I missed out on a family trip to Disneyland last week – it’s far, far away, and lots of bucks and time needed to get there. Yep, I missed out on Space Mountain, Star Wars, and dinner in Downtown Disney. It was painful 🙂 So I did the next best thing – I visited the National Bison Range. Established in 1908, the bison range consists of 350 to 500 bison, thanks to the foresight of those who knew the value of saving this American icon from extinction. It’s a pleasant drive just forty or so miles south of here, and it just happens to be the most gorgeous time of the year here (well, except for that first heavy snowfall). The balsamroot, larkspur, and paintbrush were riotous. The mountains were totally showing off, and the animals played their roles to my complete satisfaction, all unstaged and spontaneous. The scenery was not painted, the colors were authentic, and the meadowlark songs that played across the hills at every stop I made were au naturel. Though I didn’t get close enough for a photo, I was fortunate this time to see a black bear, a two-tone bear actually who had a fat honey-colored body with black legs. His mother must have been proud. And nothing else needs said – pictures are worth a thousand words – –

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”
~ Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator