Another day in the Lamar Valley

There is never a lack of bison in the Lamar Valley, it's just deciding if you have enough pictures of them or if there is a unique image that you haven't captured. We were near Soda Butte and Marty was walking our 2 great dane dogs when I spotted this guy across the valley on the ridge foraging in the snow. I took several shots and was pleased with the results when I got home. This is good enough that it can now be found in art gallery's.
Not far down the road were more bison, this time they were close to the road so I decided to get a close up of one of the guys.
This time of the year, the Big Horn sheep come out of the mountains primarily to find food. I typically find them in the area around Mammoth Hot Springs and Gardiner, but on this day we were 30 miles east and here was a big brute on the side of the hill attempting to feed himself.
The wolves were only in range of spotting scopes. In addition, Rich McIntyre, one of the wolf specialists in Yellowstone had put up signs asking tourists not to stop in an area where the wolves cross the road. This is typically done to not inhibit the movement of the wolves from their feeding area to their dens in the hills to the north of Lamar. But there were some smaller 4 legged canines in the area. This one I tracked for several miles. . . . . .
and finally, I found another coyote, this time I went for a close up.
One more round of photographs from this trip will appear soon.

Cervius Canadensis

Most of your are wondering what is the significance of these 2 words. It represents the species of moose, elk, and deer. When Marty and I visited Yellowstone National Park las week we saw lots of elk, some deer, and no moose. As we entered the park at Mammoth Hot Springs, Marty suggested we travel to the top of the "hot springs" to see if there might be some elk. After traveling as far as we could, (the road south was closed for the winter), we turned the car around and look what we saw.
These ladies were very content, sitting on the top of the hill, but there was one that looked quite attractive, as if she were posing for me. I did not wait, focused my camera and took several pictures, this is the one I saved.
We then headed east toward Cooke City to see if the boys were around their normal hang out which is usually about 5 to 7 miles from Mammoth Hot Springs. No one was there, in fact we didn't see anything of interest or near enough to the road until we were almost ready to turn around. It was a Big Horn sheep, you'll see him on the next post. We started our return and we did see a bull elk, but he wasn't posing and we went on to Chico for a great dinner.

The next day, we headed toward the "hot spot" again for the boys, and we found them. Not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4. Three of them were lined up as if they knew we were coming to take their photograph.

The 4th one was near by, still grazing on what was available. He was also doing all kinds of antics, face in the snow, scratching his head with his hind hoof, butting the ground with his rack, and then he stood still for this photograph.

He eventually must have either got tired or was full and decided to rest. I focused on his antlers as I felt he had just a beautiful rack. Looked like a trophy to me. I am not good enough at comparing pictures and antlers but I am suspicious that this may have been the bull elk that I photographed over 2 years ago.

Day one was the girls, day two was the boys, and after we left the park, Marty wanted to drive to Jardine, mostly a ghost town about 5 miles outside of Gardiner high in the mountains. We were almost back to town, when on the top of the horizon we saw this deer. It posed until I could get this photograph.
Come back again soon as we will see more wildlife from our trip to Yellowstone.

Super Saturday for Barlo

Marty and I left for our daily walk through the pastures with Kenya and Barlo today. We decided to head toward the Grove Creek and see if the "wise ole owl" was in it's home in the old tree trunk. Unfortunately it was not there, but the dogs did cross the creek with us and were soon off on a venture of their own. I had noticed a few days ago that there was a carcass in the nearby field and Kenya was off to check out the bones and Barlo found the hide close by. We called, asking them to join us as we returned to the house. It was a difficult task to get them to come, and as they arrived we noticed that Barlo had claimed the hide as his own. It was too cold to have my camera with me, but this is what we saw coming through the bushes down by the creek.
This is all that we saw for the 1/2 mile trip back to the house. Usually, Barlo is lagging behind with Kenya in the lead. Not today, Barlo was proud of his trophy and was in a hurry to get to the house. Marty and I suspected that he probably had a place near the house or barn where he wanted to hide his hide. For a dog that has been crippled for the last year, he was moving at a very rapid pace and showed no signs of his debilitation. When we all got in the yard, Barlo got to examine his prize.
As you can see, it was quite large, in fact the hide and the bone pile looked like the deer was at least as large as Barlo. This was his and it wasn't until later that we realized how special it was to him. However, dogs have a language of their own, and you can tell by this next picture that Kenya was curious but knew this was not hers to share.
Now it was time for Barlo to determine if there were any morsels still attached to the hide. Sure enough there were and he was having a very enjoyable time until Marty observed his actions. Her direction was to take the hide away from him. I mentioned that it wasn't fair, especially after all of the work it took for him to get it to the house.
Marty approached Barlo to take his prize to the barn, so that later in the day, he could re-visit his trophy and at least she would have some indication by then if the snacks he was enjoying would have created a disturbance in his stomach. As she approached him, she discovered from the loud growl that it was off limits to her as well. Ultimately, Marty prevailed and the hide was taken to the barn while Barlo entered the house for a nap.

