Wildlife at it's best

The wildlife you will see in this edition of our blog should be very interesting when you consider many of the following factors. We were not in Africa to capture the images of the lions and tigers. We were not in bear or wolf country to get the photographs of these wild critters. When you look at the images you will see contentment and very healthy animals. Before I answer the questions that I just posed, let's look at the photographs.

You've seen wolves that I have photographed since they were re-introduced in the wild. This wolf was not in Yellowstone National Park and seems very relaxed and healthy.

Was this tiger posing for me to take this photograph, was it looking for something to attack, or had it just finished eating. I was at least 1500 feet away and you get this image as a result of zoom lens and software. It seems that it had plenty of roaming room which in fact it did.

Maybe something was itching the back of it's neck. It was not concerned about me being near by or it could have been very tense. Have you ever seen a tiger as relaxed as this one and it seems to be enjoying the comfort of the scratch.

This bear seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere. But it was a very healthy bear and I can assure you that it was not being chased by another critter. You aren't seeing any trees in the photos and it doesn't look like a park or a jungle.

When was the last time you saw a lion this relaxed. It's resting in the sun and there doesn't appear to be tens of people peering at it. If you like wildlife, you might enjoy visiting them. Keep reading and we'll finish the story before you you're through.

Is this more of what you would expect with these creatures? This seems to be more like what you would expect of a lion in the wild. Or, is it mating season and this guy is calling his girl friend or telling his competitor that this is his territory.

Based on this picture, it was none of the above. He's content with his surroundings and is probably ready to take a nap.

So where was I? This visit was a lot better than any zoo that I've been to, especially if you are concerned about the life of these animals. Being penned up in cage for your life is OK if you are on the other side of the cage, but if you are the animal, it's not like it was in the wild. 

We had the opportunity to visit the Wildlife Sanctuary in Colorado a few years ago and have returned  each time we're in Boulder, Colorado visiting our family and grandchildren. The owners of the sanctuary and generous contributions have permitted them to give these animals freedoms that few captured wild life ever get. I was on a mile long elevated walkway taking these photographs. The wildlife were not in the least bit concerned about our visit as you can see from these pictures.

I have added the logo of the Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the website for those of you who are interested in learning more about these animals and their benefactors. If you are ever in the Denver area, take the time to visit this wonderful establishment.

It was fun having the opportunity to capture the images of these animals without having to spend days and dollars traveling to their natural habitat.

                                                                           ENJOY

Another winner in the family

We travel back to Boulder, Colorado to celebrate the winners of the Mile High Meltdown. Yes, in Colorado at this time of the year, it's hockey. Peter Teegardin has been playing hockey for a number of years, and this time his team was undefeated in the Championship Series.

Grandpa is delinquent as he wanted to get to Boulder during the season to take some new pictures of Petey on the ice. The picture of the team, taken shortly after their final win is shown here.
Peter is the third person from the left on the front row. His team colors are still orange, white, and black, which is what they were were I took these pictures.

Congratulations Peter.

If you want to see a larger picture of Petey's team, DOUBLE CLICK on the photograph.

Kayak Jack will be going to college this fall

This is our grandson, Jack Teegardin, a resident of Boulder, Colorado. Several years ago, after spending many years and hours on the ice in a hockey rink, he migrated to another water sport as illustrated in the picture. As you can see from these pictures, he loves the sport and has become a very accomplished "kayaker".

In the past month, we received an e-mail from him that he had been accepted at Montana State University in Bozeman and more recently his father, Jeff, advised me that he has been offered a fairly substantial scholarship as well. As the decision time for selecting a school draws near, he will be joined by his mother and father on a trip to Montana to visit Bozeman and determine if he is a fit with the "Bobcats".

As Marty and I have told our friends that there is a possibility of Jack being a student in our great state, each and everyone has started talking about the rivers where Jack could kayak, ski slopes where he could speed down the slopes, and have told us at length what a wonderful school MSU in Bozeman is. If you knew Jack, you know that Montana State is not his only option

We all know that this is the first big step in your future. The pressure to make the right decision may be overwhelming at times, but we can all assure Jack that there will be much more difficult decisions in his future. We have all been in his shoes, we have all survived, and the dedication that he has shown to those that he loves and the things that are important to him will prove that this next big decision is the correct one.

Happy Easter

Thursday morning Marty and I drove to the Billings airport to fly to Boulder to spend the weekend with Jeff and his family, pictured below. At noon after waiting at the gate for over almost 2 hours we were informed that our flight had been cancelled and there were no seats on aircraft leaving Billing for until Saturday. We immediately had our tickets refunded, picked up our luggage, jumped in our car and headed for Colorado, arriving at 8:45 PM.

. . . . . . and now a special Easter memory. . During the Easter season several years ago,one of our grandchildren appeared to be remorse as the parents were putting the grandchild to bed and saying their prayers. They asked what seemed to be problem.

The grandchild said, “I am sad because Al Dude died and I won’t see him anymore. The mother told the child that Al Dude was happy and in heaven. The grandchild was happy to hear that, but the parents could tell there was still something on the mind of the grandchild. “Is Al Dude in Heaven with Jesus?” ,the mother said, Of course he is. The grandchild said, “The soldiers are coming after Jesus, (referring to Jesus entering the city of Jerusalem.) Maybe, Jesus can find Al Dude and they can ride away real fast, so He isn’t caught by the soldiers.

Happy Easter