A sky departure
Last weekend we, with a group of friends, all went to a nearby mountain top (about 40 minutes away) where Elk are frequently spotted. We went right around sun-down, and were not disappointed! Our house is situated in a community called "Elk Valley" and apparently Elk used to be quite a nuisance here. They have since been hunted to the point of no longer calling this their home. It was wonderful to go and see a variety of Elk at this viewing area.
You can see the fall colors starting to show their splendor too.
There were several bull Elk. We even got to see a bull fight - horns clashing, dust flying and all. I couldn’t capture a non-blurry shot of the event (it was getting pretty dark) but the experience was awesome.
When I turned around to face the west, the sunset was stunning.
The colors were HOT but the air was refreshingly cool. A very nice contrast.
This is about the time of the bull fight. My camera (with the current lens and unskilled photographer) couldn’t capture anything below the skyline.
For good measure, and to make this post complete, here’s your Gredemeer pond fix:
This was taken just this morning (Wednesday). You can see a small inkling of the amazing color that’s going to grace us very soon. It’s been a bit rainy, which makes the colors more vivid, I think. Lovely fall weather. If it weren’t such a short season, I think fall would be my all time favorite. But fall is the pre-winter season, and cold is not my favorite thing, really.
Happy Skywatching! You can see more amazing skies from all over the world by visiting here.
Tags: bullfight, elk, Fall, sunset
October 9th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Top 10! Way to go, chickadew. I absolutely love the shot with the mountain and the crimson sky. lol… you just left me a comment.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
oh my i better not let my husband see those elks! great shots!
October 9th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
The sunsets are breahttaking!~
October 9th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Loved all the photos, that sunset is spectacular! Happy skywatch!
October 9th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
love this set and the pond is feeling like home
love it! Happy SWF!
October 9th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
RFC: You surpassed yourself with the beautiful Elk and the great sunset. Loved that you finished with the pond.
October 9th, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Your hills are awash with colour and you were so lucky to see all those elk, and a bullfight!
October 9th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
How wonderful to have these views close to home. The elk are great…
October 9th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Absolutely beautiful photo’s!!
October 9th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
The countryside is so beautiful right now. Happy Sky Watch!
October 9th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Great Elk photos! On a trip to Tennessee we were told evening was a good time to see them.
OH my gosh the sunset - BEAUTIFUL!
The pond is always a great view - the color is certainly well on it’s way.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
At the moment the hunt is on here…
October 9th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
You live in a very picturesque area. Your pictures are stunning. The elks are beautiful animals.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
That is a wonderful looking place! Great shots.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
gorgeous. always love your photos of your land and the places around there.
October 9th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
OH my, the shots with the elk are amazing…I will have to show my husband these when he gets home. Great photos.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Wonderful series! I love the fall colors and I´ve never seen an elk.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
how wonderful to get to see the elk up close! your shots are amazing, especially the sunset! happy skywatch friday.
October 9th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I read somewhere that if you like the light you’re looking at, turn around and look behind you. Chances are good you’ll like it better.
Because that’s how you get things like your third shot here! Beautiful!
I’m making my debut this week with First Quarter. Hope you enjoy it!
October 9th, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Love seeing these elks in their own landscapes! Great sunset pic too!
October 9th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Lovely series of photos. I love the name of your blog, too!
October 9th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
I’m with you..Love the fall colors, but here near Buffalo NY, it is short and leads to a long cold winter…sigh…Love your photos..
October 9th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Gosh… amazing series of photos… impressive! The sunsets are especially beautiful!! WOW! =)
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Michele~
October 9th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Oh, oh, oh (x10), lucky you !!! Elk-watching and they were present ! That must have been such an experience. And the colors in photo 2 and 4 are real evening soft.
October 9th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I have really enjoyed this series…wonderful to see. And I loved that sunset!
October 9th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Great shots of the elk, the crimson sky and the pond!
Lucky dog! To live near all that beauty!
October 9th, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Just beautiful, all of them. I like the hazy landscape! Pretty.
October 9th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
a lovely set of photos.
Gill in Canada
October 9th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
All beautiful photos in their own way, thank you for sharing your lovely views of the horizon with sky watch friday.
October 9th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I just love these shots…
Teach and Learn
Join Matter of Fact Monday - A New MeMe
October 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Oh, lucky you - what a great day. I’d love to see wild elk some time. Great photos, happy skywatch.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:59 pm
Great photos of the elk. and you sunset is amazing. Funny how the “Elk used to be quite a nuisance here. They have since been hunted to the point of no longer calling this their home” considering they were there first.
Cheers
October 9th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
This is a lovely series of images, but that first photo should be framed — or made into a notecard. Well done.
October 9th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Hi Deirdre. You went to a very pretty place. Our neighbors (at their Colorado ranch near Telluride) can sit on their back porch and watch the elk feed every evening and morning. We stayed a few days this summer, it was awesome! I know you enjoyed your trip.
Happy SkyWatching. If you have time for you to see, I have ‘horse apples’ on the tree standing against the clear blue Texas sky.
..
October 10th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Love you HOT sky! Very, very nice shot.
We went to the Pumpkin Patch on Tuesday for a field trip. They had goats crashing their horns together. It actually made me think of elk,though I’ve never seen elk doing it. I’ve picked it up from blogs.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:12 am
What an amazing experience! I would have loved to see the elk, especially the bulls. What a beautiful place.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:13 am
The sunsets are breathtaking.
October 10th, 2008 at 2:59 am
Wonderful photos! I’m lucky if I don’t cut people off at the knees or nose when I snap away!
Here in Sweden, it is pure elk country and we have elk fences along the highways to stop them from running onto the road and causing accidents. They are truly majestic creatures and I’m always a bit scared when I meet one in the woods because they are so — large.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:33 am
A most beautiful view of the fall leaves! I could see that the elk must have spotted you too, as they were looking your way.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:51 am
loved the 3rd pic!
October 10th, 2008 at 6:09 am
A truely delightful set of pictures, thanks for sharing them here this week.
October 10th, 2008 at 8:30 am
Splendid photos and thanks for sharing the story.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Wow..I love the sunset photo…Happy SWF
October 10th, 2008 at 9:29 am
How cool is that - elk, sunset, fall colors, and your lovely pond. Isn’t Tennessee grand?
Thanks for your comment on my blog.
October 10th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Great photos of the Elk.
Looks like some nice color coming on.
Come visit anytime,
Troy and Martha
October 10th, 2008 at 9:39 am
What a great post as usual! I love all your shots! What a treat! thank you!Have a great weekend!
October 10th, 2008 at 10:13 am
Love them all - just beautiful! Happy SWF! Happy SWF!
October 10th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Beautiful shots! I particularly like the sunset photos with those gorgeous (and hot) colors. You really have a lovely view in the pond shots.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Thanks. I needed my Gredemeer pond fix today.
That shot where the bull elk is looking straight at you with the pinkish sky just above it… great shot!
October 10th, 2008 at 11:52 am
That’s one fantastic trip. I love to see those too. Nice entry. Although I was missing your view from your kitchen.
October 10th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I live within a half hour of the largest wild elk herd east of the Mississippi and they frequently grace my blog. You got some great shots there! Did you hear them bugling? What a sound!
October 10th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Awesome series of shots! Elk are pretty amazing animals.
October 10th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Amazing series!
October 10th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
Cool pictures. I imagine this must have been a fantastic sight to see.
October 10th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
I’ll be the first to say that I think you need to start thinking about the photo show you should put on. I’ll put myself in line too to buy a signed copy. Lovely photos.
October 10th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Very cool SWF. I love the elk, and I absolutely love that sky! Good thing we have heads and bodies that turn around, eh?
October 11th, 2008 at 12:09 am
thanks for visiting and commenting into my SWF,, for some reason i can see my cloud so clear, did you uhmmmmm…. refresh it?
happy weekend…
October 11th, 2008 at 2:08 am
Beautiful series of photos you’re sharing with us.
I’m loving the sunset shot the best
October 11th, 2008 at 10:11 am
what a great way to spend an evening. & I love the pond shot!
October 11th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
You must had a wonderful day at the mountain. The elf-shots are wonderful. So is the sunset and pondshot!
Have a nice weekend:)
October 11th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
I ment the elk!
October 12th, 2008 at 12:04 am
What wonderful photos! The sunset is just stunning! Great SWF post!!
October 12th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Gorgeous! I didn’t get to do skywatch this last friday! I love yours:)
October 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Beautiful photos
October 12th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Good pic! Hot sky, cool air. Happy SWF!
October 12th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
What a glorious sunset. And what a delightful evening you had. Watching the wildlife is a great experience.
October 16th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
[...] guess what!? We went to see Elk again (one of my brothers and his family came to visit, so we took another little outing). [...]