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Fungi #2
Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana
2023

Fungi #1
Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana
2023

We saw more mushrooms, toadstools, and other fungi over in the Tobacco Root’s than I think I’ve ever seen in Montana before. I guess that’s due to the summer’s weather pattern. We saw a mushroom picker going to town on the available harvest in the area but I don’t know nearly enough about telling the difference between edible mushrooms, non-edible mushrooms and toadstools to pick any to eat myself. Applying that same lack of knowledge to these posts, I’m just calling them fungi.

Bare Tree #113
Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana
2023

Just another face in the woods. In this case I see a rather distressed monkey of some sort.

Make Yourself at Home
Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana
2023

I was sitting at our campsite reading a book when this critter decided to join me, landing on my pant leg. It sat there long enough for me to start wondering how well I really wanted to get to know it, but finally took off before I had to actually make a decision. When the same thing later happened to the Fashion Queen, she very quickly and very vocally jumped up and announced her decision.

Road Toad
Tobacco Root Mountains, Montana
2023

I think Edward Weston started it, but certainly since his time photographing decaying dead animals of one sort or the other seems to have come to be one of the “compulsory” images one must take if they are to be considered a serious fine art photographer. It is in that spirit that I took this photograph. It’s most certainly not going to land on my list of my favorite images ever.

On a Mission
Bozeman, Montana
2023

After snatching a seed from the bird feeder, this chickadee buzzed right by my head on its way to its favorite stash.

Hare Watch
Bozeman, Montana
2023

As long as I’m posting photos of cute critters, I though I might as well post this one too. Rabbit populations cycle periodically, with a high occurring every 10 years or so I believe I read somewhere. We certainly see their numbers cycle at our house and other places in our area as well. Right now we have quite a few at both our cabin and at our house in town. Like the birds and chipmunks, these rabbits don’t seem to fear our presence much at all either. They will sit there seemingly unconcerned, but with an eye on your movements. If you get within two or three feet of them, they will casually move off a ways.

Fearless #2
Bozeman, Montana
2023

A few days ago I posted a photo of a chickadee, commenting on how they were not intimidated by me standing right next to the bird feeder as they flew in to grab a sunflower seed or two. This also applies to the many, many chipmunks who come around to pick up what seeds the birds kick out of the feeder onto the ground.  They also occasionally find a way to climb up to the feeder itself to stuff their cheeks, something which I strongly discourage them from doing, to little effect.

Quick Catch
Bozeman, Montana
2023

Some birds essentially camp out at our bird feeder, getting their fill of sunflower seeds before moving on. But not the red-breasted nuthatches. They fly in, quickly grab a single seed and fly off.

The Rice Farmer
Bozeman, Montana
2023

The Fashion Queen is not a farmer and she’s not harvesting rice, just removing unwanted grass growing in our pond. But she did remind me of the many photos you see of Asian rice farmers such as this one:

Rice Farmer Vietnam
Author Unknown
Source: here