Sunday, August 31, 2014

8/31/14

A rare view at Osier station on this last day of August.  Normally the trains would not be sitting in this position where they nicely flanked both sides of the station.  However this is the view we saw from our extra excursion train as we were leaving and they were sitting like this due to our train.



Saturday, August 30, 2014

8/30/14

Decided to post today before I got busy and then couldn't get back to it.  The weather here is very different than what I have been used to lately.  Cloudy and cool instead of HOT and sunny.  This is an Imported Cabbage White butterfly coming in for a landing on, what I believe, is Russian Sage.



Friday, August 29, 2014

8/29/14

Posting late as I was busy all day and then had some internet issues.  This is a rose that I played with different lighting techniques.  This particular image was done with a spot type of light.


Thursday, August 28, 2014

8/28/14

This is a bee I was able to get a macro shot of not too long ago on a Sunflower.  Not sure what type of bee but liked the very defined black and yellow striping on it's butt or is that thorax?  :-)


Wednesday, August 27, 2014

8/27/14

On a little vacation so will be posting at various times for a bit.  This is a lovely wildflower I saw growing in Colorado on Mount Evans at the Bristle-cone Forest area.  It's called a Purple Fringe and reminded me a bit of a fancy bottle brush.  :-)


Tuesday, August 26, 2014

8/26/14

Posting during lunch today because I will be quite busy after work and don't want to forget.  :-)  This is another view of the Bristle-cone forest on Mount Evans in Colorado.  This view shows the contrast between dead and alive and the color of these sometimes very twisted old trunks.  It also shows the area they grow in which is the highest elevation that can support them and then after it's just scrub plants and alpine wild flowers.  A very interesting and beautiful place.


Monday, August 25, 2014

8/25/14

This is an image of a Mockingbird that I was able to capture on a walk one day.  It's only been the last couple of years that I have been able to recognize these birds thanks to my mom-in-law who pointed one out to me one day at her home.  Probably had seen them before but never knew what they were.  It's at times like these when I am envious of wildlife photographers and their big lenses that can get in close.  My 300 doesn't always do it.  I liked this image though the way it was in a natural setting for once and not on a fence like I usually saw it in that area.



Sunday, August 24, 2014

8/24/14

This is a beautifully restored Stanley Steamer that was driving around the grounds in Rollag, MN this past June.  I had to take this shot with my phone because it was the only camera I had with me at the time.  Not too bad.  :-)  I would have loved to have gotten a ride in this but never worked it out.  Ah well, maybe sometime.  


Saturday, August 23, 2014

8/23/14

I was photographing the sunset one evening while I was on my way home from a meeting.  I thought the colors were lovely and then was surprised by a Heron that flew into the scene.  It wasn't until after I took this shot that I even realized it was there.  This one, even though the Heron was further away had the best color sky.


Friday, August 22, 2014

8/22/14

It's been quite hot lately so thinking of cooler days.  This is from spring when the Iris were inn bloom and after a rain which we don't get much of either.  A purple Bearded iris.


Thursday, August 21, 2014

8/21/14

I haven't seen the amount of butterflies this year as I normally do.  I have seen just a few large ones a couple of which I have shared photos of but even the mid-size ones like Buckeyes and Painted ladies have been very few and far between.  I hope it's just an off year but worry that it's other things.  I guess we shall see what happens next year.  In the mean time this is a Great Spangled Fritillary that was visiting the bee Balm when it was in bloom earlier this summer.  I did a bit of Photoshop work to make the butterfly stand out a bit.


Wednesday, August 20, 2014

8/20/14

I took this image while out in Colorado.  It's a side view of Boulder Falls a little ways outside of Boulder, Colorado.  I liked this angle as it really showed the water action as it dropped into the creek due to the strong flow.


Tuesday, August 19, 2014

8/19/14

This is a shot of the Dutch Mill in Wamego, KS that I took this spring but never shared.  The Red Bud trees were blooming like crazy at the time even though the tulips were not due to the late spring we had this year.



Monday, August 18, 2014

8/18/14

I was finally able to capture a Hummingbird fairly close up.  This is not cropped at all.  This Hummer was flitting around my Hibiscus plant and this bloom that sits on the porch on Saturday and I was able to capture it closer than I have ever been to one.



Sunday, August 17, 2014

8/17/14

I processed this shot for a more timeless feel since there was nothing obviously modern that could be seen.  This is locomotive 488 of the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad fleet moving passenger cars around in the Chama, New Mexico yard.  It had just returned from it's regular excursion from Antonito, Colorado and was getting ready for the next day's run back there.



