• natural areas,  reptiles,  Reservoir Ridge Natural Area

    Excitement to End My Day

    May 24, 2023

    Yesterday evening I spend some time at Reservoir Ridge Natural Area lounging in my Big Agnes Camp chair and journaling in the quiet. While writing I could hear something rustling in the bushes about 20 feet away. I paid little attention, assuming it to be a rabbit. However, later when I got up to stretch and walk around I discovered it to be this five foot long bull snake curled up in a rabbit brush. I’ve never seen a snake in a bush before, but always on the ground. So I now know that the scales on a bull snake’s body help it to climb plants and even trees without arms or legs. My excitement to end my day. You can click on the image for a larger view. Today is smoky and cloudy with possible rain later.

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  • clouds,  horizons,  landscape,  mountains

    Trust Me…

    September 15, 2022

    This was taken north of Rock Springs, Wyoming along US Highway 191 on my trip to West Yellowstone last month. A lot of open sagebrush, no trees and almost endless blue sky. You can see for miles and the sagebrush dominates the landscape. You may look at this and think of it as a barren and desolate place, especially if you’re from anywhere east of the Mississippi where trees abound. And when you stop to take in this view you won’t believe the silence that surrounds you. But, even though it is a rugged and harsh environment what you see is a complex of ecosystem. These sagebrush ecosystems provide important food and cover for mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and especially winter habitat for big game species and other wildlife. So probably somewhere in this image is a Black-footed Ferret, Great Basin Gopher Snake, White-tailed Prairie Dog, Greater Short-horned Lizard, Red-tailed hawk or Sage Thrasher. And trust me, somewhere in there is an ant or two or three…

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  • reptiles

    One of my neighbors

    June 19, 2012
    Good Morning

    A morning walk around my pond with latte in hand is a good way to meet the neighbors. If I haven’t mentioned it before, my condo is about six blocks from Colorado State University so I do have a wide assortment of students and with almost yearly changes. Other neighbors include way too many Canadian Geese, every so often a fox, raccoons, herons fishing in the pond and every once in a while a deer. I tried to start up a conversation with this guy (or gal) but quickly found they were on the quiet side, a quality I like in a neighbor.

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  • Plants,  reptiles

    Tall Grass

    June 3, 2010
    Tall Grass

    I like to venture around my hotels during overnights for the exercise, just to get out and to see what I can find. The hotel in Burlington, VT has a marshy area with path circling a pond. On this particular cloudy morning walk birds were singing happy songs to the world, a snake raised its head to keep alert to every move I made. I loved the tall grass that surrounded me on the path. The grass was well above my head and offered another one natures true works of art.

    Snake
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  • Metro Parks,  reptiles

    On a Morning Stroll

    June 28, 2009
    On a Morning Stroll
    On a Morning Stroll

     Out for a morning stroll. He’s a bit shy, in case you hadn’t noticed, as he made sure to stay close to the plants. After a hard rain the night before there is a wonder in the air the next morning. Don’t know about you but the freshness that is around us when walking among nature after a rain sure can perk up my senses. A smile comes to my face, well maybe a smirk. Wonder if it’s the same for the turtle. Do you think he’s smiling or smirking?

    I could hear the frogs croaking along Frog Pond. I could smell the moisture and rain. I could feel the dampness in the air and in my clothes. For eye candy I had rain droplets hanging from leaves and flower petals. There were sun beams breaking through the trees. All these make for a good morning stroll.

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