Elk & Sunset Pics from home

I may have to resize these -- and will do so if necessary -- but I thought some of you all may enjoy these. I've had a rough week already (feels like Friday already), so took a drive up over the summit to watch the sunset and see if I could find the elk herd. As expected at this time of year, the bucks and yearlings were separated from the cows. Pictures of all below, though. They are Rocky Mtn Elk, not Roosevelt, as would be expected in this area. Long story behind that.

Sorry for poor quality... taken from my Droid 4, and my hand shakes like an SOB.

Beautiful, Riceme.

You have a nice place to live. The Elk sure don't seem to pay you any mind...Watch out for those pointy things on their heads...LOL.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:You have a nice place to live. The Elk sure don't seem to pay you any mind...Watch out for those pointy things on their heads...LOL.

No, they really pay no one any mind. I keep my distance and have much more "respect" for them than most people around here (partially accounting for the grainy pictures) because you're not allowed to hunt them here, so they have little fear of humans. Although, several years ago some shithead shot and killed one of the bulls for the rack. He went to the pokey for his stupidity.

The Rocky Mtn Elk were brought here in the early (by my recollection) 70s by a guy to a hunting ranch in the mtns. The eventually escaped after many of them died in captivity after many of them died in captivity. Hence the "no hunting" deal. There are several places where they can almost always be found (seasonally different, of course), but that home where I photographed the buck... you can almost always find at least one or two there. I'm pretty sure they put out feed, which I'm not real sure how I feel about. I mean, I put out food for quail, but that's not the same as feeding elk... I dunno. Whatever.

Soundtrack to my little journey is in the music section.

If I had another life to live ....well this song says it....skip the advertisement..




She says that's where we'll find peace....

TEOTWAWKI wrote:If I had another life to live ....well this song says it....skip the advertisement..




She says that's where we'll find peace....

LOL... Johnny Rivers don't know you and me.



Sorry. That ain't no way for me to be, but I am a pessimist... I'm sorry, a REALIST, at heart.

"She wants to live in the Rockies.... Settle down raise up a family... " now that I can relate to.

Maybe you're onto something. Maybe he does know me. Wait, can we live in the Sierras? I bet he'd let me. Too late for a family, though.

riceme wrote:

TEOTWAWKI wrote:If I had another life to live ....well this song says it....skip the advertisement..




She says that's where we'll find peace....

LOL... Johnny Rivers don't know you and me.



Sorry. That ain't no way for me to be, but I am a pessimist... I'm sorry, a REALIST, at heart.

"She wants to live in the Rockies.... Settle down raise up a family... " now that I can relate to.

Maybe you're onto something. Maybe he does know me. Wait, can we live in the Sierras? I bet he'd let me. Too late for a family, though.

Riceme, you're not old. It is NOT too late for a family! I know women in their 40s who've had babies and I know people in their 50s who have adopted.

riceme wrote:

TEOTWAWKI wrote:If I had another life to live ....well this song says it....skip the advertisement..




She says that's where we'll find peace....

LOL... Johnny Rivers don't know you and me.



Sorry. That ain't no way for me to be, but I am a pessimist... I'm sorry, a REALIST, at heart.

"She wants to live in the Rockies.... Settle down raise up a family... " now that I can relate to.

Maybe you're onto something. Maybe he does know me. Wait, can we live in the Sierras? I bet he'd let me. Too late for a family, though.

Well I did say if I had another life....LOL.

Nekochan wrote:

riceme wrote:

TEOTWAWKI wrote:If I had another life to live ....well this song says it....skip the advertisement..




She says that's where we'll find peace....

LOL... Johnny Rivers don't know you and me.



Sorry. That ain't no way for me to be, but I am a pessimist... I'm sorry, a REALIST, at heart.

"She wants to live in the Rockies.... Settle down raise up a family... " now that I can relate to.

Maybe you're onto something. Maybe he does know me. Wait, can we live in the Sierras? I bet he'd let me. Too late for a family, though.

Riceme, you're not old. It is NOT too late for a family! I know women in their 40s who've had babies and I know people in their 50s who have adopted.

