Trumpeter Swans, Snake River valley - Idaho Winter morning along the Snake River. Trumpeter swans drift along the calm waters of a tiny lake that straddles the cliffs near the river. The rounded boulders were created eons ago in a cataclysmic release of water that carved the Snake River canyon into what we see today. The rocks were tumbled along for miles under the massive force of the great flood, until they were deposited here in great quantities.

A Sliver of Pink, Boise Foothills - Idaho A cold March sunset just sent a sharp sliver of pink color through an otherwise dense evening sky. Old rounded granite boulders dot the foothills above Boise, reaffirming the fact that not all of the valley was consumed by ancient lava flows.

Winter Horizon, Snake River Valley - Idaho Halverson Lake, although quite small, attacks geese and ducks year round. Here, in mid winter, sunrise casts a glow on the yellowed grasses and trees along the banks. Tucked under a large black volcanic cliff, this tiny lake holds runoff from snow in winter, and irrigation water in summer, until it finds its way to the Snake River, about a quarter a mile farther down the slope.