WHAT A HAPPY DOG HE IS TODAY

A football player in the family

Based on his size, we have an up and coming lineman. Number 56 of the Wreckers has started his career in Westport, CT. Patrick McCarthy is his name, and playing football is his fame. We have added a couple of his pictures which tells the entire story. The first part, he enjoys the sport and looks forward to practice and playing in the fall.
and when he isn't playing, he's watching. 2010 started with a great time and total excitement at the McCarthy home, when his favorite, Ohio State Buckeye's won the Rose Bowl game. Soon thereafter he and his father went to New York City to watch the NFL Today. After the show, he was invited on stage with his father for a picture with football celebrities and the show host. 11 year old Patrick is the person on the left in the picture, check out the size of this young man. Also, note his shirt. Jim Tressell, coach of the Ohio State football team would be proud . Patrick was not only bragging, but he also would like to be a Buckeye someday. His father, John, is the person on the right on the back row.

GO PATRICK, GO BUCKS

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.

Vern, the ranch manager

People have asked over the years, who manages the Circle B Bar T ranch. For those of you who don't know, it's a quiet kind of creature that is normally in the "great room" when we have company. He looks like a Montana rancher with his plaid shirt, his alligator boots, a bandana around his neck, a nice vest, and of course his cowboy hat. If you look carefully, you'll find his only vice is his corn cob pipe which most often is in the left pocket of his vest. He found out that his eye sight is deteriorating about 2 year later than Clint's and usually wears Clint's used trifocals.

He came from Texas about the time that Marty and Clint moved to Montana. Good friends of theirs, Dick Kane and Gretchen McBeath located him and arranged for his trip to Montana. There are a couple of poses of Vern that were taken recently. The first one was on Barlo's new couch. Vern insisted that he check it out and in fact spent a night sleeping with Barlo. Vern gave Marty and Clint a thumbs up and the couch stayed.
Marty helped Vern write a note to his mother, shortly after his arrival. The response which was received from Texas is filed in our archives. We got it out to share with you.

Dear Vern;
Since your brothers seldom write, you can image how thrilled I was to hear from you. I always knew you could do anything you put your mind to. Just remember, always be honest and hard working and don't let your job go to your head.
Your family sounds like my kind of people. I would love to get to the Big Sky country some day to meet them in person.
I'm putting together a family album for you but it will take awhile. Your Uncle Larry and I have been busy volunteering at the Therapuctic Assisted Riding Center. It is very exciting for me to work around horses again (Uncle Larry spends his time cleaning tack)
Well son, as your Dad used to say, "Keep Sweet", write when you can.
Much love, MOM

You now know why Vern is such a special character at the Circle B Bar T. He is shown in the next picture getting prepared for the day ahead of him. He has Clint post updates on the digital picture so that he can view what is happening and doesn't have to leave the warmth of the house, at least in the winter. His favorite prop for his left arm, is a pillow that Marty had made with a picture of Clint riding his goat when he was a youngster at the Brookfield Farm in Ashville , Ohio. The picture on the screen is a look at the south pasture next to the Grove Creek. Based on this image, Vern has told Marty and Clint to be sure the horses get an extra bale of hay today and they should have access to the indoor arena tonight.
Be sure and say Hi to Vern on your next visit to the Circle B Bar T. He asked that I remind Dick and Gretchen that it has been several years since they visited and when they were last in Fishtail, they promised to return with one of their lady friends. Vern does get along with Barlo and Kenya but has looked forward to that special visit from Dick and Gretchen and their friend who they promised Vern would be alot of fun.

