A Child Asks...

 

 

A Child Asks

 

Please tell me teacher what its like

To watch a swallow in its flight

Or to see an eagle soar so high

It fades into a cloudless sky.

 

Please tell me about a country road

Along whose waysides wildflowers grow

Or can you tell me why lichens die

Just because we pollute the sky.

 

Describe to me a field of green

With crystal dew drops reflecting the sun's gleam

I've heard the elm tree was a majestic thing

That reached further skyward every spring.

 

What was a picnic?  Were they easy to hold?

The parking lot's pavement is to hot or too cold

Was there ever a place a child could look

Into the bottom of a clear mountain brook?

 

Did ever wild animals live, not in a cage

Please teacher tell me of that other age

Tell me about the love affair

Between the butterflies,

the flowers and clean fresh air.

 

You'll have to tell me, teacher

Because I can't see

None of these things

 are left for me.

 

by Clifford A. Phaneuf

Environmental Educator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



A Pronghorn with Twin Fawns

A view from my window, looking down to the lower meadow.  A first for me, have never seen Pronghorn fawns much less twins here on the property.  Too sweet for words.

The pictures seem hazy since I'm having to shoot thru the glass and screen, didn't want to scare them by going outside.

Look at those long, skinny legs, made for running.

Eating dirt, not really, well maybe, but rather the minerals that are in the soil.

A View from my Window

A Pronghorn, such a beautiful animal, fastest land mammal in North America.

Such a thrill to see them grazing in the lower meadow.

They see something.

Just the Bighorns, making their way over the hill.

Such an exotic looking animal.  Wish I had those eyelashes.

Back to grazing after realizing the sheep were not a threat.

Marmots, wet from a rain, but on alert for some reason.

Or maybe just looking around.

This little one is still working on shedding that winter coat.

Lots and Lots of Flying Geese

Lots of geese to be appliqued, still pinned as I work on the color arrangment, using scraps of some of my older Brannock & Patek fabrics.

I think I've met the most polite squirrel, ever.  I'm surprised he doesn't feed the birds himself.

Gentle Giants

I drove past two herd of Bison on my way into town today. 

So close that I could hear them grunting, as they moved along the road.

One herd just outside of town, with Yellowstone in the background.

They moved so slowly that I caught up with them again on my way home.

Another herd in town, grazing on the lawn of a motel.

Shedding his winter coat.

The Bison were stopping what little traffic there is this time of year on my way home.

A Cross Quilt and the Sheep

A cross quilt that I had started last week, the top is stitched and will have to wait for a suitable backing fabric since I don't have on hand what I want.  This was the quilt I was working on when the sheep distracted me.

She is gorgeous, notice her pupil.  The big horns have horizontally elongated oval pupils that increases their peripheral vision to spot predators.

Beautiful Ram with almost a full curl, takes seven to eight years for the horns to reach a full curl.

The biologists have been down the road observing them and luring a few in to an area where they can net them and take blood and swab their noises for research, these will be collared so they can be monitored.  The sheep are very susceptible to pneumonia and from what the biologist told me yesterday, they want to learn more on why some herds die off,  why some seem to get sick yet are able to withstand the pneumonia.  As I left the property this morning, they were filming their work and gave me a thumbs up that all went well. 

My Amazing Wildlife Show Today

I was working on a quilt upstairs, went to the ironing board to press a seam, looked out the window and that's all she wrote.  I was outside in the snow for a better part of the afternoon taking pictures of the sheep in the lower meadow.  I am always thrilled to have the pleasure to walk among them, you can't imagine.  It's a large herd, at least three large rams, all in their rut.

Wanted to ask her what she was looking at as she continued to look past me at the mountain behind me.  No mountain lion, two eagles instead.

Big Horn Sheep Visiting

I've had two different herds of Big Horn Sheep for the last two days.  The snow has pushed them down. 

This is the smaller of the two, grazing in the lower meadow.

I'm using my telephoto lens, so I'm not as close as it looks,  although I did hike down from the house to at least be at their level for better pics.  My knees will complain later.

Have no idea what's up with that horn.

Finally, Some Critters

Reindeer critters first.  I'm making a Christmas table runner with wool applique on a brushed plaid fabric background.  The little faces are based on a design from Jan Patek's Up on the Rooftop book.  She has the book for sale on her website.

A mule deer buck with antlers in their velvet stage.  His coat looks scruffy, hopefully from starting to shed his summer coat now and not some disease.

He has a friend with him.  I guess they are both looking for some green grass in all those weeds in the lower meadow.