We Tried and “Winds, Please Spare Us” Late last night, following a productive webinar and about the time those of us in our house settle in for the night, I went to pick up an injured red-tailed hawk. My understanding is the hawk may have been seen last weekend in a disabled condition. Again …
No Color and Few Details Needed Time was fleeting today due to an abundance of work duties, resulting in only a few pictures of this lance leaf aster being created. The plant is one of several blooming in all of their glory this time of year. Asters are common and do not require travel …
No Color and Few Details Needed In our natural world there are “things” that are recognizable with only the slightest amount of information. The shape of poison ivy leaves, the shadow of a praying mantis, the fragrant aroma of American lotus, the texture of pine cones, the call of a pileated woodpecker, and the …
Colors and Questions Tonight I worked the Wapsipinicon RIver in search of hungry crappies. (I found none). As I moved slowly along the logs in the water, I noticed a theme of sorts – variations of the color red. Some observations were more to the orange side, some were more to the violet side. …
No Much For a Photo, But a New Technique Figured Out Some days I do much less shooting and far more experimenting. Tonight was one of those times. I worked to figure out how to take high “frames per second” video recordings. That technique will allow me to then create smooth slow-motion videos. The …
A Bird Friendly Community Because of Habitat The City of Tripoli is considering a project to earn “Bird Friendly Community” designation. The requirements are not terribly difficult, yet they are challenging enough that every city cannot simply fill in paperwork and earn the recognition. There is work to be done if a community wishes …
At The Speed of a Leaf Today Kristy, Doris, Scott, Murphy, and I paddled our kayaks on the Turkey River from Elkader to Motor Mill. It has been decades since I last paddled the Turkey River, so the scenery was new to me. Unlike the Wapsipinicon River where I typically paddle, the stretch we …
One Day, Two Seasons We’re at that time of year when the day begins in one season (fall), almost reaches a previous season (summer), and ends back in fall. Days like this are enjoyable. Mornings have a chill, the afternoons are warm, and we end the day wearing jackets again. Our weather could stay …
A Pretty Morning Drive Enjoying the Sun Even though the pink/red sunrises and sunsets have graced our landscape for the past few days, it was only this morning that I was able to enjoy one. The glowing orb was in the sky was interesting enough that I stopped for a photo. As I drove …
We Didn’t Learn This Stuff in School and a Lack of Social Distancing Sometimes in life I wonder why we were not taught “life skills” as we were growing up. I am not referring to skills needed to live alone, without adult support and supervision. My question involves the skills necessary when difficult decisions …