After all these years I now know what the “home on the
range” song was all about. When I
was a kid I thought the song was crazy because antelope were African
animals. I’d never heard of
antelopes on this continent. But
boy oh boy they’re here for sure.
For two days we’ve been driving through the sagebrush
prairie and I’ve seen huge herds of pronghorn antelope and quite a few deer as
well. The antelope are new to
me. They are really beautiful with
distinctive brown and white markings and long expressive ears. The males have spiky horns that give
them their name. The herds are
wild and they seem to be doing really well in Wyoming. Apparently the sagebrush prairie is
their natural habitat, along with the cottontail rabbits, which we saw in
bunches at our campsite last night.
We had a great time at the hot springs in Thermopolis. The pools were ceded to the state by
the natives over 100 years ago with the proviso that they would be accessible
for free. So we were able to go
into the lovely state operated hot spring at 105degrees F outdoor pool at no
cost. Then we took the dogs over
the swinging bridge to see the terraces formed by the calcified water.
Today we headed into Nebraska and tomorrow I’ll post some of
the dramatic photos from the rainstorm over the prairie.
You know, I never wondered about the antelopes. Just took them on faith, I guess. They're quite dignified looking, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteThose rock formations have such interesting shapes.
hi joanna - i guess we're both odd that way because i always wondered about the antelope as well!!! that's so cool! i was wondering if the hot springs were simply heated water or if they had that sulphur smell i associate with hot springs? have a lovely drive wherever you're headed to day. steven
ReplyDeleteStephanie, yes they have a sweet dignity.
ReplyDeleteSteven, the sulphur smell is pretty strong. Even after showering it lingered on our clothes. I think everyone that day knew where we'd been in the morning.