full Beaver Moon

11/28/12

The full Beaver Moon, according to the Farmer's Almanac. So named because this was the time of year the animals were preparing their winter food supply and trappers were setting up their gear before the cold weather closed the ponds with ice.

monday quiz Question

Do you know what you are looking at??

yikes!

A view like this at 75 mph on I-90 will cause temporary and instantaneous heart failure! Your brain registers "OMG, there is a semi in my lane and it is headed right for me!" THEN brain realizes there is a tow truck involved. Guaranteed to scare the daylights out of you.

prairie Sunset

Buffalo Gap National Grasslands    11/24/12

A present from Ma Nature as we headed home from Minnesota.

Kingfishers are always suspicious of the paparazzi. Any of us wishing for a really good shot of a kingfisher is always happy to get any shot of one, never mind a good one. I think this guy gave me about 4 nanoseconds to compose and shoot before he darted off again.

caught in the Act

Vandalism in broad daylight! The pumpkin was on the front porch, he had to come up the steps to get it! His cheeky cheeks were stained orange and he just looked disdainfully at me and just kept munching when I stepped out with the camera. We are 20 ft apart at most. Can you see my gardening challenges??

i know it is November

They have just flooded the outdoor skating rink at Wilson Park, it is 60F, not much chance of a hockey game happening. Maybe water polo, but definitely not hockey today.

northeast Breeze

Mid-November day, the Lincoln Campus

a Coincidence

Mine

Van Gogh

5-7-5

My Lady Willow

Swaying strands of mermaid's hair

Painting stream greengold

outside, 20 degrees

inside, much nicer

11/11/12

Thank you Veterans, active duty service members and National Guard.

caution: snowplow Ahead

11/10/12       44N 103W

The "wintery mix" precipitation has materialized in the Black Hills, as predicted. The Schnauzer Snowplow Company is hard at work.

a cottonwood Owl

random silliness for a Friday

south dakota sample Ballot

voted!

the distaff side of the Family

This group of Bighorn sheep were right on the west edge of town, 6 ewes and the big ram above. Two of the ewes are ear tagged and collared, I assume they are part of a Game, Fish and Parks study of some sort. This particular group moves down from slightly higher elevations in the fall, sometimes putting on a head butting performance in the middle of State Hwy 44.
A number of years ago my sister helped capture and ready a group of bighorns from the Georgetown herd in Colorado to bring diversity to the population in the Hills. This bunch may be descendants of those that she helped wrestle into a trailer for transplanting here. They come from the direction of where those were released and she tells me that they show very similar coat color and pattern to that Colorado group.
I am used to having white-tailed, mule deer and turkeys in the yard all the time, but seeing these guys was a treat, especially when I had the camera with the good telephoto lens with me!

exactly what Is

the Travelers

I heard them overhead at 2 am. Flying by the light of the Moon. People say the sound of fall migration is a melancholy sound.   But they sounded energized and excited, anxious to be on their way. Like vacationers headed for a holiday somewhere lazy and warm. Safe travels, Winged Ones.

still life with String

The Art room closet