UPDATE 24 MAY 2018

Busy around here but thought I would do a quick update before Memorial Day.  It has been raining a lot so everything is pretty green around here.  The elk are hanging around and should be calving soon.  We have not seen any babies yet.  See elk almost everyday on our walk.  Had them just a couple hundred yards from the house.  The Bitterroot River is VERY high and in flood stage now. 

The picture never turns out as good as what you think it will be.  There is water droplets on the grass that looked like little rainbows to the naked eye.  Didn't look like that in the picture though.

The elk know it is not hunting season and just let us walk by.  These elk are just by Carl's cabin.

Thunder bumpers building.

Walking up towards the sledding hill and the elk were headed to the daytime job of sleeping.

We still keep Zeph on a lease for the first part of our walk as he is still healing from a torn ligament.  He is watching the elk headed towards the gun range.

The Bitterroot River at the Woodside bridge.

Water flowing through the fishing access site.

LOTS OF ELK AROUND

On my morning walk today, me and Zeph got to see lots of elk.  Connie was not with us as she was getting ready to go jump her horse up in Florence. The elk seem to be splitting up into smaller groups which they seem to do when it is calving season.  We have not seen any new calves yet this year though.  After we got back from our morning walk, I went down to burn some brush piles and saw more elk.  There were three of them and they were not a bit concerned that I was lighting brush piles on fire.  Well, they were a little concerned as they moved off a couple of hundred yards!  Of course I did not have my camera with me like I usually do when out in the woods so did not get any pictures.

These elk are just below some of our corrals while we are getting the horses in.

Just elk on our morning walk.

UPDATE 14 MAY 2018 - SPRING IN THE BITTERROOT.

We are always busy it seems like in the spring around here.  Lots of things to do getting the winter shook off our place.  And it is really green this year with all the moisture we have had.  And the spring flowers continue to amaze us.  Been seeing a lot of elk around and they look pretty rough while they are shedding off their winter hair.  Just about done getting my ditches cleaned out for irrigating.  Took a little longer than expected this year.  Connie is really enjoying jumping her horse Bill and he seems to enjoy it also.  His leg problems are much better this spring.

Deer in the corral.  And Zeph has some leg problems so he can't chase them away.  Now that really hurts and bothers him as his passion in life is keeping them out of his corrals.  

Did a little brick work around the cabin.

 Looks like a pregnant elk to me.

A little fog in the valley.

Lots of snow left in the mountains and our rivers are already full!!

A nuthatch in her nest.

Arrowleaf balsamroot.

Peg and Stryder waiting at the gate for their turn to come up to the barn.

Flowers on the island.