The Bernese Mountain Dog is one of four Swiss dog breeds known as Sennenhund (alpine herding dogs), that were developed from mastiffs brought to the Alps by Roman soldiers more than 2,000 year. In addition to the Bernese, there is the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Appenzeller Mountain Dog, and the Entlebucher Mountain Dog. The name for the Bernese Mountain Dog comes from the Canton of Bern in Switzerland, where the breed was developed, and officially established in 1912.
If treated appropriately and allowed to stretch their legs outdoors, the Bernese are typically a well-mannered breed that is good with children and other dogs.
This view comes from a failed attempt to build modern “cliff dwelling” in the famous sandstone cliffs of southern Utah. As the story goes, the man who constructed this was doing it in violation of Bureau of Land Management rules, and to make matters worse, the sandstone was of a variety to soft for hazard free living. Evidence within the cave makes it clear the structure will eventually cave in on itself. In any event it made for a nice shelter from a spring storm outside of Moab. In the distance you can see the storm clouds approaching and the green fields of a farm that hugs the banks of the Colorado River. The fields, the storm, cave opening and sandstone all made for a beautiful contrast.
A view of a historic hanging flume constructed by the Montrose Placer Mining company in the 1880’s to help miners exploit placer gold deposits in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. The flume was more than 12 miles in length, and was connected to a ditch starting at a dam on the San Miguel River near Uravan, Colorado. While in operation the flume carried more than 80 million gallons of water a day.
