8-21-03: Mom makes friends with the elk statue outside of the visitor's center.

8-21-03: Telescopes set up there allow you to get a good look at the real thing – a herd of elk that makes the blasted valley its home.

8-21-03: The ground squirrels have also figured out how to make the most of a tough situation. This little guy has perfected the survival strategy of be cute and beg.

8-21-03: Of course, he's grown pretty chunky living off of french fries and bits of ice cream cone.

8-21-03: He looks like he's been taking a break with the bridge workers.

8-21-03: We took a walk around the lake. I like the way the driftwood, water, wetlands plants, hills, volcano and sky make for many layers of interest in this shot.

8-21-03: The water is very clear. I like that you can see the islands disappearing under the water.

8-21-03: The boardwalks through the wetlands make walking the area very easy.

8-21-03: I like the contrast between the dead grass and the purple flowers.

8-21-03: I kept trying to a clear shot down the tube of this purple penstemon.

8-21-03: I did manage to get a good shot of its fuzzy interior, though.