12/08/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  My mother-in-law has a very lovely Orchid in bloom that I saw while I was visiting over Thanksgiving.  I had to take and share a photo of it.

12/07/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  While I was in Colorado this summer I was able to see this beautiful model at the Colorado Railroad Museum.  This is a model of Union Pacific locomotive 844.  It is a very accurate model and was built by Herbert Votaw between 1958 and 1961 and required 1,848 hours of work and was the 3rd locomotive that he had built.  The model consists of 6,720 pieces which were all handmade and is 116 inches long and about 17 inches high and about 11 inches wide.  He had crawled all over the actual locomotive to collect information needed.  It was really amazing to see.

12/06/25

 We had a few lovely sunsets in November.  Today's image is one that I captured about mid month while I was heading home from a bike ride.  It was nice this year that I could ride my bike up until the last week of November.  My knees don't like walking as much.  😏

12/05/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!!!!  It's been a stressful week for me and I am glad it's over.  Anyway, my image for today is another of the Praying Mantis that was visiting my Lantana this autumn.  She was not happy I got her wet while I was watering it.  Sharing this photo today due to the bit of bubbly bokeh in the background because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

12/04/25

Late this summer I was treated to several opportunities to capture White Lined Sphinx Moths in action.  They really love the Surprise Lilies and I can usually find one visiting them.  This one, however, was enjoying the Petunias I had in a hanging basket early one evening.

12/03/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is Western Ironweed.  It usually blooms, July through September and I took this image in mid August.  Ironweed is very popular with butterflies and if you look, you can see there was a visitor on this plant.  Ironweed is one of the most common pasture weeds in Kansas.

12/02/25

 The Red Tail Hawks seem to be more prominent now in my area.  They are always around but it seems that when the Turkey Vultures are here, you don't see them as often.  Red Tails are fairly easy to identify in flight because of the bar on their wings. 

 

12/01/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week and welcome to the last month of the year!  Wow, it's gone quick!  As I type this, the forecast for today is snow showers.  I am sure we won't have a picture taking snow, at least I hope not, I don't want any snow this week for various reasons.  Anyway, this is from a snow we had last February where I was able to capture a few good flakes.  This is a 10 image stack of at least 3 flakes stuck together.

 

11/30/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back once again to the Cumbres & Toltec Rwy and my ride in late June.  I captured this image on one of the 14 times the train crosses the New Mexico and Colorado border.

 

11/29/25

 Today's image is from a sunrise about a couple of weeks ago that was producing some very vibrant colors and changing quickly as I drove to work.  I took this near the start of my drive and it was already starting to fade.  Amazing how fast it changes.

 

11/28/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  Today's image is a bokeh filled one of some Autumn leaves I was able to capture this year.  These are from my Golden Rain tree.  The leaves seemed to fall fairly quickly this year and changed fairly late it seemed, maybe it was just because I have been very busy.  Anyway, sharing this image today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

 

11/27/25

 It's our Thanksgiving day here is the US.  I have had this photo ready to go since April since I thought it fairly appropriate for the day.  I called these guys "The Gang" as they always seemed to be together and strutting their stuff for the ladies.  😁  I haven't seen any Turkeys around for a few weeks now.  I always wonder where they hang out in the winter.

 

11/26/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  My flower for today is Stenosiphon. It's in the Evening Primrose family and usually blooms July through September.  I found this one in the second week of September.  In drought, this plant will drop it's leaves and conduct photosynthesis through the stem.  They can grow to 9 feet tall.

 

11/25/25

 It's a double digit day today!  😁  Early this year, during the winter, I was able to capture various pictures of Cardinals.  They can be difficult as they don't sit still very often.  This is a male that I was able to get and I liked it because of the way it appeared to be looking at me.

 

11/24/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  Starting off the week with a photo of my Gladiola stalk from this summer.  I liked the painterly background that the Surprise Lilies were giving to it.

 

11/23/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back to May of this year when I was running trains on my new raised layout.  I can't believe I only did that twice this year, where does the time go.  SIGH  Anyway, this is my Accucraft Shay steaming along with it's train.  Looking forward to running trains again next year.  

11/22/25

 I was riding my bike to dinner a few Friday's ago and decided to stop and take a photo of the autumn colors along the Smoky Hill River.  As I was taking my images I was, ironically, photobombed by a Heron that decided to fly across the river.  So, I captured a Heron as I most often do, in flight, away from me.  😏

11/21/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  I felt like an autumn type image today.  Most of the leaves are now off the trees and I have been trying to clean a lot of them up.  This is an image of some of my Amur Maple leaves in late afternoon light.  I liked the bokeh behind created by other trees and leaves which included my favorite bubbly bokeh.  Sharing this for today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

11/20/25

 The Autumn Sedum proved popular again this year and was visited by many butterflies, bees and other various insects.  I captured this Honeybee enjoying it.

