Trona Pinnacles
Trona, California
2017

Sand Worms
Trona, California
2017

The title was inspired by but with apologies to Frank Herbert.

Two days ago it was hot and smoky, with so much smoke from the regional forest fires we couldn’t see the mountains from our house. Yesterday we still couldn’t see the mountains, but it was because of rain clouds not smoke. Today it is even wetter, 38 degrees this a.m. with a winter storm warning out for the mountains. Take that, forest fires!

Latent Potential #23
Bozeman, Montana
2017

Hollyhock seed head.

Roadside Tribute #3: Jack
Trona, California
2017

I did not see a person’s name on this monument anywhere so I figured it must be a tribute to Jack Daniels.

Roadside Tribute #2: Lee
Trona, California
2017

Roadside Tribute #1: Sandy
Trona, California
2017

Still Life With Tumbleweed
Bozeman, Montana
2017

Snow Sculpture
Bozeman, Montana
2017

This shot of snow on a chair on our deck was from late last winter. It’s particularly appealing right now because snow is what we need to put out all the fires burning in Montana and the rest of the West. The effects of the fires are not as dramatic as what’s going on with the hurricanes but it’s still devastating. There are no large fires close to Bozeman at this time, although you wouldn’t know that just judging from all the smoke in the air.

Red Sky at Morning
Bozeman, Montana
2017

The ancient mariners rhyme, “red sky at night, sailors delight; red sky at morning, sailors take warning” doesn’t really apply in landlocked Montana during fire season. We’ve been having red skies both in the morning an evening courtesy of the forest fires in the region. Other than the pretty colors there’s nothing to recommend them.