Blog Archives
Two New Foals
Friends, now that i am home from the hills and perusing my new images, i had almost forgotten this image of two foals that were posing together on top of a hill. the little buckskin in the foreground appears to be a stud colt and younger than the sorrel in the back. They are with a band of horses led by the Stallion, Copper. Below is an image of Copper in all his glory. til Tomorrow MJ
The Magpie Story
Friends, we were perched on a bridge watching a magpie flirting with another magpie. As i shot this image, a coyote appeared in my field of view. A coyote hunter of local legend tells us that when he calls coyotes in, often a magpie will appear before the coyote comes into view. These creatures seem to have a relationship. Yes, i know the coyote is out of focus and the prairie dog behind is even more unsharp, but still wanted to share this with all of you. The image below shows the coyote out on prairie dog town trying to fool a dog into making a fatal mistake. til Tomorrow MJ
Petrified Forest
Friends,looks like a piece of rotten wood, right?, you would be wrong, this old wood has turned to stone and has lichen growth almost covering the surface. You can see the wood grain in spots where the lichen growth is minimal. We walked into the petrified forest yesterday, a three mile loop, but lots of steep up and down. Spent six hours hiking in, shooting photos, and walking back out. The temperatures were in low 70s, bright sunshine, no shade, and blasting North Dakota wind. We were exhausted by the time we got back to the car. The day would have been perfect if not for the constant wind, at times it tried to blow me over, so i was careful not to stand too close to any edges. The bottom image shows a scenic of the area around this ancient forest. Enjoy til Tomorrow MJ
Baby Prairie Dog
Friends, this cute little guys are prairie dogs from Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Some of these babies are now up out of their holes and playing around in the green grass. i think the cute factor is applicable here. Hope you like til Tomorrow MJ
Baby Bison
Friends, this is not a cow, but a baby bison. They are born orange in color and really stand out in the spring green. This one is only a few days old and when we appeared he ran to hide alongside his momma. These were the first bison calves that we saw this year. The mams tend to hide their babies in the thick brush until it is time to venture across prairie dog town to the river. Have to go find some more bison, til Tomorrow MJ
Pronghorn on Prairie Dog Town
Friends, this male Pronghorn is taking a short cut thru prairie dog town, no brush, green grass, and a flat ground makes for easy strolling. We are enjoying wonderful weather, sunny skies and great clouds. The badlands are beckoning, so off we go again today. Found some wildflowers so time to go nose to nose with the blooms. til Tomorrow MJ
Talking back
Friends, this big boy is complaining about something, maybe the cloudy day, maybe the presence of the photographer, maybe the wind blowing. Whatever his complaint, he is perched high on a flat hilltop right in the middle of a prairie dog town with lots of dirt to roll in. You can see his winter coat that is sloughing off in large patches. 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
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
Wild Stallion-Blaze
Friends, this wild eyed guy is called Blaze. He is a red roan and has one blue eye. He is a very dominant stallion and puts on a show every spring defending his “girls” and generally raising a fuss. I raised horses for a time in my life and i would have trimmed his mane, but it lends to his wild look. I am looking forward to again seeing the wild horses in the spring, when stallions are fighting and babies are finding their wobbly legs. I am going very soon now and you will get live images instead of from my archive. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 