07/07/24

 It's a double digit day today!  It's also Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back to my visit to Kansas City to see the Empress, CN 2816.  It was difficult to get a photo without people in it as it was only on display sitting and not moving.  It was still great to be able to see it though.  If you ever want to watch a beautifully filmed and interesting film about railroading in the Canadian Rockies, Rocky Mountain Express is worth your time.  This locomotive is the star of that movie and where I first became aware of it.

07/06/24

 This image is from Friday June 28 and looks deceptively lovely.  It is an image of the end of one of worst storms we have ever had in my immediate area.  We had looked at the radar and there was a very small rain cell visible so we decided to ride our bikes to dinner and then by the time we finished eating it would be out of the area.  We were very wrong.  We were stuck at the restaurant for 2 hours.  The storm grew in size and sat over my town and dumped 6.9 inches of rain at my house and collapsed a building in town and caused A LOT of tree damage among other damage.  They have decided it was straight line winds of at least 80MPH.  We are still cleaning up limb damage on our property.  

07/05/24

 It's Friday TGIF!  My Cone Flower/Echinacea has been blooming and attracting various nature.  I captured this Skipper enjoying the blooms one late afternoon.  I chose this photo for today due to the bubbly bokeh because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

07/04/24

 It's Independence Day here in the US!  I don't have any recent photos of fireworks so how about some natural looking fireworks.  These are Bee Balm flowers in bloom that I planted last year and came back and flowered this year.  They have 3 bees visiting, 2 fairly prominent and then a very little one you may have trouble spotting.  

07/03/24

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  This flower has been very prolific in my area this year.  It is Wild Alfalfa.  It is a native legume and is very drought hardy as it's roots can grow to 10 feet deep.  It resembles Alfalfa but livestock do not particularly like it unless it is cured in prairie hay.

07/02/24

 I was able to see a Swan family while on a drive near the area I was staying at in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago.  I stayed in the truck and was able to be fairly close to them.  They still swam away from me though.  I believe that these are Trumpeter Swans due to the color of their heads.  There cygnets were just adorable.

07/01/24

 Happy Monday, and new week and also new month, it's July and the second half of the year!  😁  I have been able to see these butterflies more often this year.  Right now they have been around and feasting on all the Mulberries that have dropped to the ground from the tree.  This is a Question Mark butterfly, the mark can only be seen when the wings are closed.  I captured this one resting on a rock between feedings.