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

somewhere underneath This

is my beautiful youngest daughter

beauty out of Mess

Art 9 2-D discovers the ancient art of batik. Original designs, lots of hot beeswax, dye baths, stained fingers and creativity that is unique as they are!

A shoutout Lincoln kids, you are awesome!

just Wait

till you see what this mess turned into

for Sale

Take your pick

a snowy white Shirtfront

Madame Ranch Cat

shredded wheat, sort Of

 

Ready for winter, our cattle ranching friends have stockpiled hay to feed their stock. The big rolls always remind me of Muffets shredded wheat cereal from childhood. Favorite, favorite.

a study not in black and White

Would your Mama have let you go to school looking like a rainbow? This is high school hair!

a study in black and White

Is Lucifer a black and white cat or a white and black cat?

How do you tell? He is noncomittal on the subject.

fall Color

Sundown October 20  The Black Hills of South Dakota

season's last farmers' Market

kettle corn!

if you were counting Heads...

would there be zero geese in this picture??

on a Picnic

Even the leaves enjoy sitting at a streamside picnic table, basking in the sunshine and listening to watermusic.

yellow Taxi

The yellows were so astounding I made a quick turnaround and went back to catch it. Man, I am glad I carry a camera some days.

epic Failure

Just wandering along Rapid Creek yesterday, taking photographs on a lovely fall afternoon. I found the path blocked in one of my favorite spots,  It was an epic failure for the local beavers. They had selected a tasty cottonwood to harvest, but had an engineering problem. Unless beavers can jump about 8 feet in the air, all they provided was a squirrel bridge across the creek rather than lunch for themselves. My Architect-in Residence informs me it is indeed a "gnawing problem" about what to do now for said furry engineers.

first, there was a Flower

This time of year a pumpkin's "cheeks" are the focus of our admiration, searching for the perfect place to create the face of a Jack-o-lantern. I found its nether end was the coolest mix of textures and colors where the blossom had done its work, disappeared and left a mosaic.

catching the last Rays

wild grapes reflecting back some late afternoon sunshine along Rapid Creek

you might just Be

showing the world a "Full Moon" if you stepped into this Crescent Moon outhouse, provided it didn't go to pieces and take you with it.

overnight Changes

Saturday morning last week we were in shirtsleeves at the Pumpkin Festival and Weigh-in. This Saturday morning the frost is definitely on the pumpkin, or more accurately, the SNOW is on the pumpkin and other things.

good Neighbors

Thank you to the hard working farmers and ranchers who put food on our tables every day.

full Moon

October 1  6:45 am