Sunday morning at the Circle B Bar T

The sun was shining, the wind wasn't blowing 25 mph, the temperature was in the 30's, the horses and dogs have had their breakfast, let's go to the barn and put the horses in the pasture and take them some hay. Whoa, what is that?
I know you can see it, but can you smell it. A skunk has crawled under the barn door and is hiding under the hay. The smell is terrible. Don't let the dogs near there, I'll get the hay and Marty you let the horses out. You can see the snow is mostly gone, the ground is either still frozen in places or muddy in others, so I'll take the hay out in the pasture where there isn't any mud.
Almost every morning we take the dogs for a walk and get our exercise, so lets head down toward the Grove Creek. Marty and Kenya posed as we headed south.
We walked this way today for a couple of reasons. The horses were on the north side of the property and I wanted to see if the owl was in it's nest. The picture that I posted on the blog several days ago, ended up framed and donated to the Beartooth Stockgrowers for their auction which is held during their annual meeting and dinner dance, which Marty and I attended last nite. I wanted to tell the owl that it had become famous as it's picture was shown to the crowd and then sold for $170. I was hoping it would be waiting to hear the news. As we headed toward the Grove Creek, we looked back and guess what, the horses had decided that the pasture east of the barn had enough grass that they didn't need to graze on the hay that I had just delivered.

and on the way to the owl tree, I observed a wagon wheel, half buried in the ground. I have probably tripped over it a number of times, but this morning I stopped to capture the image. We have owned the Circle B Bar T for almost 20 years, the wagon wheel has been here for at least that long. It's near the creek, not in the field where we bale the hay, so it has survived Clint's clean up activities.
Is the owl in the tree? Yes, there it is, you can tell it's armer if you compare this picture with the ones I have taken earlier. It's not all hunkered down trying to stay warm or is it just listening to me as I tell it that it has become famous. If you look closely, you'll also notice that the eyes are slightly open.

We headed back to the house, got the Billings Gazette, and had breakfast.

Have a great day.

Do you ride in the winter in Montana?

A friend, Charley Suarez, who lives in Florida asked me a couple days ago what the weather was like and the next question was, "do you really ride the horses at this time of the year?". As I started to answer his question, I looked out the window to see . . . . .
The temperature was in the 30's, the sun was behind a cloud, there was snow on the ground, and this was 4 of the 5 horses and riders that had accumulated in our outdoor arena. Does this happen often? At least several days a week. What if it's snowing, colder, or the wind is blowing?
They can be found in our indoor arena. Do they just ride? At times they jump the horses, indoors for sure and outdoors when there is no snow and the footing is good. How are they dressed?
Several layers of clothes. The horses have grown their winter coats and as long as they don't work them too hard, the horses do not perspire and are quite comfortable. This picture of Melissa Ranstrom on Gracie certainly tells the story.
How long do they ride? The day I took these pictures it wasn't long as the combination of the snow, cold, and lack of sun did not agree with either the horses or the riders. So, did they call it a day? No, they headed out to the pastures for a ride in the fields and along the Grove Creek.
By the time they were finished, the sun was out. Another great day in Montana.

"Cold Turkey, captured in real time

As we awoke and went to the windows facing the south I observed something that is reserved for extremely cold weather. The temperature was minus 16 degrees. When I saw this image, I said, now that is what I call "cold turkey".
I knew I needed to get a closer image if you were to believe the creatures in the trees were really turkeys. It was too cold to walk toward them, so I approached them in the pick up truck and took a series of pictures. I was sure that if I got too close they would take flight and I would miss this opportunity. I was wrong. I got close enough to take the next 2 pictures which should convince you that it was cold and they had no intentions of leaving their perch, especially with the sun shining on them.
This flock of turkey's have been in a number of postings on our blog. Just yesterday they were in the foreground of the picture of the Grove Creek, on December 19th they had ventured away from the creek and were found near our house, and if you go back as far as November 19th, you will see this guy on a much warmer day.
This is really, "cold turkey". I had to search the context of "cold turkey" to see if there was any correlation to my pictures. There were 2 phrases that I found which I believe are applicable.

