The van’s loaded, the cabin shut for the winter, and we’re on our way. Let’s pause at the as we get on the Red Grade Road and take a look at the mountains in the dawn. Do you see Black Tooth back there, about right in the middle, still with snow?
The view just as we start to descend is even more beautiful than usual.
I know. I said we were going to the Badlands today. But I forgot Friday is for flowers, so here is a shot of wildflowers by the first lake. It’s been so much fun having you visit the Bighorns with me. We’ll be leaving early tomorrow morning now that we have the cabin ready for winter: brace poles, dust covers, mouse bait and traps. A friend will blow the water lines and all those sorts of things after we leave. Makes it easier for us to just get up, finish loading the van and leave. We’ll drive to Gillette, then stop for caffeine, either coffee or tea, and a bit of breakfast. You can take a nap if you need to.
It’s been such fun.
I can’t believe we only have a few days left. Where’s the time gone? We’ve had lots of great rides, seen moose and deer, reveled in all the flowers, hiked, watched the horse, and sat on the porch relaxing. That’s what I was planning to do tonight, but it looks like it might be a pretty sunset. Let’s head up to the top of the hill and see what it looks like.
Phew, the air at 7,000′ has a lot less oxygen than where I live! I’m huffing and puffing like the horses do when we ride up these steep slopes, but now we’re doing the work of the horses. Thankfully, we don’t have saddles and people on our backs!
Oh, my goodness! Look at that! It was worth the climb. Look at the colors in the sky.
Harebell. AKA bellflower, lady’s thimble, witch’s thimble, heathbells, fairies’ thimbles, or dead men’s bells. These bells were still ringing in August in Wyoming.
Harebell was formerly used in the manufacture of blue dye for tartans and is the symbol of the MacDonald clan. The common name of harebell alludes to the folk beliefs that it either grew in places frequented by hares or that witches used juices squeezed from this flower to transform themselves into hares. The Haida Indians of the Pacific Northwest called them “blue rain flowers” and it was thought that picking them would cause it to rain. In Europe the leaves are sometimes eaten raw in salad and the plant is thought to have minor medicinal qualities.
Source: USDA
I completely forgot that the Weekly Photo Challenge is taking a vacation this week. (Who said that was okay?) I hope this works instead. 🙂
No, this isn’t some after-death experience post, so sorry if you came here expecting something different. We’ve seen a lot of views in and from the Bighorn Mountains, but what do they look like seen from “down below?” What’s the view I see on arrival that makes my heart beat a bit faster and my soul sigh with contentment?
We’ve gotten our books and groceries, so it time to head home. Before we get to the Red Grade Road, let’s stop for a moment (no cars coming) and take a look at where we’re heading. Be careful driving here just at dusk or at dawn. There are deer everywhere and they can seriously damage your car/van/truck!
It’s a much clearer view today than the day with all the smoke. Do you recognize Black Tooth? We’re almost back.
