It’s definitely July–the temperature is getting up to the mid-70s each day, sometimes thinking about 80, and the afternoon thunderstorms proliferate.  The flowers are the focus for the moment, as the park is bursting with spring-like colors. As  you look at the colors, however, sometimes other things catch your eye.  I couldn’t resist the grizz and her two cubs on the hillside (even though the light was fading)  ( Please note that this image is as close as you are legally allowed to get to a bear–with a 400mm lens and a small camera sensor.)

The ranger informed me that I was 112 yards away when I took these.  The maximum fine for getting to close to an animal is $5,000 and 6 months in jail–plus a federal felony on your record. The typical fine is $100 for a first offense.

I’ve seen more complete rainbows in the past three weeks than I have in my entire life and hope to get another one tonight as the clouds are rolling in.  Right now they are fluffy white, but I can’t imagine that we won’t get a little rain.

We have a 3-day weekend on T/W/Th are are trying to figure out if we can make it up to Glacier and back–but it doesn’t look like it.  I do know that one of my goals this week will be to take that perfect “field of flowers shot.  This one doesn’t cut it–but I think I know what I have to do now.  It will give you an idea of what the hillsides look like.

Please know that I think of all my friends and family on a daily basis and wish you could be here to share this addictive place with me.

As always, full size images are at my flickr site.