Fall Scenes

Fall has arrived, and I am now back to work full time, but we're not going to talk about that. Instead, I will share the changes I've already seen taking place in the great outdoors. It's only the beginning of September, but the nights have become noticeably more chilly and the air has a bit of that crisp autumn freshness. Weather forecasters are predicting the first snow in the mountains, so snow could come at any time here in Laramie, which sits at an impressive 7200 feet.


The elk and deer are parading their beautiful antlers as breeding season nears. I'd never seen male elk and mule deer near each other before, but these guys seemed to be happily sharing the same meadow. Lucky for them, they found their dinner in Rocky Mountain National Park, for hunting season has arrived as well, and I'm sure their antlers would be of interest to those with guns outside protected wildlife boundaries.
To tell the truth, I'm more than a little wary of hunters. While I understand their necessity for deer population control in a land with too few large predators, I am intimidated by people with guns. I would hate to be target practice for some trigger-happy loon. If hunters all followed the law and held nature in the highest respect, I would be much more at ease, but I find it hard to believe that anti-poaching and "be sure of your target" signs are posted just for one near-sighted old guy.
I also think taxidermy is one of the creepiest ideas around, so I have a lot of problems with trophy hunting. Those eyes may be glass, but they still seem to follow you around with an accusatory stare. I remember seeing pronghorn heads as decorations when I was a kid, and I had no idea that there were any still around. I thought they had shot them all (and they nearly had). Like the bison, grizzlies, wolves, cougars, lynx....
Wow, this blog is taking a depressing turn (see what going back to work does to me)...on to brighter things...

Fall colors are sneaking their way into the green forests. The red, orange and yellow tints are starting quite slowly, but will soon overtake the landscape. I'm looking forward to seeing mountainsides of golden aspens before all the leaves are gone.



And of course I can't resist a few more photos of crazy mushrooms! Look at them! I keep finding ones in cool shapes and colors. The one below looks like a duck bill! No one can say I don't appreciate the little things...


Finally, I had to share this cool snake picture. It won't be long before he will be hidden away for the winter, but he is still enjoying the afternoon sunshine...and the lack of a snake hunting season in the Rockies.