Monday, September 30, 2019

9/30/19

I planted this flower a while back and it was the only one to survive until now in the place I put it.  It's a lovely autumn flowering plant called Caryopteris.


Sunday, September 29, 2019

9/29/10

This is the Porter locomotive that I was able to work on again this year at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion in Rollag.  These locomotives do not have a tender.  They carry their water in a tank that surrounds the boiler.  This locomotive was originally used in a quarry.  I captured it here in the Roundhouse.






Saturday, September 28, 2019

9/28/19

Fridays have been good days for colorful skies it seems lately.  This is a sunset this time from last Friday.  It was even more colorful and vibrant shortly before this but I was in a car in a not great place to capture it unfortunately.  It was still quite lovely though when I arrived home.


Friday, September 27, 2019

9/27/19

Fridays Are Bokehlicious here on the Blog and Fridays are mostly about Butterflies as well lately.  This is a Question Mark Butterfly that I captured in a wooded area on the property last week.  When their wings are open they are a deep orange and black.  There is a photo showing that on my Butterfly ID page here on the Blog.  I liked the smooth bright green bokeh behind to show it off well.


Thursday, September 26, 2019

9/26/19

I captured this Bumble Bee in flight around the Obedient Plant recently.  I am always pleased when I can capture one in flight and have it be relatively in focus.


Wednesday, September 25, 2019

9/25/19

It's Wildflower Wednesday once again here on the Blog.  This is one that was not quite as abundant as it has been in previous years.  This flower is called Snow On the Mountain and is in the Poinsettia family - Euphorbia Pulcherrima Wild.  At times it can make the hillsides look white as if in Snow.  This image was also taken with my phone.






Tuesday, September 24, 2019

9/24/19

I took this image back in June at Rollag during Steam School.  I actually shot this with my phone and am pretty impressed by the quality it gets.  I have a Google Pixel 3XL and it is great for when I am not able to have my actual camera with me.  I took a couple of items out of the photo which were newer looking and then converted it to B&W and I thought it made for a rather timeless image.


Monday, September 23, 2019

9/23/19

A while back I shared a Black & White image of this flower.  This flower is commonly called an African Daisy or Spoon flower due to the leaf tips.  The more accurate name is Osteospermum.  I love the flowers this variety puts out.  I need to find a different place to plant them, they do not like our hot summers and don't flower when it is really hot out.  Therefore a pot on the deck is not ideal for here.  Now that it has cooled off some again, it is flowering again.


Sunday, September 22, 2019

9/22/19

This is the third train I was able to work/play on at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion.  This is the 14 and 1/4 gauge Wagner locomotive being operated by a friend and co-team member with his daughter riding along.  The caboose is new for this year and was quite the hit with riders.  It really turned out beautifully.  The Roundhouse in the back is now basically complete with the pit being finished and the arch on the turntable.  A great addition to the area. 


Saturday, September 21, 2019

9/21/19

The morning of this past Friday the 13th began with a beautiful sunrise.  It's getting to be that time of year where hopefully I will see more of those.  It's a lovely way to start the day.  The rest of the day was not too bad either.


Friday, September 20, 2019

9/20/19

Fridays Are Bokehlicious here on the Blog.  This Giant Swallowtail came to visit my Zinias a few weeks ago.  I only had a normal lens on but I was still able to get fairly close to it.  The sunlight made some lovey bokeh behind in the light patterns.  I love it when it has the round bubbly type bokeh.
Don't forget that I have a Page devoted to types of butterflies here on the Blog as well that is a helpful guide to ID ones you see.



Thursday, September 19, 2019

9/19/19

Today is the last Palindrome day until 2020.  It was kind of neat to have so many of them.  The wild Turkeys have been visiting the yard lately and they have some pretty young ones with them.  It seems late in the year for that but then again I have some Lilacs blooming too so it's been a weird year.  I captured these 2 looking for seeds under the bird feeder.


Wednesday, September 18, 2019

9/18/19

Yet another in the Palindrome Days.  Today is Wildflower Wednesday on the Blog and another new one for this year.  I have seen this one before but had put an image of it  on my Wildflowers Yellow Page on the Blog for some reason but it is there now.  This one is called Showy Partridge Pea and blooms in summer.


Tuesday, September 17, 2019

9/17/19

Years ago I had shot this gas station at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion from a different angle.  I love the character of this old style station and decided to shoot it again from a different angle.  I love all the detail and auto related items around it.




