Spring Migration - 2025

I'm so grateful to work in a field that takes me to beautiful places. As I have pursued experience and skills in my profession, I have noticed the obvious decline in paintings I have completed, or even started, and photos I have taken and shared. There are times and seasons in life. With our little girl expected to enter this world and our lives in less than two months, my focus has centered on providing a home complete with all she and Kaylee will need. It can feel, at times, that I have lost sight of who I am, but I am reminded that my love for this planet, the mountains, and the creatures that walk upon it has not disappeared. Rather, while on a jobsite, or on the road, I have been flooded by joy and peace as I look out upon snow-capped peaks or spot a lone coyote among the sagebrush. I know that the busyness of today doesn't define the rest of my life. I look forward to sharing my love of nature with my daughter and see her find joy in what interests her. Like the many animals migrating this Spring, I find myself embarking on a migration of my own, from a carefree young adult, to a husband and a father responsible for the love, care, and protection of my growing family.

Night work can be taxing on the body and mind. Switching from early mornings to waking up in the early afternoon is an adjustment to say the least. The upside to this, I found, was I got to catch the last hour of daylight before reporting to my jobsite. You know who else likes this time of day? Moose, elk, and deer were out in force this week! I counted 28 moose (not necessarily all different ones as they moved to different areas during the night), countless elk, and dozens of deer over the course of 1 week as I commuted to and from the Jackson Airport, or while I ate "breakfast" parked at pull-offs within 5-10 miles of the airport. On one afternoon before work I counted 11 moose in a single field, with two others behind me. I couldn't believe it! The elk herds looked like bushes dotting the fields behind the moose, but upon further inspection and to my amazement, there were rows and rows of elk grazing as they moved. Driving to and from Jackson in the early morning hours was a chore. I urge you as you explore this area specifically during migration that you follow the speed limit or go slower. I had elk along the side of the road or in the road every morning. It would really suck to hit one of these guys. I would remind you that the Queen of the Tetons herself (Bear-399) lost her life to a vehicle last year. Lets not continue that trend.

I love the Tetons. I cherish every opportunity I get to travel to them. With peak tourism season around the corner, I encourage you to visit, but do so responsibly. As my late father would always say, "There's a lot of idiots in the world, try every day not to be one of them".

Enjoy these photos! 'Till next time, stay safe out there y'all!