06/09/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  My water Lilys have just about finished for the year.  They were quite lovely while blooming and gave a nice pop of color to the pond.  

06/08/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  A friend had his yearly Steam Up get together over Memorial Day weekend and I took a couple engines over to play.  This is my Accucraft C-21 on one of his layouts.  This one is interesting to run on as it changes elevations and has a pretty good grade.  I was able to get my sunset photo before it started to rain.  Had to end the run slightly before it ran out of gas and steam because it was sprinkling with harder rain on the way.

I have a short video of it running on that layout HERE.

06/07/25

 I have gotten lucky lately.  While sitting in my office one morning I happened to look out the back window and saw some birds in the Walnut tree that didn't look like the usual visitors.  I got my camera and zoomed in and it was Cedar Waxwings!  I have seen them every weekend now.  I think they may be coming to visit the small pond in the backyard for a drink, that's where they seem to be going back and forth from.  It's been very neat to see them around still as I thought they usually left after their initial Spring visit.

06/06/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  It's also a double digit day!  😁  Today's image is one of my Weigelia bush that I have had growing in a pot for years.  It still blooms faithfully in the Spring even though I usually neglect it.  It had some wonderful bubbly bokeh in the background so I had to share it today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious! 

06/05/25

 It has been a weird Spring, very cool, we are still having 40s and 50s in the mornings, and fairly rainy.  I am finally seeing some more butterflies around.  Hope to see more.  This was one that was visiting my Milkweed that I planted for Monarchs.  This is a Mourning Cloak butterfly.  Apparently it is name due to someone wearing a bright dress under their dark one and letting a bit of it show while in mourning.  Adult butterflies hibernate over the winter and are usually one of the first to emerge in Spring.

06/04/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  The Yuccas are in bloom right now and are quite healthy looking with all the rain we have received lately.  I captured these blooms in a close up, I had never really paid much attention to the details of them before, just the plant in general.  Yuccas generally bloom in May and June and are part of the Asparagus family.  Their roots can grow quite long horizontally.  When soaked or rubbed in water the roots can be used as a soap substitute and the plant is often known as "Soapweed".

06/03/25

 So I got really lucky recently with a Heron sighting.  I was on a bike ride and stopped by the spillway at Milford Lake.  I had looked and saw nothing in the water where I usually find them and so was mainly looking for lizards.  I happened to look down the way to where some people were fishing and what did I see standing in the water...a Great Blue Heron!  I could not believe it.  There was someone else opposite it taking photos of it and I was able to get closer and get several shots and it didn't even seem to care.  It was quite amazing.