The sunrise this morning from my studio looking out across the Wind River.  Not a bad way to start the day.

My resident deer population dropped by yesterday afternoon for a short visit and to get a drink from the river.

Our old reliable chinook winds have dropped by and warmed things up quite a bit melting the lower elevation snow but dropping more in the high country.  It sets the clouds sailing with occasional sprinkles of rain.  Late afternoon on the East Fork is a great place to capture the late afternoon light created by the moods of the weather.

Our weather has definitely taken a turn to winter.  Very gray skies and cold with even single digits yesterday morning.  Color is reduced to dark and light.   Even in the Badlands east of Dubois that is such a spectrum of color and light.

Winter has definitely decended upon Wyoming with about 4" of snow in central Wyoming near Casper where I had to make a quick run to the past few days.  These Pronghorn Antelope were busy searching out breakfast.  More snow fell last night and the temperature this morning was 7 degrees.

Our snow temporarily ended yesterday with clousy skies and flurries.  The mountains in particular got buried with up to 18" and undoubtably more in places.  About an hour after I took this picture snow moved back in for several hours and there is more forecast in the next several days.  And cold.

Yesterday morning it began snowing lightly about 7 AM  By 10 the flakes got serious and were about the size of silver dollars dropping about two inches in town before dropping off to flurries.  In the evening it began raining at 33 degrees that is totally unheard of in this country.  By morning we had just under 1 inch of moisture.  A real God send.  We needed this so much.  The mountains were buried in the white stuff with up to 18" on the ground.  More forecast the next few days

This morning is dark and overcast with a wet snow just now beginning to fall.  It is so great to finally be getting some moisture.

It also allows me to post one more photo from the other mornings sunrise.

From Spring Mountain looking towards the Parque Creek area of Horse Creek.

This morning it is gray and we even had a sprinkle of rain overnight. 

 Yesterday morning was so impressive a sunrise I decided to post another picture of the light show.  

Sunrise on the Ramshorn from Spring Mountain.

This mornings dawn revealed a mostly cloudy sky and very warm temperatures that precedes a forecasted change in the weather later this weekend.  Cooler and rain-snow is forecast.

Even so the rising sun casts a most beautiful orange-crimson color and glow across the mountain landscape.  Magic indeed.

Sunset of the Tetons from "First View" west of Togwotee Pass

The fierce heavy winds of the past couple of days have deposited much of the leaves on the cottonwoods along the river onto the ground leaving a golden carpet to walk upon.  Even so a few areas with wind protection have allowed the trees such as this view from my bridge to maintain their color.  Against yesterday mornings cloud cover it made for a beautiful sunrise of  contrasts of color and mood.

After being gone for several days where I had a little laser surgery on my left eye we returned driving the last 20 miles through a fierce wind driven rain storm.  This morning found the mountains covered in a blanket of white.  Our first moisture in over a month

We have yet to receive any moisture the month of October and with the years sever drouth the streams such as the East Fork River are showing a lot of stress.

It has apparently been a good year for Blue Grouse as I have run into them quite often  including this one who along with his family were moving through the forest in search of evening groceries and letting an artist get some great pictures

Sunset over the Tetons.  Simply spectacular and spell binding.

The Ramshorn Peak veiling and unveiling itself with a low cloud in the DuNoir Valley.  Adding drama to the pastoral scene

It continues to be quite dry and with no snow.  Way late for that to happen.  We have experienced some cooler weather though ind a few nights getting into the single digits as well as into the teens.  That ;has really frozen the leaves on the trees and the vegetation has gone to a beautiful orang and gold to a dull brown in many areas.  Willow along Brooks Lake Creek though do sport a beautiful orange-rust color.

At the bottom of the hill near the hiway both cubs waited for mom to give directions on crossing the hiway.  A young girl on the opposite side had also stopped having seen them and was busy taking pictures of her own.  This made mother bear quite nervous as she was real close to where mom wanted to cross.  Several times she would step out onto the hiway and back off.  She then ran up the side of the road and into the timber.  I didn't see them again.

Last week I was surprised to see the "Three Bears" that I have off and on spotted and followed all summer.  The cubs have really grown in the nearly two months since I had seen them and they have really filled out.  Mom and cubs look great.  

I spotted them from the hiway as I descended Togwotte Pass high up a side hill and running straight down.  The cubs would arc ahead nearly going into a sommersault they were running so fast.  They then would stop to wait for mom and of again only to repeat the process

The Aspens are nearly gone now but still pleasant to hike through.  Was a little chilly this morning at 28 degrees and a little mishap crossing a marsh on a log missing the last step and going to my knee on my right foot left me a little mud covered and wet.  Good time to end a hike and turn on the truck heater.

Hiking through an Aspen forest with its sights, smells and sounds is akin to a walk through heaven.  If the streets of heaven are paved in gold it is surely the gold carpet of Aspen leaves with the sun drifting through the tree tops onto that pathway lighting it into a golden light fitting for any king.

A young buck Pronghorn Antelope enjoying the warm Wyoming late September weather that continues quite warm and dry