Chukar chuckles...

Since only the north entrance to Yellowstone remains open, we had to make a swing east and north to get there, which coincidentally (??) took us through one of my favorite canyons - the Wind River north of Shoshoni.  On the way in, Soph got to experience pogonip, or frozen fog.  Really nasty stuff that builds up an ice layer on the front of the vehicle as it reduces visibility to 100 yards.  Fun stuff.  But, as we entered the canyon carved over the millenia by the Wind River, the fog lifted and Soph was treated to what I consider as one of America's most scenic drives, complete with tunnels AND signs indicating the geologic eras of the various stratigraphy, dating back hundreds of millions of years!  There's that art+function thing I love so much!  Pictures can't do it justice, but I'll try...

My favorite canyon also coincidentally opens up in Thermopolis, WY, one of my favorite places to hunt chukar ... there's a popular adage about chukar hunting that goes something like "the first time you do it for fun...every time after that is for revenge."  The same birds I've been chasing for five years taunted Sophia and Kali.  Chukar have a nasty habit of flushing/running up 35%-45% grades and stopping at the rim, profiled against a brilliant blue sky, to look down at scrambling dog and hunters and, I swear it's true, chuckle.  And it echos through the canyons so all the chukar in the county know the slide show is happening.  The best approach is to descend on them from the heights, but that's a little more difficult with 6"-8" of melting snow on the roads above.
You'll note there are no photos of Sophia's first chukar, but that's not from lack of determined effort.  And the melted snow creates Wyoming mud on a steep incline.  When we returned to the rig, her only request was that we find a motel with guest laundry!  It'll be revenge for her from now on!
Thermopolis is located in a region of geologic significance and has a very good museum to prove it ... the Wyoming Dinosaur Center, a privately funded research facility with displays that rival the Royal Terrell in Drumheller.  Again, photos don't do it justice, but...

Ranchers out here like prairie dogs about as much as those in SouTex like hogs, and they love anyone who'll eliminate a few for them.  But small targets at 100+ yards require practice.  Bought a .17 HMR rifle in MT for just this reason and it needed to be sighted in, plus Soph needed to be comfortable with it.  So with lots of public land and low winds (finally), I got it close, then let her take a shot ...

Kid's a natural ... fella that thinks he's gonna impress her is gonna have to work pretty hard!  Unless she really likes him and just lets him win so his ego isn't crushed.