What a glorious day! The annual Museum of Mountain Flying: Flying and Fishing Summer Camp is underway, with day two on the river. Day one was in the classroom, tying flies. Day three is building a plane, learning to rivot and the such. Day four is up in the skies being taken on flights around the Missoula Valley. Well, today was on the river, and it was a hoot! Twenty kids with fly rods learning the fine art of casting and waiting. Every so often, we’d hear a rumble behind us, and by 10:30, well, you see how the bluebird blue skies change. By 13:00, the show was on, and the rain fell. It was an amazing day with the kids, lots of fun with Blackfoot Thunder.

It’s been a kinda cool spring with the Bitterroot Valley the only region in Montana not in drought status. Seeing all the green is great, but seeing a little bit of the white stuff is a joy! It not only means there is water in them thar hills, but visually it gives height and depth to the mountain range. The Bitterroots are beautiful, but are truly majestic when they have their white caps. We’re so glad there’s a little left.

I watched and watched that God Beam rolling by, highlighting a small part of the landscape. The Z 9 was set to Dark Tone Monochrome, aperture wide open, Exp Comp at -1/3, panning with the beam, waiting. The beam just wasn’t hitting any point of interest, over and over again. Finally, the landscape was running out of subjects as it reached the tip. It was now or never, so the click was made. Clouds floating by are like a roll of the dice. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose as they roll by.

My mind was on shorebirds and working the Z600f4TC as they whizzed by in the growing breeze. That’s when I looked up towards the coast to see the front coming at us. That’s when the birds took a back seat, and the “landscape” lens came out. The turbulent air that pushes a front through creates the most beautiful natural forms of cotton candy. What I present here is a simple click taken with Dark Tone Monochrome and posted here. The beauty comes from nature as the front rolls in.

Big glass set up on the tripod, puffies floating by, the air filled with the calls of hundreds of birds, a gentle breeze, and warm sun, it all produces a sense of, calm. Na, it’s not a photo that will reach the kitchen wall, won’t be in a presentation or article. It’s just a simple click from a moment on the shore. It’s just simple calm.

After clear skies and truly super warm temps, bulbs coming up and birds looking for nesting cavities, I was starting to get in the swing for spring. And then bam, 17 degrees and 1-3 feet of snow predicted overnight tonight. Put the sunblock back away, left out my shoes for the snow, but it’s got me scratching my head! I know the bulbs will be ok, the spring flowers like the buttercups that are blooming now, they won’t do so well. Our little Ermine that scambers about in its white, winter coat will hide better. But what will the birds do? It’s all a wonder and has left me all mixed up.