Sunsets...Medicine Bow Mts., Wyoming

Just a few pics taken with my small point and shoot Canon. With below zero temperatures last night, it makes me long for our summer of camping!

Twins...I'll scratch your back if you will scratch mine!

We feed lots of squirrels and birds in our yard and after all summer, this is the first time I was able to catch these two together long enough to get them in action. We had a pair of young squirrels who visited with their mother to our feeder this summer and then we did not see them again for some time, at least not to be able to tell that it was them as individuals. Just before the snow that we got a few days ago, we happen to spot them in the tree near our deck. I am not sure if they were our twins but they spent an hour hanging out in the tree together. Hugs, back scratching and grooming were on their early evening agenda. It was fun watching their silly antics and they just seemed to be enjoying each others company!

These were taken with my little aim and shoot that I had near as I did not want to move to find another camera so I apologize that the photos are not the best but hopefully you enjoy seeing the "cuties" as much as we did.

Summer is Officially Over!

This is what it looks like after a fast overnight freeze in western Nebraska. All the leaves of the Sumac tree came off at once...no more picnics till 2012!

Great Grandma Gardner's Photo Timeline

This photo is a copy of the original print that our family owns and the original glass plate negative is in the Solomon D. Butcher* collection of the Nebraska State Historical Society. It was taken in Custer County, Nebraska about 1886-87. My Great Grandmother was Effie Mae Copsey (the little girl in the photo who is holding her doll.)

I also own this large tintype of Grandma Effie which was taken from the original photo above of the sod house and family, but was probably made some time after the original glass plate. Notice that the colorist chose in this picture to leave out the cute doll by painting over it entirely!

Three dimensional framed collection made as a remembrance wall display of Grandma and her family.

"GARDNER FAMILY". The family of Willis David "Dave" and Effie Mae Copsey Gardner taken about 1922. Effie was the mother of 15 children, twelve who survived. 

   

Effie Mae Copsey Gardner photo was taken at the home of her daughter in Broken Bow, Nebraska in 1956. She passed away in 1957.

You might also enjoy my posting on The You Go Genealogy Girls blog: "Doing Honor to Family" which has more information about the sod house photo and about how my sister-in-law and I have honored these relatives and their families, in particular the George Albert Copsey family in the sod house photo above.

*Many of the original photos of Solomon D. Butcher may be found here on the Library of Congress, American Memory website.

Trails Left Behind During the Last Days of Camping...2011

These are mostly pics along the shore and small inlets of Hemingford Reservoir taken during the last camp outing of the season. More signs of the summer high water can be often be seen as was the case in yesterday's photos along the tree line. All kinds of critters make their way to water during the night time hours and my Babee Girl sniffs out the trails they leave behind.

The deer and the worms all get thirsty!

Early fall rushes and willows

Deer trails in the sand

High water lines

Left behind

Badger tracks?

Coons must get thirsty too!

Moving towards dusk

Babee Girl is working the trail

Left over from summer high water

REFLECTIONS

I worked so hard following all those trails, now it's nap time with Dad...

Old man winter will soon welcome the ice-fishermen to our little lake!

Last days of camping...2011

Photos taken during our last camp out of the season. Hemingford Dam aka Box Butte Reservoir is a lake fairly close to home. We always make at least one trek there and sometimes several just to spend a few days of relaxation. The flood waters all over the country also affected our small lake as the incoming river swelled over the summer. Water levels raised to some of the highest ever and left its marks on the landscape around the lake.

High water lines on the trees in areas usually used for tent camping

 Late summer saw the water levels receding as this lake is used for irrigation of farm crops throughout western Nebraska...a practice that has drawn the levels down for years in the fall. This always draws down the lake to extremely low levels. This year the water level, although it may appear low in these photos, is actually up pretty good. Beginning next year it will no longer be used for irrigation so for the first time, the level will stay high year round. The unusual high water left some odd scars on the surrounding land features. Today and tomorrow I will share a few of these photos, today's features are mostly sights through the trees.

Thanks for viewing!

Cheri