They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I wrote 3500 words today on the new book (it was a very, very good writing day!) and I thought I’d go for the gold by posting a few pictures on the blog as well. If I post eight pictures, I’ll have put out the equivalent of 11,500 words today. Guinness recordkeepers, take note!

On Father’s Day, Scrape took the day off from campaigning and I took the afternoon off from writing so we could pack up the puppies and take a trip to Vedauwoo. Vedauwoo (pronounced “Veeda-voo”), an area of rocky outcroppings betwen Cheyenne and Laramie.

We ran into these three juvenile delinquents on the way (>).  They looked displeased at having their picture taken. I don’t think their mothers know they’re down at the corner, hanging out by the fencepost.

(<) But the calves bear a striking resemblence to my dog. He’s about the size of a small cow, but has a much bigger appetite. I’ve decided he must be a cross between a Red Angus heifer and a bear.

Libby decided it would be fun to plunge into a pool of stagnant water. The result was so deliciously fragrant that she didn’t shake it off like dogs normally do. She wanted to hang onto every drop — but when we dunked her into clean creekwater to wash her off, she shook all over us.

It’s wildflower season – actually, we were about a week late for the height of the season. Wild iris are fading, but the lupine – my favorite mountain flower – is in full bloom. (>)

When I was a kid, I had a full collection of Peterson’s field guides. I love knowing the names of flowers, birds and trees. If you can name it, it’s yours, right?

(<) But I didn’t recognize this fluffy white flower and had to look it up tonight. It’s American bistort, a member of the buckwheat family.

Indian Paintbrush (>) is Wyoming’s state flower. The colorful “petals” are actually bracts that surround the flower itself. Sinc they offer nowhere to perch, only hovering birds and insects can pollinate the plant. We heard the high-pitched whir of several hummingbirds in the area, taking care of business.

But this is my favorite. I have no idea what kind of flower this is – it looks like Beeplant, but that’s pink or yellow. It might be a lupine that just got up and hasn’t shaved yet, but what it really looks like is a muppet.