Continued distractions

Later yesterday we got more pictures of the sky as we thought it was
interesting enough to merit more. Once again, different directions
brought different views and we thought they were all great.

The moon became visible a little before sunset as it tried to get
a good view between the clouds. Couldn’t talk to the man in the moon
as his speech was muffled by the clouds. Another day we’ll talk.

On one the trips outside caught Patches by the water bowl with a
hand in the cookie jar look. Not sure what she did but she looked
guilty. If only they could talk.

Even the sunset was a surprise. Through the trees it was a colorful
sight. We’d get rid of the one tree but it isn’t on our property
and we don’t think the owner has a sense of humor. They’ll be other
days.

We’ve noticed the critters, all but the feral cats, seem to have
gone into hibernation. Since it looks like the white fluffy love
from above is on the way tonight, they may be smarter than we think.

A dusting to a half inch is predicted which mean we could get
any wheres from nothing to a foot. But we’re ready. Have a whole
belly full of soup and a warm coat. Since there’s no way we can
change what is going to happen we’ll be happy with whatever we get.

Getting just a tad old to be getting up in the middle of the night to shovel snow to make it easier to shovel the rest later in the morning. Enjoy the rest of our Fridays before we know it the weekend will be gone.

Now for some more coffee and a break.
Comments are always welcome.

Need some luck

Found out yesterday my luck hasn’t changed. Went out several times
with camera in hand hoping to see some feathered friends with no
luck, but did see a bird. After filling my coffee cup I went to the
window in the back door to see a blue jay pecking in the cat food
dish.

Did get some pictures though. Looking up at the clouds making all
sorts of patterns against the blue sky I was amazed. It was a sight
to see and as I noted different clouds also realized there wasn’t
enough time in the time to finish the task.

One of the feral cats decided he wanted to play with a nearby
rope and had a great time as a sibling watched. The cat played with
the rope for quite a while before deciding it would be more fun to
wrestle with the other cat.

While that was going on there wasn’t a bird to be seen or a squirrel
scampering anywhere around our neighborhood. Been waiting for my
buddy the hawk to land in the big oak tree across the alley without
much luck as there aren’t any small birds to prey on.

Finally, the wifes mad at me again but that’s nothing new. Told
her about a dream I had where she jumped in her new Hyundai and left me in a motel in Florida. Even though I already knew it she had to tell me she had a Ford Fusion and not a Hyundai.

Enjoy our Monday on this Thanksgiving week as we’re that much
closer to getting all the turkey we want for the entire year. Now
for some coffee and pictures.
Comments are always welcome.

Afternoon addition

The moon was out again yesterday and looked magnificent in the
afternoon sky. A sky that started out clear and turned cloudy later.
Even with the clouds trying to hide the moon, it was a sight to see.
We won’t be so lucky today as the clouds have already taken over and
the moon won’t be seen later.

Speaking of clouds, as mentioned they were out in force painting
their designs across the blue sky. Funny, but I don’t remember clouds
looking like this from my childhood. Perhaps because we saw animals
and birds in the clouds back then.

Even saw a MedForce helicopter flying low and heading southeast. It
looked almost as if the clouds parted just enough to let the air
ambulance through. Living less than a mile from the nearest hospital
these things are expected.

Sometimes the noise of the rotors approaching take me back to
time in the Navy. We had a helipad on the stern of our destroyer
and the landings were a sight to see in rough waters.

Even though the critters made themselves scarce it was a lot to take
in. It wasn’t a warm yet it wasn’t cold either. The skies weren’t
clear all day but when they were it was amazing to see. And we’re
sure the critters will available for pictures again soon.

Enjoy our Saturday as we will. After all, we already had cheeseburgers
and potato chips for lunch and it doesn’t get much better than that.
Now I need some coffee before getting a few things done.
Comments are always welcome.

Little talk

Over the weekend the Harvest Full Moon appeared and looked full all weekend. We’ve already posted Fridays moon and here now is Saturdays. We would show Sundays but clouds kept the moon from coming out to play.

