Northfork of the Shoshone

This past week I made the annual year-end drive over to Cody so I could meet with our accountant.  Bill stayed home and baby-sat the dogs.  I had some time in between finishing up my meeting and my dinner plans, so I took a drive out the Northfork towards Yellowstone Park.  It's been more years than I can remember since I've made that drive.  A drive I used to make regularly when living there.

The valley sure has changed between all the beetle killed pine trees, fires that have gone through and the growth of juniper trees - something I truly don't remember seeing up there when I lived there.  I guess Mother Nature is in charge of what is fit for growing in current times.

I was surprised at the few number of deer I saw, but as I was driving back to town, more and more were coming out.  I did see a couple groups of cow elk - only one bull and I couldn't get to him for a photo opp.  Lots of sheep and a few buffalo.  There have always been sheep on the Northfork, but the numbers I saw were more like what we used to see on the Southfork.  Not having time to get out that valley, I don't know what the numbers are like on that side of the drainage.

Here's a few from my drive.

Group 2 was a small group, a couple of rams - nothing special and a few ewes.

Next I saw a nice size group of rams, ewes and lambs a like.  A couple of the rams thought it was still breeding season, although the ewes did not seem to be real agreeable.

Oh My Lovely.....What is that wonderful perfume you are wearing?!?!?

Above Newton Creek I saw a small group of sheep in the middle of the road.  Nothing mature for a ram, several ewes with lambs.  One lamb was extra small.....and wasn't feeling well as he had a horrible cough.  I sure hope he makes it through the winter; have a whole serious of shots of the little guy coughing and hackin'.  The sun had already gone below the mountain, so horrible lighting, BUT not very often does a person get a chance to catch a lamb nurse - even if it was just a split second.

Lastly, driving back toward town, just above the Scout Camp I saw this O-L-D, beat-up, scared up warrior trotting down the side of the road. One horn broke off above his ear.  Tell me that wasn't quite a fight to lose that much of his horn.  Most likely he won't make it through winter as he was also limping.  Not exactly the co-operative 'model', but you get the idea. 

Just an old, battle-scared warrior.

Sure was a nice way to spend the afternoon....even if I ran out of light far to fast!