A Day Worth Every Minute

Oh what a beautiful day for a little trip. And as far as company, well, that was just as sweet, if no more. I was able to take my dear mother and sweet sister along with me on this little trip and enjoyed every bit of it.
We started our day out in hopes of finding animals and all the good things that we could and after a fast start to excitement, things went downhill as far as animals. As we started up Snake River Canyon we came across a mountain goat feeding along the road and managed to get a few shots as it headed back up into the less traveled areas for peace and quiet. These are some very peaceful animals and tolerate things very well but still hate to be in the hustle and bustle of the human world so they prefer a little more solitude and a calmer more relaxed setting. They are relatively small animals and much the size of a domestic goat one would find on the farm, but, they have very long hair to help them in the harsh environments they call home. An off white color helps them blend in the winter to the surrounding and in the summer, spending most of their time on cliffs, they blend in fairly well there too. A real treat to set and watch as they climb, jump, run and play on the rock ledges which they do with grace and style. Truly a spectacle to see as they move up, down, over and around the sheer ledges they have come to rule. A real site worth seeing for anyone interested at all in nature.
Our day continued as we headed for more of a animal area but that was all that wanted to present themselves for us to enjoy today. A small pond of a natural hot spring is home to a large population of tropical fish which have been introduced there from years past when some people put them in from an aquarium they had so the story goes. Larger Gold Fish and several species now call it home and is a very plain looking pond with moss and mud all around but a closer look reveals a fascinating world unknown to these parts. Temperatures dipping to well below zero and these tropical fish flourish in this natural hot spring as if in the amazon or something.
As we made our way around the area in search of photographic moments, little presented itself for us to share but we were able to find a few scenes to capture and the time itself we were able to spend together, a real treat. Enjoying good company sometimes overrides other things and the lack of pictures by far doesn't mean it wasn't a great day anyways. The Tetons were ever changing as small clouds covered the top and then would blow off and leave a trail from the peak out across the sky then releasing it only to allow more to form and the scene repeat time and time again. The clouds would blend with the sky and it would appear as the Grand had turned into a mesa several times today and yet every now and then it would break and reveal the peak still remained atop the rugged mountainside. I have taken so many pictures of these mountains and it never seizes to amaze me the beauty and majestic scene they continually produce every time I take time to look and see what they want to share.
The leaves that are in the other picture, are still hanging from last fall and as I came across them, I felt the softly colored leaves and the darker trunks of the bushes along with the shadows in which the leaves would leave on the snow below, made for a very nice, quiet and soothing scene to just set and take in. One of those not so exciting pictures yet the deeper one looks, the more it yields for thought and enjoyment.
I had a very special time with a couple of very special people and even if the pictures fail to show it, a day well worth remembering and cherishing for time evermore. I enjoyed having the company and sharing a little of "my" world with them as we searched for another set of pictures to share and try to bring the secrets which nature holds to all who find interest, comfort or peace in what nature offers to those who get lured into it's grasp and once there, choose to remain.
As soon as I can set out on another voyage, I will bring you another update and even though the time will not be as fulfilling as this trip, I always look forward to the time I get to spend in awe at the beauty and details that awaits the soul in search of finding.