two fer Tuesday

The way this pair had composed themselves to soak up the last warming rays of the afternoon sun caught my eye. Mallards are common winter residents here, accidental fine art sculptures some days, noisy panhandlers on others.

a fine Fisherman

 

He blends in well with the blue sky and the winter gray branches. Kingfishers are notoriously hard to get a good photo of, they are very alert to potential predators (read that photographers) and skitter away in a heartbeat. A crowd of mallards was no protection for the fishy tidbit he had his eye on, he dove right into the middle of the mob, and came up with 
dinner. 
If you want a really good kingfisher, go to Dina's blog (http://dinaswildlifeadventures.blogspot.com) on Nov. 19. Now, there is a kingfisher like I wish I could capture!

morning and evening on Moon Meadows

Morning

 

Evening

sleek Sleepers

Could you take a snooze in an icy cold creek with the water up to your belly feathers?

the day of the happy Turkey

Good wishes, Everyone!

The voters here chose roast beef and Yorkshire pudding for Thanksgiving dinner, so this is the only turkey I have been "stuffing" this morning.

morning sun #4

in the morning, by the Creek, under the bridge

morning sun #3

One cyclamen blossom in the morning sun. This brave little plant has survived my care for a whole year and is starting to bloom again. As a rule, I manage to kill them off, they do like water on a very regular basis, I am sometimes better with things that are labeled "can't kill with a club".

morning sun #2

Very Kool Kiwi

morning sun #1

Ficus elastica ginormous

The Rubber Plant that Ate Cincinnati, is slowly taking over the living room, currently headed for the fireplace mantel. This is one of those hand-me-downs that come from your kids when they leave home/college for the real world. The RPTAC started out as a  college Botany class project in air layering by Daughter #2. I inherited it when she moved to an apartment, now it has grown so big that no vehicle we own can haul it to Minnesota. It isn't massive as far as square footage, it has no branches. It started its life as a branch and so it has remained. However, it is now 12 feet long and has new leaves burgeoning! It loves the morning sun from the south window.

birthday Cake

November 19, 8 am

After 10" of snow overnight, the table on the deck looks like something in a bakery ready for decorating!

after the Big Bang

The Geodome Planetarium came to visit.

self Portrait

howd'ja do that?

No trickery, no Photoshop, just Pentax

even a Dog...

loves a Parade 

and so do small boys!

ok, what is the Answer?

"Ostrich's eggs are bigger than ..."

You can't just pose questions like this and then go ... 

and not finish the statement!

D is for Diagonals

 Daddy's D

What's not to love about shadows?

photographing the Photographer

Art Alley

11/11/11

Happy Veteran's Day, with Thanks

Lincoln Academy celebrated our Veterans and active duty Service Members with a program, luncheon and gifts of thanks and flowers on Thursday, November 10. We were honored to have speakers from all branches of the armed forces, from World War II up through the current war on terrorism, share their stories with the students and staff. Many of our local businesses helped provide our guests with a wonderful luncheon by donating food and flowers. Awesome Day!

Simply said, Thank you for your service to our Country.

the Speleothem

dogtooth spar

This piece was a present from my geologically minded children, it guards my  heirloom irises

and for your edification...

" The calcite crystals, unlike most of the other mineral decorations, were presumably formed under water; that is, at a time when the cave was filled with solutions. Similar crystals have been "grown" in laboratories, where it was found that by adding certain impurities in varying amounts, the form of the crystal could be changed. In fact over 300 different crystal forms of calcite are known."

Typical occurrence of calcite crystals (mostly Dogtooth Spar). The best specimens are found in vugs or cavities and on the underside of protruding ledges. Typical Calcite Crystal Forms, normally only the upper half of the crystal will be seen. (bottom, center).

information from Jewel Cave NP

inf

was it a faux Pas?

click on photo for detail

If you insist on committing a faux pas (dropping deer turds in front of the lady), she may think you are not what she is looking for in a boyfriend. You may find yourself all alone, wondering where she went.

Hi, Jerry "the Hen"!

By the way, this may not have been a match made in heaven,  he is a muley and she is a whitetail.

Their families might have objected.

rising Apollo

  

 

"The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do."

Galileo Galilei 

he got there First

Which was a good thing, once the turkeys showed up on the deck railing, all the goodies disappeared in record time!

a november Fairy

November 6

The Fairy rose still blooms despite night time temperatures in the 20s. She greeted the return of Mountain Standard Time this morning, like it was still midsummer.

duck Yoga

 

Apparently, when you wake up from an afternoon duck nap, there are certain rituals that need to be completed. Yoga or tai chi are necessary preparation for resuming the day's activities.

wrong Sequence

Dear Ma Nature,

This is to request that you please consult your notes. The correct order of things is that in the Fall, first the LEAVES fall, then you can make the SNOW fall. You seem to be confused, or not paying attention. Details are important. Thank you.

all that is Left...

on the Day After