{"id":131721,"date":"2023-03-09T05:00:25","date_gmt":"2023-03-09T12:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.featheredphotography.com\/blog\/?p=131721"},"modified":"2023-03-09T06:29:39","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T13:29:39","slug":"a-bird-skunked-day-saved-by-a-chance-encounter-with-two-old-friends-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/09\/a-bird-skunked-day-saved-by-a-chance-encounter-with-two-old-friends-2\/","title":{"rendered":"A Bird-skunked Day, Saved By A Chance Encounter With Two Old Friends"},"content":{"rendered":"

A rerun.<\/em><\/p>\n

Readers know I’ve been struggling with the decision to sell my camping trailer. Or not. Due to chronic issues with a bad back resulting in three major surgeries, I haven’t used my trailer for several years and it makes absolutely no sense to keep it if I’m not using it. But parting with it would be difficult because I still want to use it – especially for camping\/birding trips to Montana, my native state. I really miss those trips.<\/em><\/p>\n

So yesterday, in an effort to remind myself of what I’d be missing if I sold it, I found myself reviewing older blog posts about previous Montana camping trips when this one popped up. It struck a chord with me so I decided to share. Originally I posted it “on the road” from the wilds of Montana in July of 2015. For this version I’ve made very few changes, other than reprocessing the photo and making some minor tweaks to the text.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Due to bad light and shy birds I didn’t get any photos yesterday to be proud of but a very low probability encounter with two dear old friends in the back country of Montana more than made up for it. The encounter took place in the Centennial Valley and the old friends are Terry Tempest Williams<\/a><\/span> and her husband Brooke Williams<\/a><\/span><\/span>. Terry is a highly acclaimed author, conservationist and activist and both Terry and Brooke have been active and prominent in the environmental movement for decades. I’m sure many of my readers are familiar with some of Terry’s exceptional books and some may be familiar with Brooke’s work with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) or maybe you’ve read some of his several books.<\/p>\n

Many years ago I worked with Terry at the Utah Museum of Natural History and through Terry I got to know Brooke. But I’ve only seen them once in the past 30+ years so it was pure delight to spend time with them catching up. We reminisced about old times at the museum and swapped stories about friends and acquaintances in the environmental movement. Both Terry and Brooke are the epitome of genuine, caring, passionate people and their devotion to environmental issues runs deep. If you’ve read any of Terry’s books it’s “what you see (read) is what you get” – in person and in her writing Terry wears her huge heart on her sleeve and a warm, caring heart it is. And the lady can write!<\/p>\n

In an effort to avoid setting the precedent of publishing a post without including a photo I’ll relate a story about Terry. And me. And a bird.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sometime in the mid-80’s I made an early spring trip to the Jackson Hole\/Grand Teton National Park area with Terry, Brooke and several others, including friend and blog follower DeeDee Obrien. We were scouting out museum field trips for the following summer and at one point near the Snake River we came across a large black bird that Terry identified as a Common Raven. I disputed her ID with confidence, saying it was an American Crow. Terry was gracious about it (Terry’s always gracious) but she stuck to her guns and so did I.<\/p>\n

I shouldn’t have. Terry was right, it was a raven. Terry knew her birds.<\/p>\n

I’ve been privately embarrassed by that incident for years. I can only blame my bluster and stubbornness on relative youth and perhaps a bit of the macho of the time. I hope Terry forgot about it long ago.<\/p>\n

No, I didn’t remind her of it yesterday but I sure thought about it. I guess I’m still embarrassed.<\/p>\n

Ron<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Serendipity in the back country of Montana.<\/p>\n

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