Happy Monday and happy new week! My pond Iris bloomed pretty well this year despite the late cold snap and regular Iris not blooming at all or in very small amounts. This plant can spread quite a bit so I have to keep it in check but I find it quite lovely. I wish the flowers lasted longer.
It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog! Today's image is a very appropriately steamy one. This is one of the Ottaway locomotives as it was being "blown down". This where you open the valve on the boiler and let the remaining steam and water and, hopefully, any sediment that may have gotten in there to blow out. It helps to cool the locomotive off the rest of the way and to get all the water out to help prevent rust and scale.
As I have been mentioning, we have had quite a lot of rain lately. We went 3 months with basically nothing and now, we are getting it all. When we went to play trains a few weekends ago, we were running in between storms. These are some retreating clouds that I really liked how the setting sun was illuminating. The cloud just to the right of the windmill was especially cool with it's light outline.
It's Friday, TGIF! As I have mentioned, I love Musk Thistles even though they are not a very desirable plant. I love the geometric patterns on them and I think they look good even from behind. I love the bubbly bokeh in this so sharing it for today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!
I love Ladybugs and so I am happy when I get an opportunity to see and capture one. This one was feeding on some stalks of grass and I captured it as it was spreading it's wings to possibly take off. It continued on after the photo and didn't leave.
It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog! Today's flower is Indian Hemp Dogbane. It blooms June through August and is usually 8 to 40" high. Native Americans used the plant fibers to make various things like thread, cord, bow strings and fishing nets.
Due to all the rain we have been having, I actually went for a walk recently instead of bike riding. I was walking under a power line that a Mississippi Kite was sitting on. We looked at each other but it did not fly off which was rather surprising so I was able to get this image.
