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Small Bites
Sacramento, California
2011

Old steam locomotives are comprised of a dizzying jumble of pipes, tubes, levers, wheels, valves, and other mysterious parts. Taken as a whole, understanding how they work seems almost an impossible task. In smaller bites, they seem a bit more comprehensible, and also make for interesting utilitarian sculptural pieces.

Train Kept a-Rollin’ All Night Long #2
Sacramento, California
2011

This is the kind of wheel I was referring to in yesterday’s post.

Train Kept a-Rollin’ All Night Long
Sacramento, California
2011

When we were in Sacramento in January, we spent a morning at the train museum. While sitting in their little movie theater waiting to see the 20 minute film introduction I took this photo of the theater lights shining on the movie screen. I suppose it was because I was in a train museum that the lights and shadows seemed to impart a sense of spinning motion–like a spoked train wheel rolling down the track. That of course reminded me of a song:

Not So Columnar Basalt
Yellowstone National Park
2011

This is from the same rock formation as yesterday, and is still basalt as far as I could tell. It seemed to have tried to assume the nice geometric shapes of the columnar basalt but only got part way there.

Columnar Basalt
Yellowstone National Park
2011

Columnar basalt is one of the few types of rock I can easily identify when I see it, or at least I think I correctly identify it–I don’t generally have a geologist around to verify my conclusions.

Snow Grate
Bozeman, Montana
2010

This photo was taken earlier this winter, but it fits in with the them for the last few days.

One Last Breath #2
Bozeman, Montana
2011

The branch in yesterday’s photo was smothered by heavy snowfall overnight. This one will either drown or succumb to tonight’s sub-zero cold snap which will freeze over the surface of the creek.

One Last Breath
Bozeman, Montana
2011

I don’t know if we got the full 20 inches of snow that was predicted in yesterday’s storm, but it was well over a foot. A lot of stuff that was visible before is buried now.

Basic Ingredients
Bozeman, Montana
2011

So what can you make with an egg and an avocado?

Making Tracks
Yellowstone National Park
2011

I’m feeling better about winter today so can post another snow photo. Good thing my attitude has come around as they’re predicting up to 20 inches for elevations above 5,000 feet tomorrow–and our house sits at 6,200 feet.