06/29/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image once again is from my recent week in Minnesota.  They hold a Kid's Day every year during the Steam School weekend and it was as popular as ever.  We had lots of riders who enjoyed being behind a steam engine.  I took this image during a test run I was doing the day before in front of the cool coaling tower that was donated to the railroad along with the buildings seen in other pictures and videos.  

I have a short video of the train traveling past this Coaling Tower HERE:

06/28/25

 While I was out looking for wildlife photo opportunities I was down by the big pond on the grounds.  It was so still and serene with nice reflections.  It was quite the contrast to what we are having lately with high winds and heat.

06/27/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  While in Minnesota a couple weeks ago, I was able to capture this Redwing Blackbird as it sat beside a pond.  The water and Cottonwood fluff made for interesting bokeh behind it so I had to share today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

06/26/25

 In the summer I like to go looking for Jewel-wing Damselflies.  They are such a lovely color and their wings are differently shaped than most.  I usually find them around streams in the area.  I was not disappointed this past weekend when I found a few.  I decided to share this one in a bit of a different pose than I usually capture them in, with it's wings open.

06/25/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  It's also a double digit day!  😀  Today's wildflower is one that is blooming quite a bit in my area called the Prairie Coneflower.  These flowers usually bloom May through August.  They are part of the Sunflower family.  The leaves and flowers can be used to make a tea and the leaves and stems can be used to treat various things like Poison Ivy.

06/24/25

 While I was in Minnesota, I was able to add a new bird to my list of birds I have seen and captured.  While I was out on the evening I took the sunset photo I was able to capture this image.  I originally thought it was the type of Heron I always see, a Great Blue, but I realized it is not.  I am pretty sure this is a Green Heron and I have always wanted to see one and now I have.  😁 I wish the conditions had been better, like more light, but beggars can't be choosey as they say.

06/23/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  I saw a new flower for me while in Minnesota last week.  This is a Nasturtium which are generally annual type flowers.  These were in the garden planter that is on the Ortner Rwy grounds.

06/22/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  As I mentioned yesterday, I was in Minnesota this last weekend to run for Kids Day and Steam School.  The area is called The Ortner Railroad named for one of the original donors/operators.  The locomotive is a 14 inch Wagner and is a fun locomotive to operate.  I have a short video HERE of it as it starts off with it's train.  I love to listen to the chug as it works up the grade as it starts out.

06/21/25

 I was in Minnesota last weekend for the annual Steam School.  I was out in the evening as the sun was setting and the sky was rather interesting I thought.  A lot of the time, the sky was smoky due to fires in Canada, I hope the rains are making their way there and those are ending.

06/20/25

 Happy Friday and happy new week!  Summer is about officially here though we are already feeling like it with temps in the 90s.  Spring flowers came and went so quickly it seems, this is one of them.  My Peonies came and went even faster this year it seems due to the rain we had.  I'm glad I captured them when I did.  I am also sharing this photo for today due to the lovely bubbly bokeh because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!  

06/19/25

 While bike riding recently, I looked in the usual spot for the Collard Lizard that I usually see and was treated to 2 of them sunning themselves.  I believe it is the male and female and they cooperated for several photos of which this is one.  I believe the male is the brighter green on the right.

06/18/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is one that is currently in bloom right now.  This is Elderberry and these beautiful blooms will produce berries that can be made into things like jelly or wine.  They usually bloom May through July.  The plant will generally only live 3 to 5 years but it is constantly producing new plants from it's roots.

06/17/25

 Another bird I have had quite a few opportunities to capture this year is the Western Meadowlark.  This is the state bird of Kansas as well.  I captured this image of one sitting at the top of a Pine tree while on a bike ride not too long ago.

06/16/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week.  Today's image is of a flower that is native to Kansas but I seem to have issues with it wanting to come back.  This is Coreopsis.  I have planted in a different area this year and am hoping it will thrive and come back next year.  I shall see.

06/15/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  I recently was running at the railroad I help out at outside Topeka.  This is an image of the Ottaway locomotive that I run there during it's blow down of the boiler after we were done.  I have a video of a lot of the process HERE on YouTube.  It actually takes a bit longer than I show but I cut it down some.  There is more information on the process in the description of the video as well if you are interested.  The process does make for a nice steamy image. 😄

06/14/25

 I missed out on the annual Wildflower Walk at Konza Prairie this year due to other commitments.  It's always a very enjoyable time out on the beautiful prairie observing all the flowers in bloom.  I usually get to see the sun set as well before I head for home.  This is an image from the event a couple years ago of the evenings sunset over some Butterfly Milkweed.  There was rain off in the distance which made for an interesting sky I thought.