It's too late for me to have children. I am 40, I do not like younger men, and older men inevitably already have had their families and if they have not, in my experience have commitment issues. The ones who already have kids don't want to have second families. If my career and 401k hadn't taken such a major hit in the past 2- and 5-years respectively, I would have frozen my eggs, but it's a moot point at this juncture. That's a pricey undertaking and the latest scientific data says that it doesn't benefit women my age.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

Well I did say if I had another life....LOL.

LOL... excellent point, sir.

riceme wrote:

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

Well I did say if I had another life....LOL.

LOL... excellent point, sir.

It's okay I like this life pretty good..My kids still love and respect me and I get invited to lunch or dinner with one or more of them everyday. My Grandson and I ate at Grand Buffet today and the little Chinese girls went up over him...the lady at checkout ask me if he was my son I told her no he was my grandson. Then she said he has an Asian body..I nodded Oh like Bruce Lee...he is very well built and well on his way to his Black belt soon and only 16...

Well it's Midnight and I am about to turn into a pumpkin...so goodnight..I have actually dreamed of Kernville and the mountains around it...I like those dreams.. I miss it but will always be thankful for the experience...

riceme wrote:

Nekochan wrote:

riceme wrote:

TEOTWAWKI wrote:If I had another life to live ....well this song says it....skip the advertisement..




She says that's where we'll find peace....

LOL... Johnny Rivers don't know you and me.



Sorry. That ain't no way for me to be, but I am a pessimist... I'm sorry, a REALIST, at heart.

"She wants to live in the Rockies.... Settle down raise up a family... " now that I can relate to.

Maybe you're onto something. Maybe he does know me. Wait, can we live in the Sierras? I bet he'd let me. Too late for a family, though.

Riceme, you're not old. It is NOT too late for a family! I know women in their 40s who've had babies and I know people in their 50s who have adopted.

It's too late for me to have children. I am 40, I do not like younger men, and older men inevitably already have had their families and if they have not, in my experience have commitment issues. The ones who already have kids don't want to have second families. If my career and 401k hadn't taken such a major hit in the past 2- and 5-years respectively, I would have frozen my eggs, but it's a moot point at this juncture. That's a pricey undertaking and the latest scientific data says that it doesn't benefit women my age.

I understand where you're coming from.

I know a couple of older couples who adopted. In both cases, they had grown children of their own, they decided to be foster parents when their kids were grown and ultimately adopted their foster kids.

TEOTWAWKI wrote:

It's okay I like this life pretty good..My kids still love and respect me and I get invited to lunch or dinner with one or more of them everyday. My Grandson and I ate at Grand Buffet today and the little Chinese girls went up over him...the lady at checkout ask me if he was my son I told her no he was my grandson. Then she said he has an Asian body..I nodded Oh like Bruce Lee...he is very well built and well on his way to his Black belt soon and only 16...

Well it's Midnight and I am about to turn into a pumpkin...so goodnight..I have actually dreamed of Kernville and the mountains around it...I like those dreams.. I miss it but will always be thankful for the experience...

Shoot. I dreamt of the Sierras almost every night I lived in Florida and Kansas, and West Virginia before that. Know what you mean, man. Glad you enjoyed the elk pics. I'd been hoping to get in a good camping trip to the high Sierras before the snow came, but it looks to be coming this weekend. Well, maybe I can get a drive around the loop in before the road closes anyhow. Can't believe I didn't get a camp in besides the trip to to SQNP in April. Lame.

Take it easy.

Very nice views!

Geeez, what a wonderful place to live, Rice. Great pics, too!

Nekochan wrote:
I understand where you're coming from.

I know a couple of older couples who adopted. In both cases, they had grown children of their own, they decided to be foster parents when their kids were grown and ultimately adopted their foster kids.

Sorry Neko, I missed this last night. I would definitely adopt if I had a partner to do so with. But I don't. Someone recently suggested to me to do it on my own, but I wouldn't want to try to bring up a child or children without a father in the home unless I had to.

PBulldog2 wrote:Geeez, what a wonderful place to live, Rice. Great pics, too!

Thanks, PB! It IS a great place to live! I used to go up to watch the sunset and the elk much more often, but have been pretty busy lately. I think I'll have to start making more time for it again. They are pretty awesome.

nochain wrote:Very nice views!

Beautiful, isn't it nc? I really badly need a new camera or to send mine in to get it repaired. It literally got frozen (as in temperature) last Christmas and hasn't worked since. Sorry for the poor picture quality!

