It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog! Today's flower is the Clasping Coneflower. The amount of dark red on the flowers can vary and be quite small. This group had the red coloring very prominent. The flowers usually bloom May through July and they are in the Sunflower family. They are very abundant in clay soils so that's why they are prominent in my area. 😂
While I was in Minnesota a few weeks ago I was able to see and capture one of my favorite birds that I only have seen up there, a Loon. It was in a pond along a road I was taking to dinner the same evening that I saw the Wood Duck, it was a good day for bird photos. It was actually there when we returned and was a bit closer and I was able to get this shot and others which made me quite happy. They have a very interesting call as well. Usually I hear them but don't see them.
Happy Monday and happy new week! It's also a double digit day! 😁 The Echinacea are in bloom right now in my area and I have been enjoying them a lot. I love the whorled pattern in their center and took this image recently of one.
It's Steamy Sunday once again here on the Blog! I just got back from a trip out to my all time favorite railroads once again, the Cumbres & Toltec. The trip goes in and out of Colorado and New Mexico several times. We started on the NM side as we enjoy the trip up to Cumbres Pass as the locomotive has to work hard to accomplish this. The photo for today is of it taking on coal near the restored coaling tower. They demonstrate how the tower works every now and then but it is not in regular use, coal is loaded with a front end loader.
I was on a trip out to New Mexico and Colorado for mostly train related things. I was able to ride my Favorite railroad again, the Cumbres & Toltec, what a great day. Anyway, this is one of the views of the area you travel through. This is looking from New Mexico towards Colorado.
Happy Friday, TGIF and happy 4th of July, Independence Day, to those in the United States! I hope to be able to see some of these tonight, this is from last years show that a homeowner near me puts on every year. It's about better than a town show. The sparks from the fireworks created a bit of a bokeh effect and today is about bokeh as well because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!
I had transplanted about 3 or 4 Common Milkweed plants a few years ago when there was going to be some major road work and they were going to be wiped out. They have been doing well and spread more each year. I was very pleased to see that a Monarch had found them and produced this caterpillar this year. Hope it survives and continues on it's journey.
