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Don’t Fence Me In
American Prairie, Montana
2022

A wider view of the gate latch in yesterday’s POTD, including a shot of my mode of transportation around the area.

It’s Complicated
American Prairie, Montana
2022

Not a Drop to Drink
American Prairie, Montana
2022

The curved wall of a water tank casts a crescent shadow across the dried out mud inside.

Get Out of My Yard
American Prairie, Montana
2022

A couple of black tailed prairie dogs keeping an eye on all the bison wandering through the neighborhood. Bison are attracted to prairie dog towns as the almost total elimination of plants around the area due to the prairie dogs feeding on them creates expanses of dirt perfectly conducive to using as buffalo wallows.

Bull on Fire
American Prairie, Montana
2022

After rolling in the dirt and then shaking off the excess dust, this bull appears to be smoking.

Stir It Up
American Prairie, Montana
2022

Bison roll in dirt to remove loose fur and to rid themselves of fleas and other insect pests. And probably because it just feels so good to have your back scratched.

Nickel Posing
American Prairie, Montana
2022

The buffalo nickel has my vote for the best-looking coin ever minted in the U.S. This bull seemed to be trying to imitate the bison profile featured on the coin. He wasn’t quite there, but his pose was a good approximation.

Checking the Weather
American Prairie, Montana
2022

This bison bull seems to be standing on the hilltop checking out the weather in the west. In spite of the look of the clouds, it did not even sprinkle that day.

Staying Cool by Staying Put
American Prairie, Montana
2022

In spite of my nosing closely around it’s puddle, this snake showed no interest in actually leaving the water for safety in the nearby brush. Maybe I wasn’t really making it nervous–although it’s squirming seemed to indicate otherwise. Or maybe he was sure I wasn’t going to wade out in the mud to actually try and grab it.

Deep Drought
American Prairie, Montana
2022

I wonder if the extent of a drought can be measured by the depth of the cracks that form as mud dries out. More likely it is a function of the soil makeup (clay vs sand vs loam) as anything. Certainly if it had been mostly sandy soil the cracks would have been minimal to nonexistent. Whatever the case, these were pretty impressive.