a freshman Again

Our youngest daughter starts her freshman year of college at Black Hills State University today, on the way to a career in mass communications/photography. We are excited and proud that she has chosen this path for herself and is pursuing her dream.

You go, Girl!

Back to School

We be ready, hope the kiddos are too!

one day left, then back to School

 

"Summer's lease hath all too short a date."
-   William Shakespeare 

nostalgia circa 1956

When I stopped to take the picture of the "pirate ship" chain yesterday, this gorgeously restored 1956 Ford Ranch Wagon was parked in the next door lot. Its very proud owner saw me admiring it and came over to talk. He has owned it for 25 years and has just finished restoration. The paint finish looks about 6" deep and is absolutely flawless. It is  amazing. The body shop that he works for just did some repair work on my Highlander, I wish it had needed a total paint job, cause I'd have loved to have him work on it. Absolutely a piece of art.

shadow dancing Redux

This shadow picture caught my eye from the middle lane of a one way, 3 lane street. Quick lane change, trip around several blocks to get back. The chain is big enough to hold a good size frigate or schooner and some designer's idea of building detail. No pirates found in the vicinity.

cherry Abstract

I was disappointed with the photo of rudbeckia "Cherry Brandy", but Photoshop came to my rescue.  Just distort the distortion, and it makes a pretty cool abstract painting.

buttorfleoge Is

probably the word origin for butterfly. Most sources mention that the common sulfur butterflies found in England are butter yellow and are the reason these winged ones are called butterflies, ie "flies the color of butter"  Buttorfleoge is the Old English word for them used by the Angles and the Saxons.

another look...the Fair Parade

Alrighty then, do these things show up in a parade in your Hometown, USA???

it's Fair Week

Central States Fair and Range Days Rodeo Parade

Rapid City, South Dakota

August 21, 2010

What's not to love about an old fashioned Parade on Main Street, USA?

yes, Alex, I'll take Botany for $800

Answer: Who was Johann Gottfried Zinn? 

Question: The 18th century botanist who lent his name to the genus for this beautiful Mexican lady...the zinnia

love Those...

vanity plates!

twisted Sisters

Ma Nature thought of it first....

the Flappita Moth

Although a field guide would identify this as the wing of a white-lined sphinx moth, at our house it is one of the "Flappita moths". Those creatures that are attracted to your reading lamp and go flappita, flappita all around the light and make you crazy. This visitor chose to rest on the bricks of the fireplace before finding his way back outside. He started off in the computer room, we lured him to the open door on the deck by making a light path for him to follow. By turning on lights in the next room and turning off the one in the room we and he were in, we lead him through the house and out, with the needed portrait shoot in the middle.  Neat creature.

the eyes have It...

"By and large, people who enjoy teaching animals to roll over will find themselves happier with a dog."  Barbara Holland

lens within a Lens

Just fascinating what a water droplet can do. Is there anywhere else in the Universe that has a planet with a hydrosphere that can duplicate this phenomenon? I surely hope there is.

birds in a Tree

Redbirds in a Tree

Red bird in a Tree

(from www.thisoldhouse.com)

Redbirds in a Tree

it ain't coffee that's Brewing

Zeus's realm

from Disney's Fantasia

what to Do???

Which way to go???

On Moon Meadows Road among the Angus.

Black Hills in Blue

August 12, 2010

6:00 PM

44N  103W

keep looking UP

Perseid meteor shower TONITE, August 12

photo from NASA

hide and Seek

Not my neighborhood friend, but a very suspicious fox squirrel on the path along the creek. We played hide and seek for quite a few minutes until he sat still long enough for a "formal" portrait.

hmmm, could they be Cousins?

I do believe that my grouchy faced birch tree must be related to the nasty apple trees in the Land of Oz!

a little cool Water

Very inviting on a "dog day" afternoon in August!

"Dog days", are those sultry summer days of late July and early August. The term comes from the Ancients who lived around the Mediterranean. Observers believed that when Sirius, also called the Dog Star, was in conjunction with the sun, the two together were responsible for the hot, dry weather during this time of the summer season.

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how now, Brown Cow

Did you  know the phrase, which has sometimes been used as a lighthearted greeting between friends, was originally a nonsense saying used to teach elocution? It has been traced back to at least the mid-1920s as such, and has no real meaning other than to demonstrate round vowel sounds. This lady is the single odd colored cow in the entire herd, all the other girls favor basic black.

just Peachy

Just because it was 90+ degrees, with no breeze and no AC in my kitchen, the two lugs of beautiful California peaches all decided to ripen today and need canning. 5 hours, 1 trip to the store for more lids and lots of iced tea later, 37 pints of peaches cool on the counter. They will be yummy in January, a little preserved summer sunshine in a jar.

the Felon

Replaced peanut feeder because of rust, this new one is obviously NOT squirrel resistant. My little red squirrel lady packed off every single peanut yesterday afternoon. She is caching for winter again, she never stopped to eat even one. 

She carried them off down the "squirrel highway" (the top of my backdoor neighbor's chainlink fence) to her storehouse south of us. Normally she is harvesting green pine cones at this time of year, so this must be a real bonanza for her larder. Dessert for a winter day, or filet mignon for dinner some night.

oh, give me a Home...

....where the Buffalo roam...

 One of our local tourist emporiums has this herd of 5 life sized fiberglass bison, all duded up and displayed on Mt. Rushmore Road, the main drag to, of all places, Mt. Rushmore. 

When you stop to look up close, the artwork that decorates them is really quite stunning. There is free-hand work, airbrush, tooled leather and the one above is half covered with pieces of white quartz to imitate the curly wool of the bison.

Living in an area that depends on summer tourism brings out all kinds of things to try and intrigue travelers and draw them into local businesses.