It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is from the 23rd when the Big Boy 4014 was rolling into Junction City, Kansas. It was going to stop there for about 10 minutes or so for a bit of a maintenance check. The locomotive and train were heading home to Cheyenne Wyoming after is 250 Celebration trip out east. It's such a cool locomotive to see, so big in person.
I have video HERE of it heading into Grantville and also as it headed into town here.
I was out on an evening bike ride this past week and was treated to a lovely sky. This is a view to the west over a large field for cattle.
It's Friday, TGIF! Dragonflies provide good opportunities for nice images and great bokeh as well. The latter part is important because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!
Today's image is one more decent image I was able to get at the Sunset Zoo in Manhattan Kansas. This Leopard was up and walking around it's enclosure even though it was fairly hot out that evening. I was able to get this image when it looked my way. fortunately, I was behind, or, actually, it was behind glass. 😅 This leopard is an Amur Leopard and their natural habitat are forests of far east Russia and northeast China. They are critically endangered.
It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog! Today's flower is one that is blooming in my area right now, Western Ironweed. It usually blooms July though September and is in the Sunflower family. It is one of the most common pasture weeds in Kansas but is very bitter so cattle will not eat it though sheep will. It can grow up to 5 feet tall.
I like being able to see these guys. I usually can find them in the cooler months hanging out on the gravel road that I bike ride on fairly consistently. On this particular day, I found and captured one on a road by the high school. This is a Horned Lark and you can see the feathers that give it that name.
Happy Monday and happy new week! Starting off the week with an image of a couple of bright orange Marigolds. I have never been thrilled with the smell of Marigolds but I like the look of the flower and the details it has up close. Apparently other things in nature aren't fond of the smell either as it is a good companion plant to deter pests.
