Blog Archives
Weekly Photo Challenge:Curves
Friends, curves as in lumps of clay layers, this moonscape landscape is from the North Dakota Badlands and is composed of primarily soft mud layers. When we visited this spring, the wet gumbo kept us from exploring more of these formations. I did venture into this area a little too early before they were completely dry and wound up falling in the goop. My camera still has little patches of clay attached but not in any critical parts. How embarasing !! I see you laughing!, til Tomorrow MJ
South to North
Friends, this image above is the red in the South Dakota Badlands and the image below is the red color in the North Dakota Badlands. In SD the sediment layers are the pink hue and in ND the red color is a deeper hue and due to scoria outcroppings. Just one of the differences between south and north. til Tomorrow MJ
Flowers
Friends, these buds and flowers were found in the badlands, i could only guess at their identity, good thing i don’t need to know the name to enjoy their beauty, til Tomorrow MJ
Pipestone
Friends, Pipestone National Monument protects the pipestone site that has been a quarry for Native Americans to mine pipestone. For many generations, the Native Americans have journeyed here to mine the pipestone and take it home to their people. The red rock is soft like soapstone and can be carved into amulets and pipes easily with primitive tools. The site is open to Natives to mine the red rock, but closed to others of non-native heritage. The pipe was a sacred ceremony among the Natives and an important object in the preservation of their culture. The ribbons attached to the tree are prayer bundles left to thank the Great Spirit. We visited this green oasis and wandered the paths to the falls and quarries on our way west. My friend and I wrote a story about Pipestone earlier til Tomorrow MJ
Blue Flowers
Friends, some blue flowers from the Black Hills of South Dakota. these blue bells also grow in Minnesota and Wisconsin. They are universal, do they grow where you are? the purple flower is larkspur?? found it along French Creek til Tomorrow MJ
Rock Flowers
Friends, these rock lichens are very colorful and were found along French Creek in Custer State Park that is part of the Black Hills of South Dakota. They are blooming anytime of year, lying in the grass just waiting to be discovered. Lichens are an organism that is composed of fungus and alga in a symbiotic relationship, a marriage where both benefit from the presence of the other. til Tomorrow MJ
Weekly Photo Challenge:Fleeting
Friends, moments in nature are fleeting, this coyote who was hunting in prairie dog town briefly stalked across the green of the prairie and looked up at us for a moment in time. til Tomorrow MJ
Mountain Bluebirds
Friends, these mountain bluebirds are much bluer than our eastern bluebird and such a vibrant blue it is. The male was close to the house, but the female was sticking very close to her nest box. The barbed wire is a convenient perch. til Tomrrow MJ
Bison
Friends, Custer State Park in South Dakota is a mecca for bison lovers, and my husband is at home among the big ones. This post is for him, enjoy JIm. The first is an image of mother and child, the child is nuzzling his mother and we human interpret that as affection, but really i think he was trying to brush off the flies, or trying to get her to rise to her feet, so he could have some milk.
This bison calf is not very old, they are born bright orange with a hump in their back.
This calf may someday be as big as this full-grown bull.
Along French Creek
Friends, today we are in Custer State Park and walking along the trail at French Creek. The star lilies greeted us at the trailhead then the red rock high above our heads. Enjoy your walk this morning. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 