August Sunrise
August Sunset
Every once in a while I like to photograph what my wife is working on in her studio. This is a chair she was finishing up for my daughters friend who has a new baby boy named Cash.
Her present studio was once our dining room. I think the things she does are pretty amazing. I didn't get to photograph the finished chair as it went out pretty quick to little Cash.
F is for Frog on The DoorHeres a great quote to start a Tuesday;
"I was trying to daydream, but my mind kept wandering."
Stephen Wright
A morning glory growing on one of our compost piles.
This morning I decided to head out for a hike for a few miles along the trails north of town. They wind through some old mined land along Cow Creek. I dont think I had been there since June. As I entered the forest I was surprised how quiet it was, very few birds, a low chorus of insects and the cool breeze in the trees. This place was alive with migrants in June, now it seems to be dozing in the after glow of summer.
A single Buckeye leaf pointed the way along the trail. Hickories, elms, oaks and a thick growth of vines line the trail as well. Judging by the number of invisible spider threads that I ran into, I was the first person along the trail this morning.
I came across this interesting fungi growing in a low area, it was around 8 inches in diameter. I'm not sure what its called. 
I stopped and listened to the stream running into an old mining pit. This was much fuller last June, and there are no turtles sunbathing this morning. Just an old chair someone has left for some reason .
I found some Cardinal Flower growing near where the stream trickled into the pit. Lobelia Cardinalis , Cardinal Flower is known for its beautiful red flowers and I can see why.
With all of the Olympics Ive watched lately I thought of synchronized swimming, but in this case synchronized chewing. I gave them a 7.
I finally heard some birds up ahead and found several chickadees nosily feeding in the lower understory around a pit. They never sat still long enough for me to get a photo. I sat and drank my water watching them for a while. The large piece of sandstone that I sat on had ripple marks from millions of years ago when swamps and a shallow ocean filled this area. A female cardinal landed noisily a few feet from me, she took one long cartoon double take at me and flashed off into the trees. The breeze picked up tossing a few leaves , the chickadees moved on. I could hear some traffic beginning to pick up off to the south as well as church bells announcing Nine O'clock Mass at Sacred Heart. The first full week of school has come and gone leaving me to appreciate these times when I can get out by myself and go for an early hike. 
E is for.. Eighty Years Young, my Mom seen here on her 80th birthday this summer with my niece and my nieces husband.
Echinacea
and of course an Ear of field corn
This little guy appeared at our place about a two weeks ago, most likely dumped out here by someone, that's how we came to have the other outdoors cats. He's kinda cute and a bit wild, but hes warming up to all the other critters here. Ill try to find a home for him, if not he can hang around here. Ill wait until hes a bit more friendly to have him neutered if he isn't already. He has no name as of yet. He has a white moustache. sort of an opposite color Groucho Marx thing, so Groucho might work.
We are in that time between summer and fall when you can almost feel the seasons pushing against each other like two giant sumo wrestlers. One moment the breeze is out of the north and the air cool, the next the humidity pushes a bit back and heats things up. 
These Honeysuckles will bloom clear into November if your lucky. A pretty hardy plant. I am sure they actually grew in our yard in Brooklyn when I was a young boy. The fragrance hits me as I walk by bringing back memories of my friends the Rizzo boys and the O'Briens and the Torterllis and I remember the summer we built a fort out of scraps from all the vacant lots near our block. City kids, we camped out and watched the stars and the sunrise from that fort. Funny how certain smells trigger memories.
Blue Verbena 
With all the rain we have had this summer we have an explosion of Blue Verbena in our pasture. It does very well according to my field guide in moist meadows. Standing around 3 feet tall,
Native Americans used this to treat colds, coughs and digestive disorders. They also made tea with the leaves. I watched large bees working these pretty flowers as the sun set. I could almost hear the bees saying "Ok just one more..Ok just one more".
As we came through the array of small older homes hunkered down from the prairie winds in groves of cottonwoods and Chinese elm trees we came upon the hotel. Motorcycles and a sign that promised "Cold Beer" piqued my interest. So we parked and headed in to have lunch. As we crossed the street my wife stopped and said 'what in the world.." I looked don the other paved road in town and saw a plane coming toward us.
The plane drove along and eventually stopped at the stop sign.
While I was at the county fair last week I wandered around the horse barns. Dark and cooler than the arena there is a certain quiet that's broken by the occasional hoof stomp or that sound horses make when they exhale abruptly kind of a "hurmpfff". Ole Blue eye was there. He had one blue and one brown eye, interesting fellow.
Elvis was in the house.
Up close and personal with a horse with style.
Most of the time is spent waiting and visiting.
Washing and grooming.
Getting a little exercise.
Or deep in thought.
Evening Clouds Near Fraser ColoradoTo participate in Skywatch Friday or just browse the great photos posted visit; http://skyley.blogspot.com/
Just before Sunup
