Al Larson Photography

This morning there were two inches of new snow on the ground. Before this last storm the yard had been mostly clear of snow with only a few scattered snow banks left. The little white snowdrop is usually the first flower to bloom in the spring. This year was no exception. A pair of these blossoms appeared at the base of a snow bank. In this photo they proudly proclaim their presence in this most recent snowfall.

Several years ago we had several active beaver dams on our property at Daggett Creek. Then for some reason unknown to us the beaver disappeared. Rumors have it that some neighbors down the creek complained the presence of the animals and had the game department remove them. We missed having the little critters on our section of the creek. Then a couple years ago we noticed some beaver activity in the creek close to our house. That fall the beaver(s) had a beautiful dam built in the creek just below the house. I took the opportunity to snap the photo you see in this blog. Autumn colors had just started to come out which adds to the scene. Alas, the beavers have again disappeared. But we have the photo to help keep our memories alive.

I drove across the Idaho/Utah state line and continued on toward Tremonton, Utah. Soon I arrived at the edge of a valley where I viewed the mountains in the distance. I think that the mountains are called the Uintas. In early March winter had not yet relaxed its grip. But I had to pull over to a wide space beside the highway and snap this photo. The wind was howling and the temperature was not far above freezing. What is it that compels a person to brave the elements and take photos like this? Maybe as I grow older I need more than memory to recall scenes of a journey from the past.

The prime purpose of my traveling to Nebraska was to photograph Sandhill Cranes. At this time of year 80% of the world’s Sandhill Cranes migrate through the area close to Kearney, Nebraska. Hundreds of thousands of these large wading birds fly in near sundown to roost overnight on the sandbars and shallow water in the Platte River. While waiting for the birds to come in I directed my focus on this beautiful sunset. I was pleased with the outcome.

I am back from a trip to central Nebraska. I attended a convention of the North American Bluebird Society. This was timed to coincide with the spring migration of the Sandhill Cranes. I snapped many photos of the birds. The Snow Goose was also in migration. There were tens of thousands of birds in flight as well as perched on the ground. Here is a photo of a small flock of Snow Goose. For me it was hard to even estimate the number of birds in any given flight. What would be your estimate?