Skunk cabbage
Friends, this is also one of the early blooms in Crex Meadows. It is Skunk Cabbage and grows in very wet ground along streams or flowages. I got my feet wet shooting this image, but i think it was worth the effort. The difficulty in this shot is portraying the pod-like bloom with the purple husk alongside the bright green of the huge leaves. The name skunk cabbage comes from its rotten smell when the plant is crushed or physically disturbed. I didn’t touch and left it undisturbed. til Tomorrow MJ
Pussy Willows
Friends, these pussy willows have gone to seed and all are rushing to be first in line to be photographed. They are really male catkins of the willow tree covered with stamens they appear very early in the spring. In Crex they are a dominant vegetation in the wet areas. Below is an image of an earlier version of pussy willows.
Hooded Merganser
Friends, it was a rough day on the water when this little male Hooded Merganser decided to appear in front of my camera. He is one of the first ducks to arrive on Crex in the spring and has found some food underwater. As he rose from his dive, he was startled by my presence and his white and black crest was raised in alarm. In this image the hood is still being raised as he motors away. I had to focus quickly and hope that i was on the right target. til Tomorrow MJ
After the Rain
Friends, these cheery flowers are the first to bloom in Crex Meadows, a favorite haunt of mine in Northwestern Wisconsin. They are Pasque flowers and are a wild crocus. They are a light blue when they first bloom but fade quickly in the early spring sunshine. I especially enjoy their yellow centers before the pollinators beat them to a pulp. Hope you also enjoy their cheerful faces. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge: Unfocused
Friends, this image is technically focused, but the subject, a Trumpeter Swan, is definitely unfocused. He has his nose tucked in and is napping peacefully in the early spring sunshine. He will be startled when he awakes to find a photographer taking his picture from a very close vantage point. til Tomorrow MJ
Warm fuzzies
Friends, these little fuzz balls are a sure sign that spring has arrived in Northern Wisconsin. Over this last weekend, we observed at least ten new families of Canadian geese. You can see the adult feathers above and below these goslings in a protective stance against photographers who are curious and bent on taking their picture. They certainly gain a high rating of cute and cuddly. til Tomorrow MJ
Great Gray Stallion
Friends, another gray stallion from the badlands as he surveys me from a hill top. He came from 100 yards away to give me a closer view of his beautiful form. This is a different gray from the one shown yesterday, as he has a pink nose. He is still a spirit horse to me and represents what i cannot put into words: freedom, wildness and that ache within that strives to be outside with my face in the wind. My connection to past generations who struggled to raise children in a sometimes hostile land. Who rose every morning to endless chores and strong sunshine to warm their souls and bodies. They are my heritage and the National Park was their legacy to me and all future generations of those who love the arid hills and the ever-changing river that still carves the North Dakota badlands. So with this post we leave the badlands (temporarily) and return to spring in Northwestern Wisconsin. I promise to return to the badlands soon as i am visiting there in late May. til Tomorrow MJ
Spirit stallion
Friends, this handsome fellow has always followed me around the badlands. A sighting of him always lifts my spirits hence my title. A short story, when I was young,like many young girls, I longed for a horse and my father would ask what kind of horse. I would tell him a white horse with a black mane and tail. He would just laugh and say that no such horse existed. The summer after his death, I ran to the badlands to get away. I was sitting high on a hill and a herd of horses came in sight led by a white stallion with a black mane and tail. I had the last laugh. Now I know that this stallion is gray, but after a summer of sun his coat had faded and he appeared more white than gray. Several times when I have come here to photograph, this horse (or horses of similar markings) have come to me and even posed for pictures. Til Tomorrow Mj
Old stallion
Friends, this old boy has turned white in the summer sun, wind and rain. I think he is called, silver.
Wild and Free
Friends, this beautiful youngster was loping through the prairie dog town and easily jumped a hole. It is deep summer and he has shed his foaling coat to become a sleek wild horse in miniature. He /she is the future. If you wish to read more these wild horses and efforts to domesticate and eventually rid the badlands of these beautiful animals see this blog http://wildhorsesoftrnp.blogspot.com/. These fine folk are dedicated to keeping tabs on the wild horses by riding the badlands, keeping a wild horse registry as well as buying and training horses “culled” from the park. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 