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Water in the Old West

Water in the Old West

Marty’s photo of the day #4430: For the last couple of weeks, I have been learning a lot about water rights in Old West Montana. I say that because as near as I can tell they haven’t evolved since the 1800s. Deb and I have 25 acres, “The Essen Wildlife Refuge,” on a private mountain […]

Nellie’s playpen

Nellie’s playpen

Marty’s photo of the day #4416: Deb and I built our house in the mountains of Montana back in 1996. Deb designed it, with a little input from me here and there. All these years later we still love our house, and even though it’s more than quadrupled in value, we wouldn’t sell it for […]

Owl emotions

Owl emotions

Marty’s photo of the day #4403: Most people love owls without really thinking about why they do so. One of the reasons for that is because owls have faces that express emotions much like human faces do. I photographed this long-eared owl many years ago, while spending a day in northern Montana catching and banding […]

Putting out the fire

Putting out the fire

Marty’s photos of the day #4388-4389: Last week featured a couple of outdoor adventures for Deb, Nellie, and me. Early in the week we had to dodge a charging moose, and yesterday we put out a forest fire. One of the advantages of being “a local” in Montana is that even when the tourists arrive […]

Common beauty

Common beauty

Marty’s photo of the day #4374: It’s easy to get excited about seeing a rare bird, reptile, or mammal. Mallard ducks, on the other hand, are so common that they’re easy to overlook. Then one turns just right in the sunshine and you have to exclaim, “Wow!” (Photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana)

Yellow-headed blackbird

Yellow-headed blackbird

Marty’s photo of the day #4372: I photographed this yellow-headed blackbird last weekend in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. He was on the opposite side of a large pond, so I had to use my most-powerful lens and then wait for just the right moment of stillness. The photo came out a bit soft, but […]

The musician who ripped my heart out

I’ve come to the conclusion that the absolute worst hell for me would be retiring. Since I started working at WEBC radio in Duluth, at age 13, I’ve always had to do something that felt extraordinary. I left radio at age 20 to become partners in a high-profile Minneapolis talent-management agency; left that agency six […]