Today marks one of the largest military achievements in modern history. 79 years ago Operation Overlord, the Allied plan to establish a foothold in occupied Europe, began. Thousands of naval ships launched one of the largest amphibious assaults on the beaches of Normandy, France. For months leading up to the invasion, disinformation was leaked out about the upcoming invasion to fool the German army to think the Allies would be landing in Calais. A complex series of fake vehicles made of rubber were even made to fool aerial reconnaissance over England and German Spies in the country. Britain was the staging ground for it all and it was one packed island before it was over.

Along with the men who went ashore on the landing crafts, were the Paratroopers that landed behind enemy lines in a joint effort to meet up with those on the ground and catch the Germans in between. It was a massively complex operation with many variables that could go wrong. Without the efforts of D-Day, the events and longevity of WWII would have been very different.

I spent last Sunday enjoying a drive through Yellowstone where I hadn’t been for some time. The park has only been open a couple of weeks, but the remnants of the harsh winter are already visible. Carcasses lay across the land as Elk, Deer, and Bison who couldn’t handle the cold long winter perished. Nature is a cycle and while it is sad to see all the ungulate remains, the benefits of the dead are all the scavengers have plenty to eat. This particular Coyote didn’t seem to be interested in those carcasses but was sure intent on catching a mouse next to this creek. He walked up and down the creek for a good bit, pouncing occasionally as he was trying to find a meal. While I  was watching he never did catch anything but he was photogenic.