Saturday, August 16, 2014

8/16/14

I'm more into sunsets as I enjoy staying up late and then sleeping in.  However I get to see some lovely sunrises once in a while when I am on my way to work, the usual time I ever view a sunrise.  This is one from a little over a week ago when we had some clouds in the area creating a lovely sky and a beautiful start to the day.


Friday, August 15, 2014

8/15/14

This is a flower image from Spring that I haven't shared yet.  These flowers are called Star of Bethlehem and have grass like leaves and are only about 6 inches in height or so and usually grow in small bunches.  i played around with this image a bit and liked the result, hope you do too. 


Thursday, August 14, 2014

8/14/14

I liked this image of my miniature Allium even if it had just been the flower.  The fact that there were several bees around it and one in flight even was an added bonus.  :-)


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

8/13/14

This is a shot from the summit of Mount Evans in Colorado.  It was incredibly windy and very cold up there at the end of June so these Mountain Goats that I was able to see and photograph should have been nice and warm in their thick coats.  You can really see the texture if you look at the photo larger.


Tuesday, August 12, 2014

8/12/14

This is another view from The Bristle-cone Pine Forest on Mount Evans in Colorado.  I liked this one because the shape of the one on the right reminded me of a type of alien standing and talking.  I'm weird like that.  :-)  It's a beautiful place to visit with the interesting trees.


Monday, August 11, 2014

8/11/14

This is a large Hummingbird moth that I was able to capture a few evenings ago while it was flying around the Petunias.  They always seem to show up around dusk when it is hard to get an image because of the low light.  I was very happy that this one turned out in focus and only it's moving wings were blurred.


Sunday, August 10, 2014

8/10/14

This is from our trip on the Cumbres & Toltec when we were entering the colorful mountain area.  This was before our stop at the tunnel.  These mountains were formed from sediment and lava flows and the orange and pink colors make for a great backdrop and a lovely view.



Saturday, August 9, 2014

8/9/14

Sunset On the Farm
We can't seem to great rain much beyond a sprinkle around here.  Areas all around us are getting some though.  Last night was a good example as there were clouds in the sky to the west that created some lovely color to highlight this farm setting.


Friday, August 8, 2014

8/8/14

Peek-a-Boo
I liked how this Sunflower was opening up and seemed to be playing a game of Peek-a-Boo so I actually have a title.  I tried processing it a different way and quite liked the look so that's what you get.  :-)


Thursday, August 7, 2014

8/7/14

This is, I believe, a type of Hummingbird Moth.  I was able to capture it around my Budhelia or Butterfly bush one day.  I was happy to get it in focus.  :-)


Wednesday, August 6, 2014

8/6/14

This is a different type of Orchid than I am used to seeing.  Not sure what type it is but I thought it was rather pretty and somewhat dainty.  I saw it in the Butterfly Pavilion outside Denver. 


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

8/5/14

This is a view of part of the Bristle-cone forest on Mount Evans.  I thought the fact that this section had so much dead trees in it that it reminded me of Mordor in Lord of the Rings.  Yes, I am a bit of a geek.  :-)   I processed it in B&W yo give it a more eerie feel.


Monday, August 4, 2014

8/4/14

I usually don't get to see these birds up close but there was a family of them that must have had a nest around the restaurant we went to last weekend.  This is mama and baby Killdeer with baby blending into it's surroundings quite well.  good protection for it though I think this family was fairly safe where they were.  Dad was just off to the right keeping an eye on things as well.



Sunday, August 3, 2014

8/3/14

This is another view of our train that was pulled by Cumbres & Toltec locomotive 463 before it entered the Rock Tunnel on our Geology Train excursion.  It was a unique experience to be able to photograph the train in this way.  I processed this one in monochrome and really liked the timeless look of it.



Saturday, August 2, 2014

8/2/14

I have not seen very many large butterflies this summer.  I have been able to see a pair of Tiger Swallowtails on 2 different days.  A few days ago I was able to capture the female of the pair feeding on a sunflower in my garden in the late afternoon sun from the west.


Friday, August 1, 2014

8/1/14

Wow, it's August already.  Time flies these days.  This is an image of this years bloom of our Barrel Cactus at work.  It usually blooms once a year and has 1 or 2 blooms.  2 years ago it put out 3 blooms and then last year didn't bloom at all.  I guess it had to rest from the show.  :-)  I photographed this years bloom against the window and I liked the blank background it gave it.  The flower is about 6 inches in length and the long tube part is hollow all the way down to the cactus body.