So I was glad for the talk with the man in moon on Saturday. Here on the east coast of Iowa the temperatures have dropped into the basement at night and we’ve had frost warnings. That could be why the critters are hard to find.

The man in moon claimed he liked nights like Saturdays as the sky was
so inky black he felt he stood out and shined brighter. Couldn’t argue
with him there. That night reminded of some nights at sea when with
just the light of the moon it seemed liked you could see every detail
around you.

The caps on the waves would glow in the dark much like the water
churned up by the props and the gentle rocking of the ship changed
your view slightly.

The wife worked over the weekend and claimed she didn’t know there was a full moon until she got to work. She claims people act different when there is a full moon yet I think some people act different all the time. We will have more pictures just as soon as the critters get used to the change in the weather and stay out longer or I find something else to get a shot of.

Enjoy our Monday. Now for more coffee and some pizza rolls.
Comments are always welcome.

Why is it?

In the late afternoon the moon popped out between the clouds and could be seen from time to time when then clouds moved on. The man in the moon looked happy with the arrangement so who am I to judge. After a short chat I got back to work.

I’ve started trimming the hedges which has been needed for a while
and as happens the neighbors had to come out for a look. Four people
from the house next door came out, one at a time, and all asked if I
was trimming the hedges.

That made me wonder why people always ask the obvious. I could have come back with some snappy reply but bit my tongue and said that I was indeed trimming the hedges. It just seemed easier.

With all the recent rainfall the hostas bloomed so I took a picture just in case someone thought I was joking. But it’s no joke and the blooms brought some color to the sea of green that is the hostas on the one side of the house.

Yesterday morning the wife and I were talking about how we haven’t
seen any pelicans this year but when I went outside a little later
this lone pelican was headed southeast at a pretty good clip. The
wife said she heard that pesticide use had altered their migration
paths and that could be as we usually see more than we have this
year.

Later as the sun set I watched, and got a picture, of the sky as
the sun sunk below the horizon. It was not as dramatic as the day
before but still colorful. The fall chill made it even more special
as there were no clouds to the east.

Now I have another day of trimming to get the hedges where I want
them, if the rain holds off. Enjoy our Saturday as it looks to be a
near perfect day here. Now for more coffee.
Comments are always welcome.

Just thinking, again

The east coast of Iowa was blessed with a beautiful sunset last night
and as I was out taking a few pictures I imagined hearing hundreds of
clicks as others were out get pictures also. The sky put on a light
show in colors that rivaled fireworks.

The temperatures were around 60 then and when the feral cats got fed this morning we were in the mid 40s. Perfect weather, great sunsets, and a little wildlife to balance it off made the day near perfect. It doesn’t get much better.

Earlier in the day while sky watching the clouds were a perfect contrast to the blue sky behind them and one could look at the various cloud formations for hours. If one had the time. Not sure what today will bring but am ready for the sun to come up and show us.

Years ago I got this little radio controlled Camaro which has been
relegated to a shelf and it even looked happy yesterday. It may be
time to get it down, charge up the battery, and do some racing in the
driveway later today.

We’ll see how that works out. Enjoy our Friday as we will. I wrote the rest of this earlier but didn’t get it posted as the wife came home and we cruised to get the weekly errands done. Now after several donut holes and cups of coffee I’ll finish it and go out to greet the rest of the day.
Comments are always welcome.

The storm

We did have a sunrise yesterday but it wasn’t the most colorful as
too many clouds got in the way. At least it stayed light enough to see
where you were going for a while.

As mentioned yesterday we got soaked unloading the groceries from the car so as soon as we got them put away I grabbed the camera and went outside. It looked like the shot above. Didn’t get any pictures of the lightening as the camera and myself would have gotten wetter if I did.

The day wasn’t a total loss and I got a few more pictures after the
rain stopped. Not the clearest put I think they show how much power
is in the birds wings. It was certainly fun to watch the critter take
flight.

And I got this one just after sunrise that looked to have an evil
face in it lit up like a jack-o-lantern. Freely admit to standing there
and watching the clouds make the face change for longer than I should
have.

