Scenes Seen During Solstice

Seasonal occurrences hold some significance for me, especially when they allow me extra time to reflect on life and other personal thoughts. Tonight’s “longest day” was just what I needed after an interesting day at work. Time on the water created a calming effect that continued well into sunset.

My pictures shared today show a few of the scenes I enjoyed from the comfort of my canoe. I hope you see something you like too.

Summer Solstice 2024

I thought you might want to know…

Not Quite Farewell

Among my emergency management family is a four-legged friend named Maverick. Maverick’s handler - Charissa - has been working with Mav as he becomes a therapy dog. Described simply, Maverick can sense people who are under stress and seeks them out. Maverick has searched me out several times. Petting Mav quickly calms a soul in a manner I cannot explain.

I have known Maverick for some time now and have experienced his effects. The first couple/few times Maverick sought me out were humbling and eye-opening for me. I knew I was stressed, but I had not recognized the level of damaging stress I was living - but Maverick did. Whether I thought I needed his company or not, Maverick knew better. A bond was established when a canine knew more about me than I knew about myself.

Maverick and I now seek each other out at meetings. Unless I am missing something, it seems Mav will spend the meetings with me regardless of my stress level. Maverick is a great dog and I like him.

Today I attended my last District 2 meeting - a regular…

Larger Than Life

By recording a 180-degree panoramic image, I can create a larger than life optical illusion of our cabin land area. In reality, the pond in front of our cabin isn’t too large. Compared to big water lakes, we are but a drop in the bucket. But, our pond is special to many of us.

What Indian Pond lacks in…

Morning Time in a Prairie

How fitting… a walk in a prairie at Prairie Lake Park.

This morning Kristy and I spent a brief amount of time enjoying an impressive display of…

One Picture of Many

Early this morning, before the sun was up and the wind was whipping, I went out on the water to look for my buddies - the prothonotary warbler couple. My search went on for some time until finally I caught a flash of bright yellow. There he was - the Mr. of the pair.

I watched and waited for the better part of an hour to maybe see Mrs. Prothonotary warbler, but seeing her…

Letting Someone Do Something Different

For some time I have toyed with the idea of shooting an aerial image of a lone tree in a field, a tree seen often as we head north. The two of us checked the tree twice today - once early this morning and a second time on our drive back.

I am not particularly fond of either image, but will share them here. While the flying camera was in the air…

Her, Him, Them

When you find an active bluebird nest that is all natural (a hole in a tree), you spend time watching the activity. Tonight I saw her, him, them, and other bird species near this hole in the tree. For this post I will…

Still Here!

A couple of weeks have passed since I last spotted a prothonotary warbler. When I hit the water in my canoe tonight I was pondering whether the birds were nesting and secretive or if they had maybe left the area. Finally, in an segment of timber where I have not seen them before, I had a couple second glance (with pictures) of a male. The prothonotary warblers are still here! - Sorry, the picture of the warbler was not good enough to post.

Other birds seen tonight were eastern bluebirds and a rough-winged swallow.

Earlier today an extensive patch of hairy vetch caught my eye. The plant is so very pretty, but it is non-native.

Questions, Comment, Sightings

Tonight’s post begins with a question. Earlier today I saw several great blue herons feeding along moving water. One bird in particular has caught my attention. This bird had something hanging, likely from the right side of its mouth, that looks abnormal.

I have done some research on great blue heron tongues and found photos showing connecting strands on both sides of the tongue. I wonder if this bird had its right connective tissue severed while attempting to swallow a fish - a fish that may have had sharp fins - and that may have still been alive and flopping around in the mouth/throat. Maybe that did not happen. If someone has another idea, please share it. Otherwise the bird appeared fine.

Something Special

To me there is something special about paddling on a quiet night like we had tonight. Whether you prefer a canoe or a kayak, it does not really matter. What seems to be special is the “quiet” that happens when paddling.

I have several boats that I could use for my evening calming sessions, but I prefer muscle power. There are no…

Skeeter Bite on Top of Skeeter Bite

For reasons unknown to me I had an overwhelming urge to check for fungi this morning. From a dietary standpoint the choice was worthwhile as we and my mother had another meal of golden oysters tonight. From a blood volume consideration, I had…

Flowers and Insects

After the rain this morning I wandered our budding prairie plot looking for blossoms and insects. So far our growth has been minimal, but after years of drought I am seeing beautiful…

A “New to Me” Species and Many Others

I fought zillions or more bugs this morning to photograph wildlife at Sweet Marsh. One of the bird species was a “Life” bird for me - one I have not seen before. It is always a pleasant surprise to see another new wildlife species.

Waiting For Darkness

Somehow Kristy managed to spot this waved sphinx moth as she was mowing tonight. She let me know about her find and I quickly got off the water (canoeing) to check it out. I believe this to be a waved sphinx moth.

Waved sphinx moths are sometimes called “hawk moths” or “hummingbird moths” for their hovering and probing of flowers with their proboscis. In fact, several info sources I found suggest that other than drawing up blossom nectar, the adults of this moth species…

Brave Fellow?

It’s one thing to pick up a live snapping turtle in the wild. In fact, most folks won’t risk fingers to lift a snapper. It is another thing, perhaps a demonstration of bravery, to pick up a wild snapping turtle and let it sit completely unconfined on your hand. Everything is at risk - from your thumb, to your fingers, and maybe the…

Iowa Weather

This afternoon and evening’s weather has certainly created dramatic viewing. I think experiencing nature’s strength through clouds, wind, rain, and worse in wide open areas makes for memories (and photos). As I type this we are…

Not Skeeters, Ticks, Gnats, or Poison Ivy

None of the above were too challenging to force me to miss listening to, watching, and photographing a male blue-gray gnatcatcher. This little bundle of energy has his work cut out for him. Please Mr. Gnatcatcher… go after the skeeters and gnats. Show us how good you are!

The same challenges, with more emphasis on poison ivy, made it difficult to check the status of the…

Grandparents/Cousin Camp 2024

After the past few days, Kristy and I know for sure why you have kids when you are younger. Wow, “Grandparents/Cousin Camp 2024” was full of activities and good time. Joining us were our good friends Scott, Doris, and Jeni.

Kristy and I have a small camper that probably would have housed all of us. But I also enjoy tent camping and wanted to introduce our grandkids to the fun of…

Almost, But Not Quite Ready

It won’t be long until this young American kestrel takes its first flight. Tonight it was hanging out of its nest box quite far, but not enough to fall to the ground.

I have watched many birds take their first flight, but never a kestrel. My question is do…