Saturday, March 15, 2014

Greycliff Prairie Dog Town

Greycliff, MT Post Office
The sentry was on duty.  As I came closer he stood and barked - warning of intruders.  Then quickly scampered to his burrow.  Scanning the village, I watch as other heads pop - up like people peeking over their cubicles.


One of my favorite state parks is "Greycliff Prairie Dog Town".   It is located between Big Timber and Columbus.


Prairie Dogs at Greycliff


Black tailed Prairie Dog at Ulm

This barking squirrel makes me laugh as I watch their antics.  When I read the Lewis and Clark Journals one of my favorite passages was about taking all their men and spending several days trying to catch prairie dogs to send back to President Jefferson.  In my mind I see these 40 men crawling on their knees trying to capture the prairie dogs with their bare hands.  I can only wish there had been a video recording it would have won America's funniest videos.

One of the journals talked about taking buckets and kettles and pouring water down the holes to try and get them to come out.  They did send one live prairie dog back to the President and he made it there alive.



10 comments:

  1. I noticed this morning there were
    people peeking over their cubicles
    in our office maze of desks and terminals,
    so that instead of work being shared,
    some story was floating between the walls
    in a never-ending chain of Telephone,
    and I waited all day for it to come to me
    only to realize that I was the story
    being passed along.

    -Kevin
    PS -- lifting a line for some poetry.

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  2. Prairie dogs here are either loved or hated, Ruth, depending on who's building unfortunately (for the prairie dogs). There is a place near my old house that we used to go with my grandson when he was younger to watch and laugh at their antics. Thanks for the great pics!

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  3. I am looking forward to your poem. I love the writing challenge in March. It always amazes me how other writers influence and inspire me to try new things. I think one of the things I enjoy the most is how we encourage each other.

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  4. Prairie dogs are hated here in Montana also. The holes are a big hazard for the livestock. When I work at Fort Harrison in Helena there was a big colony at the Fort. They were oh so fat. I would go walking on my breaks and they would yip and yap as we walked by.

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  5. Anna Gratz CockerilleMarch 16, 2014 at 7:51 AM

    I love the Lewis and Clark anecdote. What a great way to take a line in a history book and make it come alive. Those prairie dogs are just too cute!

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  6. Great pictures. Love the Lewis and Clark story. I can just picture in my mind these men trying to capture one. It must have been quite a sight.

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  7. I love their little hands.

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  8. I too have laughed over the scene my mind created of that event. I would have SO liked to have seen it.

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  9. This is the story about the Lewis and Clark expedition that wins my students over every year - cute little guys!

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  10. Thanks for these fantastic pictures of the prairie dogs. I've never seen them in person before. They look so adorable.

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