The storm of the century seemed to cut us some slack here on the east coast of Iowa, but it did have its moments. When I woke up at zero dark thirty this morning and after my first cup of coffee it was time to check the basement. It was dry!

Of course another cup of coffee was needed to celebrate that fact and
a Twix ice cream bar for breakfast. The wife thought that a strange
choice for breakfast and couldn’t understand the need for a treat.
But, being the trooper she is, she had one with me.

Enjoy our Saturday as we will.
Comments are always welcome.

The experiment

Something came up that needed immediate attention and made this post later than usual. I am happy to report that the situation is over and everything is done to my satisfaction. Some days technology is a pain.

Now, the reason for this post. I did an experiment and picked four
pictures at random, showed them around, and wanted to see if what I
thought people would think was the reaction I got. It was not.

I honestly thought this picture would produce the most comments.
What’s not to like, a kitten wedged into an empty flower pot enjoying
the day. It actually had the least interest.

This one with the cotton candy clouds and color was sure to be
a close second to the kitten. No dice, it came in second to last. I
began to realize my thought process was all wrong.

A feather floating through a clear blue sky I believed would be next
to last as a favorite. It was the second most popular of the four I
showed. Personally, I liked the colors and contrasts but wasn’t
ready for the results.

This shot of the moon got the most comments and some even asked if I would send them a copy. Comments were all favorable and the picture what I was sure would be dead last was the hands down winner.

It seems that while I like taking pictures, figuring out which one
will be popular is a trait that passed me by.

Enjoy our Thursday as that means the weekend is but a dream away.
Now I need more coffee and a donut.
Comments are always welcome.

Tales of Tuesday

The skies over the east coast of Iowa were filled with clouds
yesterday which only highlighted the wild blue yonder. It was day that
could make you forget any worries or cares and enjoy being outside.
Critters seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was.

A cat bird was in the old pine surveying his domain while calmer than
usual. These birds usually fly all over the place and hardly sit still
when I’ve seen them. They’re also pretty good at blending in with their
surroundings.

A new neighbor brought his family along when he moved in and was
keeping an eye on me. He’d bark occasionally as he got the feel for
his new home. And was a good looking dog to boot.

In another neighbors yard a ground hog with an attitude was enjoying
lunch outside. Seemed to favor the clover mixed in with the grass on
the back lawn. The young one munched for quite a while before taking
off for wherever he naps after a meal.

Patch did not seem impressed nor interested in the antics of the
other neighborhood critters and sat glaring at the world. He later
snapped out it and went about playing with his siblings. All this made
for another great day.

Enjoy our Wednesday as it means we’re getting closer to the
weekend. Now for more coffee and leftover pizza.
Comments are always welcome.

Of amazing days

Friday after I woke up and went outside with the camera, this was the
view. It was still dark out but the sun was waking up to the east and
would soon get up to light the day.

The sky and clouds kept changing all day, and it was fun to watch, but I even managed to get some lawn mowed. That’s the problem with older, battery powered, lawn equipment. The run time keeps getting shorter and shorter. I actually didn’t do a bad job on the lawn considering I was cloud watching.

While my eyes were to the sky this critter caught my attention on a
phone wire that I’ve photographed a dragonfly now and then. At first
I thought he was resting but later saw a spider web below this guy so
perhaps not.

I rediscovered this picture which I like as every time I look
something new pops out at me. It’s just a picture of the chrome strip
running between the tail light and back-up light on the wifes car,
but it’s what is reflected in the chrome that gives me pause. It’s a
mystery as I don’t remember taking it yet looks to me like a hillside
down to a distant river on a cloudy day.

While watching Darth, one of the feral kittens, I was laughing and
taking pictures at the same time. She was attacking some old carpet
on cement and really got into the spirit. She played for quite a
while.

Days like this are hard to beat but we’ll keep trying. Enjoy our
Saturday as some have a three day weekend. Now for coffee so I can
finish the yard later.
Comments are always welcome.