11/19/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is Hairy Golden Aster which usually blooms July through September.  I found this in mid September and it was about at the end.  It spreads by rhizomes.  It is not a true Aster as Asters never have yellow florets.

11/18/25

 Today's image is of one of my favorite birds, and is also the Kansas State Bird, the Western Meadowlark.  I was able to get an image of it fairly close for once.  Usually they are a good distance away and on the move, they rarely seem to sit still and are very skittish.  They over winter in my area but in some places migrate south.

11/17/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  Starting off the week with one of my favorite flowers, Black-eyed Susans.  I have trouble getting these to grow but they have taken off at my Gazebo pond for some reason because the light is not what they typically like.  As you can see in this photo, it's a very shady spot which made for a moody image.

11/16/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog.  Today's image goes back to this past year's Steam Thresher's Reunion in Rollag MN.  The Roundhouse for the 14 inch scale Wagner had just been completed for the most part and I took this image of it sitting inside early one evening.  The Roundhouse is now double in size and is most likely the largest Grand Scale Roundhouse in the country.

11/15/25

 So this past week there was Aurora events or "Northern Lights".  On the 11th I did not go out to look and am still disappointed in myself as that night was much better from the photos I have seen by others.  From what I was reading it was not supposed to be visible in my area.  I went out on the 12th and I did get lucky that they were still visible here.  I took this with my phone on its astro setting and it caught it really well as it was not visible to the eye.  So this is my take on it, though not as spectacular as it could have been the night before.  

11/14/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  It was a kind of a crazy week.  I'm in the mood for a soothing photo.  This is a photo I was able to capture in mid October while the Monarchs were visiting the flowers in my yard.  I was able to capture these 3 at one time by and on the Zinnias.  I also chose this image for the lovely bubbly bokeh because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

11/13/25

 Today's image goes back to this summer and my ride on the Cumbres & Toltec Railway.  I was able to see a lot of wildlife on this trip and this was one of the highlights.  I was able to see and photograph this Pronghorn family that was running along near the train.  I often see Pronghorn on my trips to Colorado but don't often get chances to photograph them and to be able to see a whole family on this trip was very cool.  Pronghorn are the fastest land mammal in the Americas.  They are often called antelope but they are not, they are their own species and are most closely related to giraffes.  Both males and females will have horns that they shed and regrow annually.  

 

11/12/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog.  Today's flower is Dotted Gayfeather.  It usually blooms in August and September and I found this almost exactly 2 months ago in mid September.  it is part of the Sunflower family.  In it's early stages of growth it is very palatable for livestock, especially sheep.  It has a taproot that can grow to 15 feet deep, making it very drought resistant.

 

11/11/25

It's a double digit day today!  It's also Veteran's Day here in the US, thanks to all the Veteran's for their service.  

My image for today is from my visit to New Mexico this summer.  I had a chance to see Magpies at various times.  I find them to be neat birds, they are part of the Corvid family which includes Blue Jays and Crows.  I captured this one on an evening walk in Chama NM.

11/10/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  I am starting off the week with a butterfly image.  Well, technically a Skipper image.  This one is supposed to be quite common in Kansas but I have not seen it, or at least, have not captured it until this year where I saw it fairly often.  This is a Common Checkered Skipper that I captured on a Marigold in late October, more specifically,  just about 2 weeks ago.

11/09/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back to my ride on the Cumbres & Toltec Rwy this past summer.  I took this image of our locomotive while we were stopped at Osier for lunch.  I thought the image worked well with a vintage look.  Lunch on the trip is now a buffet and it was delicious!

11/08/25

 Autumn is in full swing in my area.  I took this photo last weekend while I was out on a walk.  The yellows are mostly Cottonwood trees.  This is looking southeast on the street where I live.  We are in the Flint Hills of Kansas so not flat.

11/07/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  Today's image is from mid October before the Monarchs moved on southward.  They were really loving my Zinnias and I was able to capture 5 of them in this image and one Common Variegated Fritillary.  The bokeh behind them was lovely so sharing for today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

11/06/25

 Today's image is from when I was in New Mexico.  This was taken in our campground.  There were a lot of Cottonwood trees that were dropping their fluffy seeds everywhere and it reminded of snow.  This little Chipmunk was running around looking for food and I got lucky with this shot when he paused for a moment.

