Leaving the title blank today.. would love to hear my readers take on a title for this photo… what would you name this one?

We don’t have ground hogs here in the West.. so today I am posting photos of some of their distant relatives..

But our weather doesn’t look anything like the photos above.. it looks more like the photo below.. and I would guess if one of these furry little rodents sticks it’s head our of the snow.. It will have a big surprise waiting for it.. ~ A not so friendly/hungry surprise..

I am not sure what the rancher is growing in his back field. Went back to be sure that this crazy doe had not been hit by a car and she gave me the peace sign.. all was good, she was just REALLY enjoying the warmth of the sun, and something in her cud.. lol

Last night was the Wolf moon.. they are claiming it was the largest and brightest the moon will be this year.. I know I have personally seen the moon appear 3-4 times as big, but can’t say that I recall it being brighter..
~ enjoy your weekend everyone… we are going outside to absorb all the fresh air.

~ Grace ~ Beauty ~ Class ~

I have heard it said that animals are the first to recognize a disaster.. they are so intune to the world that they live in, they have to be to survive. Before the tsunami’s, before humans were even aware of the earthquake.. the wildlife was on the move to high ground.. Before the big earthquakes people recall their pets getting restless and agitated..
Makes me wonder what scared the heck out of this beautiful bird.. this Majestic symbol of American strength and freedom.??.. I don’t live anywhere near the ocean, and I did not feel the ground shake.. did you?

I did not post this as an open invite for radical political discussion on any side.. I am Proud to be an American, I will support and stand by those who fight for our great nation and those who have in the past, I Thank you!!. As with my children.. I can still love them even when I don’t agree with the choices that they make.. but in the same instance.. we will ALL have to live with those choices, or do something about it.. God Bless America, and each and every one of you~

The American Bison go into a lethargic stage in the winter to conserve energy, this by no means makes them any less dangerous.. I am very fortunate to be able to photograph some of these massive creatures from the safety of a vehicle and have done so for years.. I learned a lesson this year on a recent trip to town.. we had a meeting and a little time to kill so I asked Hawk if we could take a drive, and see if we could find the Big Horn sheep on their winter range, and to see how many bison had migrated out of the park for the winter.. It was a beautiful day shared with our youngest son.. After locating and photographing the Big Horn Sheep.. we moved on up in search of Bison..Fat and fluffy, I love taking photographs of these frosted beasts in the winter.. as we rounded a bend in the road there were 3 bison walking down the burrow pit.. but before we even got close two of them threw up their heads, tails cocked and took off at a lope down the road.. That’s not normal behavior for this time of year.. we drove on past the bison and pulled to the side of the road, I rolled down my window to capture a few photos of them coming toward us.. That is when I realized what had stirred them up.. Bison.. even lethargic bison do not like little “red” Jeep Wranglers.. ~ Go figure..

Thank you to everyone who requested the February calendar.. It is never too soon, so I am already taking requests for a featured image for the March calendar… Please don’t forget to stop by the comments section and let me know what you think.. ~Stacey

I just completed the February desk top calendar.. have a look and if you would like a copy for your computer please feel free to email me at afocusinthewild@gmail.com
and I will email a copy to you for your computer~
Thank you
~ Stacey

Cold weather is hard on even the most dedicated survivors in the natural world.For the Coyote, winters can be very long indeed. Food is scarce and low temperatures drive smaller creatures that the coyote uses for food deep into their burrows and dens.The coyote is very adapt at making do, no matter where they roam. From the largest cities to the farthest reaches of the wilderness, these song dogs thrive where others would surely perish. They are prolific breeders and can live in packs of as many as ten.. generally they hunt alone of in smaller groups of two or three. My hat is off to the Coyote today, they bring us lonesome chorus among the wild places we share with them. And the coyote reminds us that when times are tough, quitting is never an option. True survivors sing loudly to the heavens and embrace life no matter what should befall them.

Even when you think you are prepared, things can catch you by surprise.. but all you can do is go with what life gives you, and try to keep up. Here is another “missed” shot that I have chosen to keep.. It’s not perfect, but I still find value and things to learn from in some of the “missed” shots…

But try to recognize the easy moments as well and appreciate them for what they are~