Wondrous Strange...

That's the title of a Wyeth family painting book I have. This morning had a similar feel - you'll know what I mean if you're familiar with N.C, Andrew and James Wyeth's work. Together, it does have a 'wondrous strange' feel - like this morning.

We'll start with the strange part first....So I'm driving into Yellowstone this morning before dawn and what do I see on the road about 5:15 am?? Mules - on their own, loose, wandering.... You don't often see THAT in Yellowstone!

Maybe it was the full moon?...

But as I continued, it became the wondrous part - Remember the sandhill crane nest I've been posting random photos of at Floating Island Lake? They hatched!! And 'boy are they cute'!
(The fog on the lake kept the surreal feel of the morning.)

The colts are here!...

(the correct name for sandhill crane young)

Sandhill Crane facts... The scientific name for Sandhill Cranes is Grus canadensis. Grus refers to the crane family and possibly to the guttural call that cranes make. Sandhill refers to the sandhills of Nebraska, the heart of prairie country and a fabulous area for migrating cranes. Their diet is diverse. It consists of small insects, amphibians, rodents, grain, seeds and roots. They feed while bending over and pecking at the ground.

Many of the adult cranes in Yellowstone appear to have a reddish-brown plumage. Just a cosmetic appearance, caused by the cranes spreading reddish (iron oxide) soil on their plumage when they're preening.

The chicks are known as colts in recognition of their well developed legs. They can leave the nest and run within a day of hatching.  Their first flight is about 10 weeks after hatching.

So after all that 'pre-dawn' excitement --

On to plein air painting on Dunraven Pass.... 

Cut Off Mountain from Dunraven Pass  6" x 6"  oil
part of Yellowstone Squared
by Shirl Ireland

The wildflowers were in bloom and the morning was calm and warm. 

A wondrous end after a strange start.