{"id":23073,"date":"2015-04-27T05:04:28","date_gmt":"2015-04-27T11:04:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/?p=23073"},"modified":"2026-04-15T15:44:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:44:31","slug":"the-middle-of-nowhere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2015\/04\/27\/the-middle-of-nowhere\/","title":{"rendered":"The Middle of Nowhere"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’d rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.<\/em> ~Steve McQueen<\/p>\n

\"Colorful

Colorful sunrise over Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge<\/p><\/div>\n

There is something about waking up in the wilderness that I find extremely satisfying, relaxing and peaceful. I can certainly understand Steve McQueen’s quote because there are times I feel the same way.<\/p>\n

In the city I wake up to the sounds of the neighbors barking dog, the rumble of trash trucks, distant sirens, and the sounds of cars on asphalt roads.<\/p>\n

When I am in the wilderness I wake to coyotes singing, cranes trumpeting, and the breeze rustling through the grasses or the trees.\u00a0 I awaken to beautiful skies as dawn slowly creeps over the horizon.<\/p>\n

The wilderness wakens more than my body, it awakens my mind, my spirit, and my creativity.<\/p>\n

Life is<\/em> good.<\/p>\n

Mia<\/p>\n

Click here<\/span><\/a> to see more of my Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge photos.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When I am in the wilderness I wake to coyotes singing, cranes trumpeting and the breeze rustling through the grasses or the trees.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":174948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1513,223,12,608],"tags":[4101,1030,4069,344,4018,3685,4190,5434],"class_list":["post-23073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beaverhead-county-montana","category-centennial-valley","category-montana","category-red-rock-lakes-national-wildlife-refuge","tag-clouds","tag-dawn","tag-mountains","tag-scenery","tag-sky","tag-steve-mcqueen","tag-sunrise","tag-valley"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-quote-0416.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p11Mom-609","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5192,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2012\/06\/16\/the-morning-mist-at-red-rock-lakes-nwr\/","url_meta":{"origin":23073,"position":0},"title":"The Morning Mist at Red Rock Lakes NWR","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"June 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I don't have much time to post today but I wanted to share a few photos taken this week of the mists at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in Montana. Red Rock Lakes NWR is an incredibly wild and beautiful location that has stolen a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "American Coots"","block_context":{"text":"American Coots","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/avian\/gruiformes\/american-coots\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Sunrise and rising lake mist at the Lower Lake of Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-lower-lake-sunrise-mia-mcpherson-8279.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":39841,"url":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/2016\/05\/31\/nature-is-calling\/","url_meta":{"origin":23073,"position":1},"title":"Nature Is Calling","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"May 31, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Nature is calling and I am answering her call. I am happy to be off on another new amazing adventure.","rel":"","context":"In "Beaverhead County"","block_context":{"text":"Beaverhead County","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/beaverhead-county-montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red Rock Lakes NWR and an expansive sky, Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-wild-things-sky-mia-mcpherson-7464.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-wild-things-sky-mia-mcpherson-7464.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/red-rock-lakes-wild-things-sky-mia-mcpherson-7464.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, 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Elated","author":"Mia McPherson","date":"July 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"I arrived home last night after spending five days photographing in southwestern Montana and although I am exhausted I am also elated because the trip was simply divine.","rel":"","context":"In "Montana"","block_context":{"text":"Montana","link":"https:\/\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/category\/locations\/montana\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Red Rock Lakes NWR sunrise with pink clouds, Centennial Valley, Beaverhead County, Montana","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-pink-mia-mcpherson-1027.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.onthewingphotography.com\/wings\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/red-rock-lakes-nwr-pink-mia-mcpherson-1027.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, 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