Scenes from the High Prairie

Description

1 – The Mingling of Day and Night (2’45”) One aspect I take for granted living in Elizabeth, Colorado is the beautiful sunsets over the hill; the orange yellow mingling of the sun with the horizon (the title was influenced by Tolkien’s Silmarillion, one of my favourite books) through the high definition clouds. If I correctly recall, I even began this movement’s idea while the sun was setting.
2 – Pronghorn (1’45”) I see pronghorn only occasionally. The last time I saw them, they were in a small herd of 2-5 animals. What we probably take for granted is that the pronghorn is the 2nd or 3rd fastest running animal in the world.
3 – Mule Deer (2’20) Deer are elegant creatures that are quite frequently seen where I live, maybe given the scattered pine forests around the hilly prairie. I saw less this year, but I also mostly avoided traveling at night where they tend to be active. One has to be on the look out not to hit these majestic creatures with their car.
4 – Prairie Dog Colony (2’20) There’s a colony of prairie dogs near my home by the road. Unlike most rodents I’ve known about, prairie dogs enjoy standing on their hind legs motionless, hanging out near their holes only to scurry quickly in the hole at something dangerous. Too, aside from taking some time to munch on a little something, they sunbathe out in the open, stone still, lying in broad daylight. The creatures make the soil cratered with holes, but treat it like an exclusive country club for medium-sized rodents.
This work was funded by Marsha and Lance Leavitt