Photos within 15 miles of my home.

I needed some generic photos for a project so I left home around noon and went looking. My camera was hungry for new fodder!

There were challenges. The day was dark, heavy clouds hung down, and when I had light, it was prone to disappear quickly between the gaps in cover. If I saw a scene that delighted my eyes, I had to get my settings right in a hurry and take the photo before the picture changed.

My camera is set on manual, so one shot can be totally different than another, requiring settings to change a lot.

When it got so dark I couldn't shoot anymore, I came home. Those deer were my last photos of the day. They were so cute, I was glad I could get them.

Donna Ridgway

Big horn rams, mountain sheep.

The mountain sheep are pretty fun to watch. A lot of times, they remain where they are when you see them, they don't take off as fast as elk or grizzlies do. Which means you might get to spend a bit of time with them, just watching them graze, and interacting with each other.

Their eyes are so expressive! It's a great feeling to be looking into those eyes. You wonder what they're thinking and if they're enjoying this experience with you.

I hope to see some more of them soon!
Donna Ridgway

I'm sitting here in my chair looking through my photos, wishing I was with my little tin can camper way up on the mountain somewhere. Waking up in the camper is cold this time of year, I would have spent the night curled up tight in my good sleeping bag. Getting out of bed, in 20 degree temps makes you feel so alive! I love it.

Next I'd light the stove and make coffee, and the fire from the stove, warms up that tiny camper. If that didn't warm it up enough, I'd light the Buddy heater and watch the condensation run down the windows while I'm waiting for my coffee.

By this time, the sky might lighten enough for me to see the outline of trees.....pine and aspen, no details just outlines of their beauty against the sky.

I take my hot coffee and go outside to sit in my chair, hoping a deer might walk by, listening to the tiny sounds of awakening birds. The coffee warms my hands but it's cooling fast...I drink it down and go get another cup.

Finally, the sun breaks over the mountain top, and I can grab the camera, jack up the iso and hope to  catch some early morning wildlife!

That's heaven on earth to me, what makes you happy?

Donna Ridgway

Chipmunk taking a bath.

Did you know a chipmunk is an expert at getting it's fur clean and neat for the day? We came home from Helena, Montana and we took the old highway. There's a place on top of a hill, with some huge granite boulders and in those boulders, are some chipmunks. I told Robert we could stop there to see what photos we might find. We got lucky and this chipmunk was sitting on the rocks, taking a good bath. It was a rare treat to watch him as he groomed his little body!

What wildlife do you enjoy watching? Do you watch the big guys? Elk, bear, deer, mountain sheep, or do you enjoy the little things also? For me, I love watching all of them. You learn something new each and every time you watch an animal going about their daily life.
Donna Ridgway