This is not a dumb bunny

It's still cold and the weatherman says more snow and cold for the next three days. I saw my first bluebird today, so I took my camera with me in hopes that I would see him again. Not so, but as I returned to the barn, what did I see, not more that 10 feet from the hay mall where the horse hay is stored. This bunny if it had not already was soon to help itself to some "good horse hay". Let the cold and snow come, this bunny would be full and warm.

Baby it's cold outside

These red wing black birds thought it was spring, showed up on the ranch in the last couple of days, and were enjoying the spring weather. NOT TODAY . . . . . temperature 12 degrees, wind from the north, 4 inches of snow, temperature to get to mid 20's and nothing to eat. They just happened to be parked in a tree where I could take this picture as they are not the only new arrivals that wish they were somewhere else. The robins started arriving a couple days ago also.

DOUBLE CLICK ON THE PICTURE FOR A CLOSE UP OF COLD

Kenya and Barlo usually go with us

The rules that you receive at the entrance to the park regarding pets, states that they are allowed and if they get out of the vehicle, they must be on a lead and can not go more than 100 feet from the road that you are traveling on. As you see, these are not Yellowstone wildlife, but are our 2 Great Danes. They enjoy the scenery and as we approach wildlife in the car, they come to full alert, yet are very respectful to the animals, have never barked, but certainly know these are different than they experience on our ranch at Fishtail. Marty was giving them an afternoon break . . . we were at least a mile from any wildlife at the time I took this picture.

. . . and of course there were elk

The trophy elk was proud that he still had his antlers for this picture. He will soon be shedding them and growing new and most likely bigger ones for next season. There are at least 3 large bull's in the area where this guy was and when we return in May and the summer we will report on the new growth.

The lone female was one of 6 that must have been grazing in the area where the grizzly bear (see March 20th blog) eventually camped out for the day. As we were watching the grizzly roam through the wooded area we suddenly heard and then saw 6 young elk come running in the opposite direction of the bear. They certainly heard or smelled him and decided today was not the day to graze where they had been.

The group of ladies that you see through the trees were headed to an open area about a mile further east when I took this picture. This picture captured only a few of them as there must have been at least 50 or more in this herd.

Of course elk were prevalent around Mammoth Hot Springs and other areas along the road to Cooke City.

TRY DOUBLE CLICKING ON THE PICTURES