A week in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Marion Lake

Jay C. Hormel Nature Center- Austin, MN

Monarch Butterfly Tagging

 

A five dollar reward is offered in Mexico for each tag collected as part of a study that tracks the amazing 3,000 mile migration that runs to Canada and the Northern United States.  The success of the migration depends on four generations of butterflies: three generations die after about six weeks of traveling North each, and the fourth spends their much longer lives (6-8 months) making the great journey back to Mexico.  It's a mystery how the great grandchildren of the original butterflies that started the migration can return to the exact point the journey began a year before.

Geocaching 

Lucas Oil 2012 AMA Motocross Championship- Spring Creek Motocross Park in Millville, Minn.

Ryan Dungey of Belle Plaine

Heath Harrison of Silverhill, Alabama

Bruce Dehn of Dayton, MN

Blake Baggett of Grand Terrace, CA

Eli Tomac of Cortez, CO

Mower County Fair/ 4H competitions

Spinning inside the Starship ride

Wolf Creek- Austin, Minn.

 Tom Oots has purchased land seven times since 1981 in an effort to create a wildlife refuge and wetland in Austin, Minn.  Oots develops his land strategically so that it has a positive environmental impact on the surrounding, which is agriculturally intensive.

Utilizing water turbidity tests, Oots has proven that his wetland dramatically filters the nutrient saturated, agricultural runoff water that passes through on its way South to Austin.

A tiger swallowtail butterfly drinks nectar from a purple thisle plant.

A construction crew works on the future site of I. J. Holton Elementary School

Falconer Vineyards and Winery-Red Wing, Minn.

John Falconer of Redwing walks through his six acre vineyard Sunday in Red Wing.  In spite of loosing half of his crop this year to an early melt and late frost, Falconer will have an additional eight acres planted at another Red Wing location by next spring.

              John says that he comes from a strong tradition of farmers that stay busy with projects until they are no longer physically able.

Annual Doggy Dip- last day of the summer at the Austin Municipal Pool.