"to immediatley and completely give up"

"an extreme means of quitting something that we find hazardous to our health"

For a turkey to fly into a tree, 15 to 20 feet above the ground, they were giving up the cold ground and at 16 degrees below zero it was hazardous to their health. I also learned the term was used by humans in the context of giving up an addiction. I can relate to that as well as in June of 1980 after many prior attempts, I quit smoking, "cold turkey" and have not indulged since then.

On the other hand, I can assure you that the expression of "cold turkeys" will be used again at the Circle B Bar T Ranch the next time the temperature plummets to below zero.

Have a good day.

It was minus 3 degrees last nite

Thought some of you would want an update on the weather. It did get cold,I didn't capture all of the images, but here are a couple plus some other items of interest. As you will see we did get some snow, not as much as the weatherman predicted, but at least 5 inches. The horses came to breakfast this morning with snow on their backs, the winter coats are so thick, the heat from their body never got to the snow to melt it.

I went to the Grove Creek to see if the owl was still in it's nest. Look hard, but it isn't there.

By the time I had walked to the Grove Creek and taken this picture, my camera was so cold, it would not function any more. I missed pictures of 2 golden eagles in the nearby trees, but I also found a pile of feathers at the base of one of the trees. They were turkey feathers, therefore, we are missing a turkey and some animal had their Thanksgiving - Christmas dinner in January.

I warmed up my camera and drove to Fishtail. On the way, I captured this picture to give you a feel of a post snow, cold sun shiny day in Montana. In the center of the picture is our place, approximately 2.5 miles from where I took the picture. The mountain range in the background is the Crazy Mountains, at least 60 miles north and west of here. They are just past Big Timber.
This mother deer and her 2 fawns were roaming in a wooded pasture as I approached Fishtail. Even thought the ground was covered with snow, they looked quite healthy and most likely had been snacking on the neighbors cattle hay.

Winter is returning to the Circle B Bar T

In case you haven't read the weather report, we're due for another round of winter weather. In preparation, Clint filled the space next to the fireplace with plenty of wood. After the horses have been cared for, Marty and Clint snuggle up in front of the fireplace, read a book, get the latest from our friends on Facebook, Twitter, or your favorite spot. As you can see we're ready.
This will last for at least 5 days and maybe a week. But Clint is prepared, in anticipation of the cold and snow, he has just finished stockpiling another week to 10 days supply under the deck, next to the back door to the downstair's fireplace. We have options, upstairs or downstairs.
And you ask, where did all of this wood come from. It's only January and we have already burned thru at least 2 cords of wood, but fear not, there is a lot more where this came from. Yes, over the shoulder's of the turkeys there is an abundance of wood along the Grove Creek. Clint has been harvesting the older vegetation that voluntarily grows along the creek as well as an occasional tree that gets destroyed by the wind and weather. He hasn't made a dent in the opportunity.
This is a close up of where Clint spends his days in the winter, as he did today, cutting the wood that you saw above in the back of the Gator and stacked along the wall under the deck. Clint spent close to 2 hours with the chainsaw, axe and wedge. This limb is obviously dead and will ultimately be on the ground where it is easier for cutting.
and now to test your eyesight. As Clint was leaving the Grove Creek with his second load of wood, after almost 2 hours of working and sawing (a lot of noise as well) he glanced around at the area only to see on the opposite side of this limb something that had been observing his actions. As soon as he got to the house, he grabbed his camera and returned to take this picture.
In case your eyesight has failed you, the owl that had been observing Clint's activities is nicely camoufloged in its nest.

Happy New Year

This will be a Happy New Year, for all of us, the horses, cats, Kenya & Barlo, and Marty and Clint. We hope the new year bodes as well for you.

Marty and I finished the decade at Paws Up, a Montana resort. Kenya, Barlo and the 2 of us traveled some 300 plus miles to this beautiful ranch for a few days. Although it was cold, the climate could not have been better. Marty is winding down her law career at Bricker & Eckler, Clint is enjoying rural living and his new found hobby of photography, Ruthie & Martha (our barn cats) have just celebrated 10 years with us, Kenya is at the crest of her life, living big every day, and Barlo, in spite of his arthritic spin is a very happy dog, thanks to some special meds, his by-monthly chiro from his name sake, Dr. Sarah Barlow. 14 Arabian horses have a great life as well. When it gets too cold to stay outside all nite, they get to go into the arena for shelter. Their activities have slowed down during the winter months, but we think they are looking forward to being ridden and jumped as spring arrives.