Rice, I recently bought this camera:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_305WB150FW/Samsung-WB150F-White.html?tp=35684&kw=&org=pla&nw=g&crv=13482228865

It's pretty cool. It has WiFi connectivity and a manual mode that I'm really enjoying, though the learning curve is steeper than I thought it would be. In the manual mode, it's kind of like having one of the old manual 35 mm cameras. The different automatic settings are fun, too.

PBulldog2 wrote:Rice, I recently bought this camera:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_305WB150FW/Samsung-WB150F-White.html?tp=35684&kw=&org=pla&nw=g&crv=13482228865

It's pretty cool. It has WiFi connectivity and a manual mode that I'm really enjoying, though the learning curve is steeper than I thought it would be. In the manual mode, it's kind of like having one of the old manual 35 mm cameras. The different automatic settings are fun, too.

Hmm... Very interesting, PB. Thanks! I could get one @Amazon (new) for $140. I sure hate having to use my phone to take pictures

EDIT: I just looked up the same camera on Amazon in the silver color 'cos I like it better, and it runs for $45 more! If I go that route, I'll definitely be going w/the black!

riceme wrote:Hmm... Very interesting, PB. Thanks! I could get one @Amazon (new) for $140. I sure hate having to use my phone to take pictures

I am looking to upgrade my Nikon D70 to a D7000. The D7000 has been out for a couple of years now and has begun to be discounted... but not too much, dammit.

Here's a photo I took of a Memorial Day campout near Fort McRee. Sitting around the campfire. It was a full second exposure and the camera was hand-held. I had to take dozens of shots to get one that wasn't blurry.



(full resolution http://ericericson.net/CampfireBest.JPG) I used a filter that makes the anchor lights on the boats look like stars.

Yomama wrote:

riceme wrote:Hmm... Very interesting, PB. Thanks! I could get one @Amazon (new) for $140. I sure hate having to use my phone to take pictures

I am looking to upgrade my Nikon D70 to a D7000. The D7000 has been out for a couple of years now and has begun to be discounted... but not too much, dammit.

Here's a photo I took of a Memorial Day campout near Fort McRee. Sitting around the campfire. It was a full second exposure and the camera was hand-held. I had to take dozens of shots to get one that wasn't blurry.

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(full resolution http://ericericson.net/CampfireBest.JPG) I used a filter that makes the anchor lights on the boats look like stars.

Holy Mother Mary! As much as I covet Nikon cameras and would love to own one, the Nikon D70 "only" runs about $1229 on Amazon (new). I paid $2K than that for my first Toyota pickup, which I sold for over $100 more than what I bought it for over 10-yrs later.



I am the Princess of Frugality. While I do invest in quality-made products that will last a long time, there is no way in hell I'm paying $1200 for a camera, as much as I'd love to own a Nikon.

NEAT picture though, EE. And, a very fine camera!

Riceme, somebody is going to get ripped off if they buy a D70 for $1200. I paid that for the D70 6 or 7 years ago and it has been abused severely (left in the rain, slammed down HARD on a rock when I tripped, etc.) but still takes great pics. Now, the D7000 is $1200 with the kit lens.

Here's one panoramic photo I took an hour or so ago with the D70. They call this area "the glades". It is in a preserve right behind my house. Stunted pine trees grow right out of solid rock. You can see water flowing on top of the rock and it hasn't rained here in over a week. The imported pic is blurry, but the original is not. http://ericericson.net/MossRockPreserve.jpg

Yomama wrote:Riceme, somebody is going to get ripped off if they buy a D70 for $1200. I paid that for the D70 6 or 7 years ago and it has been abused severely (left in the rain, slammed down HARD on a rock when I tripped, etc.) but still takes great pics. Now, the D7000 is $1200 with the kit lens.

Here's one panoramic photo I took an hour or so ago with it. They call this area "the glades". It is in a preserve right behind my house. Stunted pine trees grow right out of solid rock. You can see water flowing on top of the rock and it hasn't rained here in over a week. The imported pic is blurry, but the original is not. http://ericericson.net/MossRockPreserve.jpg

[url=http:[/img][/url]

Hmm... maybe I accidentally looked-up the D7000... Lemme go ck.

GORGEOUS country you're in, EE!! Love that shot. Could have been taken in the Sierras!