11/05/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is Blue Sage also called Pitcher Sage due to honoring Dr Zina Pitcher, an Army Botanist and surgeon.  It can bloom from July to October.  I found this example in September.  It is in the Mint family and it's roots can extend up to 8 feet.

11/04/25

 Today's image is another I was able to capture of a Killdeer this year.  They were in my area quite a long time this year.  Usually I only see them in the Spring but I saw them up into the fall this year.  I like this image because with the light it showed the red eye they have.  They are quite cute the way they run around.

11/03/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  Starting off the week with one of my favorite flowers.  This is called by several names, Butterfly Bush or Buddleia or Buddleja.  It can be considered invasive because they can spread and disrupt local ecosystems.  Mine are contained and have not spread and the Skippers really enjoy them.  They don't serve as a host plant so that is another reason they are not desired these days.  I grow the correct kind of Milkweed as well so that's why i don't feel too bad about having this as well.  😅

11/02/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image is from my visit to the Cumbres & Toltec this summer.  I felt like presenting it in an old timey feel because it is a great railroad to experience what riding behind a steam train back in the day would be like.  It's quite an enjoyable ride and I highly recommend it.  You even get lunch in the middle.  😁

11/01/25

 It's the first day of November already!  Christmas is just around the corner!  😂 Autumn has arrived in my area and the trees are turning color.  I got this image the other day on a walk.  It's not my best composition ever but I wanted the moon in it and didn't realize it was so centered.  I still like it though, hope you do as well.

10/31/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  It's also Halloween!  I enjoy creating some kind of spooky image for the day and this is my effort for this year.  Hope you enjoy it!

10/30/25

 I am doing something a bit different today, choosing a photo for it's bokeh.  Friday's Are Bokehlicious here on the Blog but any day can be Bokehlicious.  I captured this spider hanging off my railing recently.  I thought the creepiness of it was appropriate for the week since tomorrow is Halloween.   The bokeh, on the left hand side especially, was pretty great and since my photo tomorrow won't have bokeh it was a good one for today.  I believe this is a type of Orb Weaver Spider.

10/29/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is an autumn one, Maximillian Sunflower.  They usually bloom in August and September and I found this one on September 10th.  They can grow to 9 feet tall and the flowers grow in clusters along a thick stem.  It produces lots of seed that wildlife enjoy.  It was named after the German botanist that first discovered it while he was traveling in North America.

10/28/25

 Today's image is of one of my favorite birds to capture, I think because it is so hard for me to do as they are not very cooperative.  This is how I usually see them, flying away from me.  Fortunately i can still capture them in focus at times like this image.  😂  This is a Great Blue Heron.  They remind me of dinosaurs.  

10/27/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  Starting off the week with a lovely butterfly photo.  This is a Great Spangled Fritillary that was visiting the Iron plant earlier this summer.  

10/26/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image goes back to my favorite railroad, the Cumbres & Toltec.  I captured it here as it headed out of Chama New Mexico on it's way to Antonito Colorado.  It's a wonderful train ride and I highly recommend it. 

10/25/25

 It's a double digit day today!  😀 I was on the army post of Fort Riley a short time ago and was stopped in traffic.  I found out the reason was the General's Mounted Color Guard was riding down the street.  I had never seen them do this before.  It made me a bit sad because the Color Guard has to disband and get rid of their horses.  They are looking for homes for them right now.  They have been a well known attraction in my area and have attended many events where people of all ages have enjoyed seeing them.

Edit:  Since I got this post ready, I have heard on the radio that they can stay!  Yay!  This army post has such a history with cavalry, it would have been such a shame to not see them any longer.  

10/24/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  Friday's Are Bokehlicious so today's image is of one of my Morning Glory blooms with some lovely bubbly bokeh.  

10/23/25

 I was watering my potted plants last week and was surprised by this female Mantis.  She came up out of the plant and I think she was not too happy about getting wet but she let me take a few photos.  Female Mantis have thin antenna and fairly large abdomens.  I love their alien looking faces.

10/22/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  This isn't the best image I have ever gotten of this flower but I rarely see it open and was treated to it this past weekend.  This is a Venice Mallow which usually only blooms July through September but I found it blooming in Mid October.  It is also known as Flower of the Hour because of the very brief time the flower is open in the mornings.

10/21/25

 Today's image is from earlier this year when the Cedar Waxwings were visiting my yard.  They were sitting in the Walnut tree in between getting a drink from the pond.

10/20/25

 It's Monday, happy new week!  I am going to start off the week with a nice bright flower.  I took this image about a week ago.  One of my Hibiscus was blooming quite nicely.  This is actually a double stack image to get the stamen and the main flower in focus.