I thought you might enjoy this look at the animals still doing fine in the American West. My photos aren’t professional quality, heaven knows, but this is what we saw in Montana this week.

First, domestic beasts on menus:

And now for something just a bit more tasteful:

A baby tastes his first peanut. No, I did not feed an animal on national park land. Not me, no way.

This baby marmot did not know you should always run and hide from humans. To my great joy.

Bison are easy to photo because they can stay fairly still for long periods of time.

And finally, in all my trips to national parks, Alaska and Canada, I’ve never seen a grizzly. Until now. This young mom, fresh from hibernation with her two cubs, has a very short summer to grow strong. Hope they all make it. A peaceful Fourth of July from the back nine.