06/13/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  The Iris in my area are basically done now.  This one has a really nice color to it.  I got it from a friend.  I had to share this image for today due to the fabulous bubbly bokeh in the background because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

06/12/25

 When I have gone over to my Gazebo pond I could always hear the frogs there squeak and then jump into the pond but never saw them, only the ripple in the water.  Last week I finally was able to get my first image of one near one of the Lilypads.  I believe it's a Bullfrog.  

06/11/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is one that has been blooming quite a lot in the area, the Missouri Evening Primrose.  It likes rocky soils and grows beautifully on hillsides.  It usually blooms May through July.  The flowers usually open near sunset and then close by mid-day the next day.  If it is cloudy out they can stay open even longer or open earlier.  Night flying moths will pollinate them and the flower will droop down after pollination.

06/10/25

 I have had a good amount of opportunities to see and photograph Killdeer birds this year.  Usually I see them running along the ground but one day this Spring I was actually able to capture one in flight and in focus!  😁

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. 

06/02/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  Spring is going so quickly.  Soon it will be boiling hot if not already, I do these in advance.  😊 I miss a lot of the Spring flowers that last such a short time.  This is an image of my one Crabapple Tree's blossoms that was so beautiful and perfect for such a short time.  I wish I had had time to sit under it for hours and enjoy it but, alas, too much to do and so little time.

06/01/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog once again.  It's June and we are halfway through the year already!  Wow!  Today's locomotive is the last one I ran on my mini steam up in early May on the new/used raised layout.  This is my Accucraft Live Steam Emma.  Emma is a model of a Brooks industrial 0-4-0T. Brooks Locomotive Works, of Dunkirk, New York was an important supplier of locomotives to railroads and industry. In 1901, Brooks and several other locomotive builders merged to become the American Locomotive Company, or ALCO.  It's a bit larger than a usual G scale locomotive which is generally 1:29, this one is 7/8 scale.  It's a really fun locomotive to operate though and it's run time is quite long as it has good size water and fuel tanks.

I have a video of it operating on YouTube HERE.

05/31/25

 We have had a significant amount of rain lately.  It's been so much I am even tired of it though I shouldn't be as we will probably now go for months before it rains again.  We were in drought so needed it badly.  The clouds have been very interesting due to the rains.  I captured this image while walking.  The cloud in the center kind of resembled a mushroom cloud at first but then reminded me of a dog's head.  😁

05/30/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  The Blue Jays usually don't sit for a picture in my yard very often but I got lucky a couple of times recently and this is one of them.  I could hear a Blue Jay calling so went to see where it was and it was perched in the Mulberry tree just outside the house.  I watched it for a moment and got a couple images before it picked a Mulberry and flew off with it.  Sharing this image for today due to the lovely bubbly bokeh in it because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

05/29/25

 There is a spot along the Milford Lake spillway on a path where I can usually see and try to capture this particular type of lizard.  I believe this is an Eastern Six Lined Racerunner.  They are VERY fast moving and difficult to capture.  I got lucky that this one paused long enough for some captures in a spot where I could still see it, most times they run under rocks.  The males are very colorful lizards.

05/28/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  One of my favorites that I find very picturesque is beginning to bloom in my area.  This is Queen Anne's Lace which usually blooms June through September but was already blooming on the 20th of May.  They are also called Wild Carrot and are part of the Parsley family.  It can be an aggressive invader crowding out other flowers.  It does not seem to do that in my area, I actually wish it would spread a bit more where I have it planted.  😁 

05/27/25

 I have had numerous opportunities this spring to see and capture Killdeer.  They are a large Plover that are found in the Americas and their call sounds something like their name.  There is a family of them that were nesting fairly close to a small pond in a ranch's field that I would pass by on while riding my bike so I could see them pretty reliably.  The 3 young chicks were out by the water's edge getting drinks recently and I was able to capture them fairly close together. 

