Lightning Storm

here are a few photos from a summer lightning storm in Idaho. The storm was spectacular! I was slightly in a valley so you can see what looks like a big black band at the bottom of all the photos. The black are is actually a type of mesa flatland above the valley.

Lighting storms are wondrous and marvelous to behold. They are full of energy. They can also cause destruction when the lightning hits. Besides the direct destruction they can also cause wildfires. I like to think of them as those lights that entice bugs to fly to them but also kill the bugs when they touch it.

Lighting Strike at night in Idaho

Lighting Strike at night in Idaho

Lighting Strike at night in Idaho

Lighting Strike and Water Droplet Blur at night in Idaho

Montana Highways

Near the end of July, 2012, we drove through Montana from Yellowstone National Park to Glacier National Park. We drove through Livingston, Bozman, and Helena.

The first few photos here are west of Livingston. It has been raining and the scenery was perfect. The clouds were dark and stirred, there was a rainbow, a beautiful  hill with green trees and shrubs, and golden grass. There is nothing like gold and the end of the rainbow. There is nothing like the gold of a field.

Stormy Sky, Sunny Hillside

Rainbow from a stormy sky falling on a hill

9 photo panorama - Rainbow from a stormy sky falling on a hill

Stormy Sky, Sunny Hillside

12 photo panorama - Rainbow, stormy sky, rolling hills, mountains, and golden fields

Stormy Sky, Sunny Hillside

Rainbow from a stormy sky touching a golden hill

Golden hill and the end of the rainbow

Rainbow from a stormy sky touching a golden hill

11 photo panorama - Rainbow, stormy sky, rolling hills, mountains, and golden fields

This next group photos are from along US 287 between I-90 and Helena, MT. There was some roadwork going on so there was a long wait. The sun was going down so I got out and took a few photos. After getting through some of the road work I again pulled over to take a few more photos. The scenery changed quite a bit throughout the whole drive; mountains, hills, fields, forests, grasslands, high elevation and low elevation. Truly superb! I kept telling my wife that I want to live in Montana.

16 photo panorama - Fields, Mountains and Hills along US 287, Montana

Fields, Mountains and Hills along US 287, Montana

10 photo panorama - Fields, Mountains and Hills along US 287, Montana

9 photo panorama - Fields, Mountains and Hills along US 287, Montana

13 photo panorama - Fields, Mountains and Hills along US 287, Montana

Fields and mountains along US 287, Montana

8 photo panorama - Fields and mountains along US 287, Montana

These las two photos are from the following day along US 287 and US 89 Between Helena and Browning, Montana. The scenery can change quite a bit in a short time period.

11 photo panorama - Golden Hills, along US 287 just north of Montana State Road 200, Montana

6 photo panorama - Green Fields and Mountains, along US 89 near Heart Butte Road/Sevenmile Lane, Montana