We are settling in to winter a little early this year. Th mule deer are returning in numbers. I was wondering if they would still come and spend the winter with me since I have been gone the past two winters. I am so glad to welcome them home.Mule DeerWe drove up to Fernie to see what the snow situation looked like. They've got quite a bit already. I didn't take any photos as I didn't see anything that inspired me.Later in the week we took a hike along the Tobacco River. I noticed a very larg... Read Full Story

Not a lot going on this week. Just finishing picking up wood and getting it under shelter. Had one bit of excitement. The drain pipe out at the big pond got stuffed up with aspen leaves.Koty and I were out patrolling, as we usually do in the fall. As I neared Walden Pond I noticed I was walking in water. That wasn't supposed to be. When I got to the pond I could see the drain pipe was clogged. I thought it had somehow gotten clogged at the intake but further investigation revealed it was at t... Read Full Story

Today we decided to get off the ranch. We have had the most gawd awful Fall so far but today was glorious. Both Koty and I were having a little cabin fever. I'm ok with going out when it's snowing but I don't like rain. It's too wet.The Kootenia Rockies were looking particularly beautiful off in the distance so we decided to head to British Columbia and our favorite little provincial park Kikomun. I didn't know if it would be open so Fernie was our fall back plan.Kootenai Rockies as seen from... Read Full Story

Well, that pretty well sums up our financial situation.Been gray and rainy/snowy around here. Not much going on.On this day last year I was making my way to Arizona and stopped for a day in Ogden, Utah. I'd never really seen the great salt lake so we took a tour of Antelope Island.Salt Lake & Antelope IslandIt is a rather impressive place.The island used to be a private ranch that was eventually acquired by the state.These days they run a herd of buffalo.I've just about gotten Clementine clea... Read Full Story

I think I must be one of the most fortunate people on this planet. A lot of that has to do with the country in which I live.I love nature and spend as much time out in it as I possibly can. I try in my humble way to show nature the way I see it with my photography. There are many beautiful places on this globe. Natural beauty is everywhere. My good neighbors in Canada have some of the best the world has to offer. What is unique is the United States. There has never been anything like it in hu... Read Full Story

Well another of my heroes bites the dust. Andre Agassi apparently admits in his new autobiography that he used crystal meth. Andre Agassi. I just loved that kid!I'm really conflicted about the "truth". On the one hand, truth and honesty are a good thing; on the other it leaves no room for heroes. Looking back it seems as though almost all those I admired, both historically and in my lifetime, had feet of clay. In fact, as I look back it seems most of the things I believed in were manufactured... Read Full Story

I'm pretty dismayed by the things that I see going on in this country. But this morning I became aware of something that gives me hope. It is the Oathkeepers. These folks obviously take their oath seriously and that oath says that they will protect us from enemies both foreign and domestic.It's hard for me to even conceive of discussing the possibility of domestic enemies. But, I think there is a real threat to our freedom brewing. As I look at the view out my window I pray for all of us.The ... Read Full Story

October 08, 2009A wee bit nippy this morning, 27. It was a cloudless night and the moon lit everything up like daytime. I tried to spy those pesky bears in the apple trees but they weren’t about.This was a scheduled working in the woods day. I started burning some of my slash piles and cut up another couple of trees. Some of the fun is gone out of my forest job as it has now gone from a beautification to a salvage job. Burning SlashWhen I first moved here, seven years ago, I had a long time ... Read Full Story

October 07, 2009Woke up to a little snow on the ground. It was forecast. Temperature is in the high thirties.A Little Fall SnowMore photo editing this morning. It’s turned grey and gloomy.Low CloudsAround noon we headed down to town to pick up the mail and got to the bank. I packed up the cameras and planned to walk along the Tobacco River. The clouds were all the way down to the foot of the Galton’s.By the time we got to town it was raining. Had to abort the walk. We might have seen somethin... Read Full Story

October 06, 2009All was quiet this morning. No bears about. The temp was about 34 degrees but there is frost on the roof and the meadow.Gold was up this morning over $20 on news that China, Russia and France are planning on replacing the dollar for their oil trading. Gold is at it’s all time historic high. Demise of the Dollar As I sit here on my mountain I seriously wonder what our fate, as a country, is to be. The government is clearly out of control. I fear America as I have known it is sl... Read Full Story