An now for the latest episode of the dogs, captured by Clint on his new camera.

It started in this place, at the Paws Up resort, in Greenough, Montana.
This was our home for the last few days in 2009. Upon arrival, we started a fire in the fireplace and settled in for some relaxation and fun with Kenya and Barlo. Soon, Kenya had settled into a very comfortable postion next to the fireplace, very relaxed and very happy as you can see.
Just as Clint was settling down on the couch with his favorite libation, Barlo sat down beside him. Marty said, "Clint, before you get too comfortable, lets try something new". With that she took one of the dog bed covers that travel with us and draped in on the couch and offered it to Barlo. It was happiness at first site. He didn't have to crouch down to get on his dog bed which at times is painful. He sat on the couch and then laid down. For the next few days, that was Barlo's and he was there except when he ate, drank, or went for a walk.

By the end of the visit, Marty had already located several places in Billings that had special sales on couchs. By the time we returned to Fishtail, arrangements were already made to travel the next day to Billings and visit these furniture establishments. Of course, Clint went with her and they drove the ranch pick up in case they found something suitable. Need I say more.

This picture is the end result of our trip to Billings and the happiness on Barlo's face tells the story of why he is looking forward to the New Year.
This is Barlo's counch, it came back from Billings with Marty and Clint, it is located in the great room with a clear view for Barlo of the Beartooth Mountains, only steps away from the garage where he eats his meals, and exactly the correct height for him to scoot onto the cushions without any pressure on his back.

Have a Happy and Prosperous New Year. All of us at the Circle B Bar T know it is only hours away.

For the east coast whinners . . . . .

Headlines: Stillwater County Montana News - "first 14 days of December were the second coldest on record with an average temperature of 7.9 degrees.

First week of October 2008 and 2009 - 42 inches of snow in 2008, 2 feet of snow 2009, go to the October 9, 2009 posting on our blog to see the pictures, proof positive of the snowfall.

How did the cold weather and snowfall effect Marty, Clint and our neighbors?

• the livestock was fed every day
• hauled hay to the fields, spred the manure
  
• the chores were done every day
• put the vehicles in 4 wheel drive and away we went

Others didn't fare as well, the ground was covered with snow, it was difficult to find food.
The wild turkeys who have been scavaging the fields had to turn to alternative sources of food. They continually got closer to the house and barn. I took these pictures this week, and you can see from the second picture, they were re-cycling the oats and hay that the horses had consumed.




The deers who typically are foraging on what's left in the pastures were having a difficult time as well. The picture of the buck shows him in deep snow trying to eat what's above. The old dry grass was once described to me by a local rancher as the equivalent to card board. Then there was a very smart deer shown here, next to one of the neighbor's cattle hay, stacked and ready to be taken to the field. The hay was not protected by fence and this doe not only had been feasting on the hay but showed her enjoyment by licking her chops.

The rabbits are smarter than you think. This one was just next to our horse hay, obviously it was eating the better stuff as well. The jack rabbit was cuddled in the field when the dogs spotted it and was outrunning them when I captured this image.














Diane Signoracci, our neighbor, called to ask if we had purchased some cattle as she saw a bull in our driveway. The answer was no, but it took several calls to other neighbors to find out who it belonged to. They asked if I would put the bull in the small pasture next to the house until they could get it returned to their herd. You could guess that perhaps the cows had eaten all of the hay and the bull got out of his pasture and was looking for more food. In the meantime, Kenya, our female dog, enjoyed chasing the bull in the pasture.

This is Kenya, she was not only watching the turkeys but she was looking to see if the bull had been removed from the pasture. She has obviously been fed well and it was more fun chasing the wildlife than cuddling up in the warm house.
Hopefully, the winter storm that is settling on the east coast doesn't have a devastating effect on our friends who live there. Just put a fire in the fireplace, and enjoy the day, and sing the song, "We were dreaming of a white Christmas" and now we have one.

Marty and Clint have already gone thru at least 2 cords of wood since it got cold. The Christmas music is playing, the animals have been fed, and they have a fire in their fireplace.

Merry Christmas