Warning Cry - Wind Cave N.P.

Daybreak at Lake McConaughy

Vintage 1960's Hiking Back Pack Canvas Framed Rucksack

Too cool. Vintage 1960's Hiking Back Pack Canvas Framed Rucksack on ebay.

The seller states as follows:

Here is a very cool vintage canvas and aluminum framed hiking backpack. The woman I purchased this from actually used this pack on a trip through Norway and other parts of Europe. There are many cool patches sewn onto the pack from the cities she visited. Her name and info is written on the back and inside of the top flap. The bag has a good sized main compartment along with two side pockets. The shoulder straps and pocket straps are leather. There are a few small stains on the pack but overall the condition is very good.

The pack measures approximately 16" tall and 30" wide.

Focused on a Meal

Aug 7, 2009 -

As the day headed on nearer sunset, we we're heading back to our campsite at Elk Creek when we spotted this fellow in a prairiedog town trying to sneak up on an unsuspecting dinner. Back at camp, we could hear the echoing howls of his brothers and sisters throughout that night.

Shot with my beloved Nikon P80.

Golden Book of Camping & Camp Crafts

*sigh* Just where was this book hiding when I was 10 years old? Perhaps some kid never returned his borrowed copy back to the library before I ever got a hint at it. This book has just about everything of it's day, profusely illustrated in 100% glorious color. There's even several pages of how to make your own canvas tent... hmmmmm....

I guess I'll just have to start catching up on what I missed out ;)

Vintage Preway Campstove

A sweet deal for only $7, she even has her original instructions. Fired her up with a little white gas and she works.

Gone Fishin'

Vintage Therm-A-Chest

Summer Storm

Yucca Blossoms mean Summer's Officially Here

Five Great Plains Yucca plants have blossoms this season, way up from last year's dismal turnout of only one. On the down side there's only one Big Sagebrush left which survived last winter's harsh weather, and none of the seedlings that sprouted last year made it. The Fringe Sage and Silver Sagebrush are holding their own. All the plants are getting to be around 20 years old by now, so maybe I should start a revitalization project?

Heritage Day

Junior gets to pass through a primary school right-of-passage today by dressing up and living a day in the life of a pioneer school kid in 1800's Nebraska... he skipped the part of getting up at 5am to milk the cows and tend the chickens though, so I don't think it was entirely historically accurate ;)

His lunch pail contained a jelly sandwhich and a ripe apple... no Lunchables for him today!

Junior's Boy Scout Haversack

Junior's likes his canvas Boy Scout No. 573 Haversack that dates back to around the 1950's or 60's (in other words it's had awhile to get thoroughly broken in).

Unlike modern polypropylene, nylon packs, this one is comparatively comfortable for summer hikes since it's fabric "breathes" on your back. The fact that it's still in one piece testifies that sometimes the old-fashioned design was a sound one.

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Sometimes, occasionally, there was wildlife to be seen if you could get through the people ;) Though it's tempting, don't ever approach so close as these people did to the wildlife, especially the larger denizens of Yellowstone. Instead use a telephoto lens, like I did!

Don't need to ask where the name "Yellowstone" came from after you gaze down on the canyon, the rocky earth is absolutely vivid with it.


The Lower Falls of the Yellowstone (at the top center), located in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.

Yellowstone Bison

More shots I'd taken at Yellowstone a few years back. Without a doubt the absolute most dominating creature in the park are the Bison. They are every where. One morning I'd even seen a bull casually passing the day in our campground.


It's August, the time of the Rut. The bison cow is getting some serious lovin' in the form of licking and groom from a bull who's singled her out to be his own. And this Bison bull has only one thing on his mind! Each mature bull will pick out one female to be the object of his affection, never leaving her side and never letting any other bull get any ideas that she's up for grabs. If another does get ideas, that's when tempers flare, leading to anything from a mock charge on up to full scale warfare between rivals. Seldom are the battles lethal, but they can often become serious, and injuries are common. Occasionally when I young bull takes on an old monarch and succeeds in driving him off, this will mean the end of the old bull's days of dominance, spending the rest of his life sucluded as a lone hermit.

Yellowstone Pronghorn

Here's some scanned shots taken with my old film camera, while staying for a week at Yellowstone National Park up in the northwestern corner of Wyoming.

A Pronghorn buck fleeing away from the photographer :/ And such was often the case. The pronghorn dwelling in the park were among the few critters that still exhibitted a healthy fear of man.

A large hunk of intact petrifried tree - what makes this so unique? It's still standing upright as it had grown originally!

A couple of pronghorn in a thick stand of Big Sagebrush. They felt a little more at ease in the heavy cover.

The only shot I got of a pronghorn in Yellowstone, relaxed and out in the open.

Late Winter Elk

Spring's Not Far Off!

Merry Christmas!

Brrrrrrrrr.... it's been one of the longest, coldest, deep snow-driftingnest winters I've seen. But we've got plenty of Christmas spirit this year. Except our's was delayed by a few days until Junior could come back home as he had spent the 25th at his Mom's relatives...


Yes, it's true... Junior received a genuine Red Rider BB gun from Santa (w/ eye protection included - Don't shoot your eye out!). Now none of the neighborhood cats will rest safe ;D

Sun Lodge

Stuhr Museum, Grand Island