05/26/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  Happy Memorial Day as well.  Posting an Iris flower for the day.  Iris have spiritual meanings if you are into that.  Generally, an Iris represents Faith and Hope.  Purple Iris like these are a representation of royalty, respect and knowledge.  I mainly like them because they are pretty and smell like grapes.  😊

05/25/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  It's also a double digit day!  😁  Today's image is from my little steam up that I did on my new/used raised layout not too long ago.  Today's locomotive that I ran that day is the first live steam locomotive that I had.  It's an Accucraft Mimi locomotive.  This one is very picky about where it is run because, without remote control, on an uneven layout, it can run very quickly and derail.  It's very nice to have a level surface to run it on when I want.  I usually could only run it at a friend's house on his layout.

I have a short video of it operating on YouTube HERE.

05/24/25

 On This past Monday we had storms move through the area.  We lucked out with just some heavy rains and a little very small hail but in other areas of the state, there were tornados.  In the evening I went outside and saw that the sky was looking rather ominous but cool.  The sky to the south, in this photo, had all these Mammatus clouds and then to the west had a very cool painted effect.   

05/23/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  The Lilacs are finished in my area already so this image is a bit old since this bunch has not even opened yet.  I liked this image for the subdued bubbly bokeh so sharing it today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

05/22/25

 This is another friendly horse that I was able to photograph while out walking with my brother in Pennsylvania.  I wanted to give it a pet but figured I better not.  😁

05/21/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is one of my favorites, I do have a lot of favorites though.  😄  This is Ox-eye Daisy which are in bloom around the area.  These usually bloom in May and June.  They are usually found along roadsides, in waste areas, prairies, meadows and fields.  I saw huge amounts of them along the highway around the Kansas City area this past weekend which was quite beautiful.  They make me happy and I love to have them in my yard.

05/20/25

 Today's image is one I love to capture.  This is a Western Meadowlark singing in the fields.  They have a very distinctive song and most times you can hear them but not see them as they are usually down in the long grass or wheat.

05/19/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  The Peonies are blooming like crazy in my area.  Another flower that is lovely for only such a short time and smells great as well.  We had a recent rain and I captured this before it opened fully.

05/18/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image is one from the mini steam up I did recently where I had some friends over and ran 4 of my locomotives on the new/used raised track.  This locomotive is one of my favorites, a C-21 2-8-0.  This locomotive is based on a real one that was built for the Crystal River RR in Colorado and there were only 2 C-21s built, this one and 360 as numbered by the Rio Grande Western in 1924.The real one was built in 1900 and scrapped in 1951.  My locomotive had to be repaired over the winter due to some faulty O rings and this was it's first run after that.  More details and a very short video of it operating can be seen HERE. 

05/17/25

 On Monday, the moon was full and is named the "Flower Moon" because of the abundance of flowers that are visible in May.  Because of the name I decided to do something artsy with the image that I took of it that night before I went to bed.  Hope you enjoy my take on the Flower Moon.

05/16/25

 It's Friday, TGIF!  Our Lilacs are finished for the year already, makes me sad as I love to see and smell them but they don't last very long at all.  I captured this image while it was blooming and processed it with a more artistic flair.  I loved the bokeh in it as well so sharing for today because Friday's Are Bokehlicious!

05/15/25

 So I was able to get a bit better photo of the Elk that seems to be a new resident with a ranch down the way from me that has a couple horses.  It was still a fair distance away but I had my actual camera with me for a capture.  It appears to be a female.  

05/14/25

 It's Wildflower Wednesday here on the Blog!  Today's flower is one that has been very abundant in my area recently.  This is Prairie Blue-eyed Grass.  It usually blooms April through June.  It is a rather dainty plant, growing from 4 to 16 inches tall with fairly small flowers.  The name is mis-leading as it is not a grass but is part of the Iris family.

05/13/25

 I have seen Meadowlarks around a lot this Spring.  I have been very happy to see them because, for a while, it had been mentioned that they were on a decline, at least in my area.  They sure seemed to have bounced back in the last few years.  I have been trying out a new focusing mode on my camera which has enabled me to get better birds in flight images as it locks in on them much better.  I captured this one on a fairly recent bike ride.

05/12/25

 Happy Monday and happy new week!  The Iris are blooming everywhere in the area right now.  This image is of one of my yellow variety that blooms near my Gazebo pond.

05/11/25

 It's Steamy Sunday here on the Blog!  Today's image is my yearly Spring photo that I photograph on my ground layout with the miniature Lilac.  It bloomed quite well this year.  I took the photos in the evening so the sky color made for a nice backdrop.  The locomotive is my Live Steam Accucraft Mimi.