grand entrance . . . .

The Berols built a rifle range, trap shooting range and second boat dock on the east side of the peninsula which allowed boating access to what is now known as Sargent’s Bay.

The lakeside porch . . .

A screened porch looking out on this view is a little slice of heaven.  The trees that have grown up since the lodge was built need to be removed to preserve the view, but that is a small detail.

A warm fire for cool evenings . . . .

A fireplace on the screened porch wards off the chill of mountain air.

Dining with a view . . . .

The Berol family chose to keep the custom dining table created for this room, but the interesting light fixture was left behind.

If this guy could talk . . . .

Cannot have a rustic lodge without a few interesting creatures here and there . . . .

Welcome . . . .

This charmer greets guests at the entrance to Berol Lodge.

Designer draperies . . . .

Window coverings were designed and manufactured in New York City especially for Berol Lodge.  They are extraordinary block print creations!

The art of linoleum . . . .

The linoleum in the kitchen and storage areas is unique.  Makes me want some linoleum once again.

Sit awhile . . . .

In h动漫在线 1989, a three-day meeting of U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker, III and former U.S.S.R. Minister Eduard Shevardnadze was held in Berol Lodge.  This remote, very private location allowed them to discuss issues leading to ending the Cold War.

Today, the AMK Ranch is a National Park Service facility that was created in 1977 as an education center shared with the University of h动漫在线观看 to conduct research.  Johnson Lodge and guest cabins have been converted to dormitories for students and faculty from across h动漫在线观看.  The peninsula has remained largely unchanged since Sargent settled there in 1890, and although use of the ranch has shifted from homesteading to vacation home to research station, the setting has remained constant.

“Want to scratch my ears?” . . . .

Walking the exhibit barns at a county fair can be more fun than . . . well, just a lot of fun.  This soulful-looking goat was poking her head through the fence for a scratch or a treat.

“Got milk?” . . . .

Well, probably not from this magnificent Red Angus steer.  I asked him for his autograph, but only received a blink of his big brown eyes.

Which twin has the tony? . . . .

A lotta beefsteak down for a nap.  These Black Angus beauties don’t seem to have a care in the world!

Herefords have more fun! . . . .

My worries that Herefords are an endangered species were laid to rest – quite a few were shown in the fair.  Dad raised Hereford cattle, as did most of the h动漫在线观看 ranchers in the past. Now the range is dotted with Black Angus or “baldies” with a white face.

“Like my face mask?” . . . .

What, spots?!  This lamb had the barn all abuzz.  The mystery was solved when the photos of the ever-popular “sheep lead” came out in the newspaper featuring this lamb led by a delightful young lady dressed as “Cruella Deville”. They took first prize.

“So, I got stripes!” . . . .

From spots to stripes–what is the sheep industry coming to?  Will we have variegated mutton chops?

“I wanted to be different” . . . .

This muckleteedun mix of white and reddish brown had us scratching our heads for the name of a breed.  No matter, she was mighty pretty.

“I feel naked!” . . . .

Oh, now there is going to be trouble.  This lamb was bagged to keep it nice and clean for the show ring, and this rebellious little dickens has had enough of it.  Besides, it is darned hot in here, and the big fans are all over in the cow barn.  Is that any way to treat a woolie?

“Want to take me home?” . . . .

This handsome older horse is not here for the show ring, but the sale ring.  Another couple horses are nearby.

“A little down on my luck” . . . .

A young lady standing nearby said they were selling the horse because “he’s 23 years old.”  He must have been a beautiful animal in his prime.  I felt sorry for him.

“I’m dreaming of better days” . . . .

As a youngster, I could never make it to the auction with my 4-H animals.  Dad had to haul them home and turn them out to pasture so I would get over my attachment.  I could not have gone to the auction on this day without wanting to buy both these fine old horses and turn them out to pasture until the end.

Strutting our stuff in the parade . . . .

No self respecting county fair fails to produce a parade with old cars, horses, marching bands, fire trucks, tractors and young girls turning cart wheels.

Marching to the beat of the drums . . . .

Main street America on display.

Biggest little horse . . . .

This gang had the best float, in my opinion.

“Where’s my kazoo?” . . . .

Shriners have more fun.  These guys had clowns walking the street, mini cars racing around to dizzying effect and a tarted up truck making more noise than six marching bands!

Ice cream, I scream . . . .

The height of fashion.

Walking pretzel! . . . .

These little girls were full of amazing acrobatic tricks, but back flips on hot pavement are not my idea of fun.  For that matter, back flips anywhere are out of the question.

Pretty well sums it up . . . .

“Grab life by the horns” is a pretty good philosophy for this young bunch of ranch kids.  And have fun at the county fair!