Monday, September 16, 2019

9/16/19

Yet another in the Palindrome Days.  I captured this image in June at Rollag Minnesota.  Kind of forgot about it.  Usually these guys are sitting on the logs in the pond but they seemed to think I was too close so jumped off into the water which I liked for a photo op better anyway.  😀


Sunday, September 15, 2019

9/15/19

We are still in the Palindrome days.  Today's Steamy Sunday image is of the other full size locomotive I have been able to work on for the past several years now at the Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion.  It is just arriving at Baker Station where crews switch.  I am just about to get on board for my turn as Fireperson for a 2 hour shift.  It's quite fun.


Saturday, September 14, 2019

9/14/19

Having a Palindrome weekend as well.  😃  Sharing a macro shot of some mushrooms by my pond one day a while back.  I was surprised we didn't have a lot more of them as wet as it had been.  This is actually a phone image that came out rather well.


Friday, September 13, 2019

9/13/19

Another Palindrome date and also Friday the 13th.  It's always been a good day for me so hope it continues that way.  Fridays are Bokehlicious so here is a lovely Clouded Sulphur butterfly on a Budlejah bloom with some lovely creamy bokeh behind.


Thursday, September 12, 2019

9/12/19

Still in the Palindrome dates.  Today's image is of a Cicada I captured on the Ironweed plant.  Lots of insects and butterflies liked it but I was still surprised to find this.  They look very alien like.


Wednesday, September 11, 2019

9/11/19

It's Wildflower Wednesday on the Blog once again and today is a new one for me.  It is growing in my garden area I made over on the new land by a garage.  It's a hard one to get a decent photo of.  It is called Broom Weed.  Pioneers tied bundles of dried plants to sticks for use as brooms. This weedy plant spreads rapidly in overgrazed areas, because animals don't like it and handles drought well.

I updated my Wildflowers in Color Orange & Yellow Page with it as well.  A hany reference for a good number of more common wildflowers seen in Kansas and other areas as well.



Tuesday, September 10, 2019

9/10/19

Today starts the Palindrome days, things that read the same forwards as backwards, 9 10 19.  There are several in a row and will not happen again until Feb 02 2020.A little different post for today.  I love old train stations and I was in Salina Kansas recently and found this one.  This is the old Union Pacific Depot there and it is in need of repair but still a neat looking building.



Monday, September 9, 2019

9/9/19

My Zinnias are blooming and providing food for the butterflies that will be on their way through soon.  This image of one of them is a 2 image focus stack of a lovely orange bloom with interesting detail.


Sunday, September 8, 2019

9/8/19

While in Minnesota I worked the annual Western Minnesota Steam Thresher's Reunion. I was able to work on a train I had worked on about 8 years ago before it had some issues.  This is a Porter locomotive and I was just about to get on and fire a trip around the grounds.  It was great fun and wonderful to see in operation again at Rollag.  I met some great people and hope to work with them again next year.


Saturday, September 7, 2019

9/7/19

I was in Minnesota over labor day Weekend.  On Monday I was in Hawley Minnesota and in the evening there was quite the rainstorm/thunderstorm.  Afterwards there was a beautiful double rainbow.  I shot this with my phone under the eve of the house just out of the wind and rain.


Friday, September 6, 2019

9/6/19

Friday's are Bokehlicious!  Here is a lovely Echinacea or Cone Flower from my garden a while back with some lovely bubble bokeh for a background.


Thursday, September 5, 2019

9/5/19

Sunflowers are popular for all types of insects.  In this image I was able to capture a Bumblebee enjoying one of the blooms.  Right now the wild Sawtooth Sunflowers are blooming.


Wednesday, September 4, 2019

9/4/19

It's Wildflower Wednesday n the Blog and today's flower is Clammy ground Cherry.  They have a nice yellow drooping flower and then develop these paper lantern like, seed pods.  You can see both in this image and it is also a new one for me to photograph this year.  
Don't forget, I have pages on the Blog with Wildflowers by color to help ID some of the more commonly seen ones and even some rare ones. 


Tuesday, September 3, 2019

9/3/19

The Ironweed was quite popular this year.  Soon the Autumn Sedum will bloom and that is a popular one too.  I saw my first Clearwing Moth of the year taking in the blooms about a week ago now. 


Monday, September 2, 2019

9/2/19

I like flower images in this style.  I had been doing my mini Hostas like this and thought I would try it out on another type of flower.  This is an Obedient Plant bloom.  They have just started to open.  I find the name quite funny as they are not obedient at all and spread like crazy.


Sunday, September 1, 2019

9/1/19

Wow, it is September already.  The year is flying by, soon it will be autumn and cold weather.  Sigh.  I have been sharing images of a huge locomotive.  Going the other direction this week and sharing a much smaller one.  This is a friend of mine running one of the Ottaway steam locomotives at the railroad i play at outside Topeka Kansas.