Photo: Lightning Scar on Ponderosa Pine Tree From the files of Donald R. Kirk… A Rare Tree Part 1. Storm in the Night An explosive blast of thunder jolts me awake. My wife sits up in bed. I can hear our two kids exclaiming in the tent pitched close beside our small travel trailer. […]
Nature Notes. The Great Gray Owl. Part 2. The Beaver Dam
From the files of Donald R. Kirk… The Great Gray Owl: Part 2. The Beaver Dam Several stands of willows grow on the edge of the pond where the water is only a few inches deep. This shallow water is very muddy. Numerous, thick willow shoots are freshly nipped off. Here is good evidence […]
Out Sketching. On the Road to Eagleville. Part 1. Finding Balsamroot
Finding Balsamroot The pungent smell of sagebrush floods my senses as I climb down from the truck. I pause to breathe deeply, a heady mix of fresh mountain air and sage. The aroma is so characteristic of this high elevation basin dotted with sage and surrounded by forest, that for a brief moment it even […]