Beautiful views dazzled all along our way on a recent road trip to the Thermopolis, WY last week. It was a winter wonderland throughout the Boysen Reservoir, the Wind River Canyon and Thermopolis itself as we visited family in the area. Looking forward to a return trip when we can catch more light in the canyon itself. Wyoming never disappoints.
I’ve always envied photographers who can capture such tiny forms such as individual snowflakes. I didn’t have much in the way of expectations, but I still gave it an effort and managed to get 1 good picture out of probably 15 other attempts. I could probably manage far better with some stabilization like a tripod or a surface to rest my camera on so I may try to use that next time. Still, not bad, overall.
That such beauty stands out from such a tiny form. It boggles my mind that this is what comprises the snow we make snowmen from and walk on.
A Wyoming snow came in today despite it technically being Spring now. It’s snowed several times over the last few days (but here in Cheyenne, only light accumulations).
Despite the snow, the birds were just singing their hearts out while it fell. Robins, Blue Jays, Juncos, House Sparrows, House Finches, Doves, Grackles, Starlings and Flickers were observed today. After filling all of our feeders, I stood outside under the aspens and quietly listened while the flakes fell.
And it felt more like Spring than Winter.
Hoarfrost isn’t a weather event I’ve ever seen before personally. But, the small ice crystals that coated our property the other day after a fog rolled in during single digit temperatures seemed to fit the bill, on a smaller scale. They weren’t the long, spike-like formations I’ve seen in more extreme pictures, but it was still impressive to see covering everything in sight. The photo here was a close-up of the edge of the railing on our back deck.
This tiny Dark-eyed Junco was doing all it could to only keep one miniature foot in the snow at a time in a 2014 snow in Virginia. It was only after watching carefully for several moments from 25 ft away that I noticed it changing feet every few moments. Not to worry though, just out of camera range were 4 feeders I kept filled in the back yard it had a feast at.
A brilliant red Northern Cardinal popping against the snowy background of the nearby woods.
Coming in for a landing to peck at seeds just under the snow.
A cold November day this past winter to be target shooting in Wyoming.
It was windy. And not the simply gusty kind of windy; no this was the kind where my cold-weather coat was on, hood was up, gloves on, wool base layers on and my eyes still teared and ran from the whipping cold air with sunglasses having zero effect in shielding them. It was a definite no-go. But I still snapped a few quick shots because even though it made for a miserable short time, our favorite shooting spot was ever beautiful in the strong and unforgiving way that Mother Nature is. Have to respect that.
