into August

Its been hot this past week, and smoke from the wildfires in Idaho has removed all our beautiful mountain scenery.  We are hoping the coming weather front will blow the smoke away and rain will clean the air.
      Sunday morning I drove to the top of Signal Mountain.  The forest was very quiet, save for one Hairy Woodpecker looking for breakfast on a dead pine tree.  I walked down the road listening and looking.  A wooden post top moved,  a female Dusky Grouse !!  A short distance later I found the male on the side of the road.  Now that's exciting.
     Last week I drove out of Yellowstone Park into Cody, WY.  The canyon of the Shoshone River is dramatic with eroded walls, spires, and hoodoos on the top.  I stayed overnight at a small USFS camp area north of Cody.
     Yesterday morning I joined a group of guests on a popular event,  Breakfast Cruise to Elk Island.  A boat takes the group out to the island, we have a  "cowboy"  breakfast, and 20 minutes to wander around the island.  Very nice.

Sunset looking toward the Absaroka Range,  and Lewis's Monkeyflowers.