A Change of Plans

We had planned to go to the Tetons to camp the following day. Well, a cold front blew in and it snowed and didn't get out of the 30s all day in that area, so we went a little further north into Idaho and spent a hotel night.

Along the way, we saw more interesting sights--including lots of irrigated potato fields, that have been created out of near-desert conditions. I had to stop and take pictures of the big potato!

But other areas were less desert-like.
Groundhogs are known as marmots out west.  There were two playing around these rocks.

In a pond, we saw a trumpeter swan swimming in the rain.

Sandhill cranes were out, too.

This is a terrible picture of a yellow-headed blackbird, but it was the only time we had ever seen such a thing: another for the life list. They hung out singularly with red-wing blackbirds.

The  best  part of that evening was an amazing dinner at a chain restaurant called The Sandpiper. We had some of the best steaks we have EVER had--and for a very reasonable price. I said those cowboys really know their way around a cow. This ginormous wrench was the support for the rail leading down the outside steps to the restaurant.