Madison River Brown Trout

© 2010 Ken W. Hall    Madison River Brown Trout  Fly Fishing Festival Poster image

This amazing image was taken by my husband, Ken Hall.  The Madison River Foundation chose it as their poster image for the Fly Fishing Festival August 31 through September 1, 2012.   Posters are available for sale through the foundation and the Ennis Chamber of Commerce.

A 36 x 24"  gallery wrapped canvas print of the original photograph will be auctioned off at the live auction during the Main Street BBQ dinner on Saturday evening.

Ken will be on hand at the Festival Saturday afternoon, 4 pm to 6 pm to autograph festival posters.

© 2003 Ken W. Hall   Limited edition "Ennis on the Madison" River image

The foundation is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.  The above image was also chosen for the first festival poster ten years ago.  A 36 x 24"  gallery wrapped canvas print of the original photograph will be auctioned off at the silent auction.  

Ken is also on the schedule as one of the speakers to teach a photography class which he teaches every year. It is always well attended.  He is such an amazing teacher.

In honor of the tenth anniversary Ken is offering a discount on all images purchased at the event.  Original prints of both festival poster images will be available for sale in our BearFeather booth at the festival.

Today the wind is blowing and smoke has again filled the valley.  About three days ago the wind shifted direction and blew the smoke out of the valley.  We were so grateful for the opportunity to spend more time outdoors.  It was great to see the mountains again.  

An Evening at Sun Ranch

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

Photo by Penny Hall

Yesterday we had the pleasure of participating in a celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Madison River Foundation.  The owners of the Sun Ranch were gracious enough to allow the foundation to hold this event at their lodge.

Ken produced a DVD presentation documenting the first ten years of the organization.  We were there at the beginning and have watched it grow and expand its scope.  The DVD was a beautiful honoring of the people and the place they work so hard to protect and preserve.

The two hundred plus guests were having so much fun the event lasted much longer than expected.  Those who stuck it out to the end gave even more to the cause by participating in the the silent and live auctions.  Although the partners of the Sun Ranch  were newcomers they jumped right in and helped generate additional donations to help support the efforts of the MRF.

As an observer my heart was warmed by their generosity and enthusiastic support.  I was especially appreciative of the participation of their dog who gave me a big kiss at a much needed time during my duties as one of the hosts.

With the exception of the ever present wind, the weather was warm and awesome. The Sun Ranch is a spectacular location to be reminded of how blessed we are to live in this magnificent valley with people who love and honor the land and its inhabitants.

Another Busy Weekend

Photo by Penny Hall

 Photo by Ken. W. Hall -  "Four days ago I watched and captured images of this magnificent creature…two days ago I accidentally walked through his/her web which spanned eight feet from the fence to my porch…today I it showed me what patience had done for its home and what through my patience I captured by waiting." - Ken W. Hall

It was thirty degrees this morning.  It is as if someone turned a switch and overnight we went from summer to fall.  There is a distinctly different feel in the air.  Everyone was talking about it over the weekend.

It was a busy weekend.  Ken presented his popular photography seminar at the Madison River Foundation's annual Fly Fishing Festival.  It was well attended and Ken did an awesome job as always.

A couple of days ago Ken shared this photo with me.  He used it as an example in his presentation so I thought you might enjoy seeing it.

It is expected to be in the seventies and eighties this week.  Perfect weather for at least one more week.

Grizzly Bear Up Close

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Photo by Ken W. Hall

Photo by Ken W. Hall

It is three degrees below zero today.  The sun came out mid-morning and it is awesome.  It is expected to drop to twenty-two below tonight.

Ken was in Bozeman this past weekend.  Here is what he had to say about the photos of the grizzly bear you see in the above photos:


I spent this past weekend in conjunction with my affiliation with the Madison River Foundation at the annual Bozeman Sports Show in Bozeman.

The Show dates  were  January 28, 29 and 30.

The bear's name is "Tonka". He has just recently turned five years old and weighs 500 lbs. His is now half grown.

The owner, Dexter Osborn got Tonka at 6 weeks old from a zoo in Georgia.

Tonka has numerous tricks he performs upon commands from Dexter. He throws his head back and bares his teeth, he stands vertical on his hind feet and waves, he takes food from Dexter's hand.   And upon the command "Yoga" he lays on his back with his front paws, which are enormous, holding his hind feet and rocks on his spine as if in a yoga position. It is a real show stopper!

Seeing an animal such as this in such close proximity truly shows what a small part as humans we play in the drama of life and its perfection.

Enjoy,

Ken