Thought for Tuesday

"There are drops of dew that show like sapphire in the grass as soon as the great sun appears, and leaves stir behind the hushed flight of an escaping dove." Thomas Merton

Mornings have been cool and dew heavy here in SE Kansas. Fall is approaching quickly. The nights have been clear offering great views of the stars as we have a new moon this week.

I've had my students watching the moon for about a month sketching the phases, estimating the angle above the horizon, and determining the compass direction each night. I assigned this 'homework' before we actually started investigating the moon in class, I wanted them to be outside first. Some of them have gone out to look with their folks, siblings, boyfriends and girlfriends, some reported howling at the moon. I'm not sure if they really howled they might have been kidding here but I kind of hoped they really did. They complained this week that the moon is gone, now its time to learn.

Camera Critters #25

Alligator at the Oklahoma Aquarium

Recently we wandered down to Tulsa with two goals in mind, first to see the Ansel Adams exhibit at the Gilcrease Museum ( which was incredible)and secondly to see the Oklahoma Aquarium. yes Oklahoma has an Aquarium and its really worth seeing.

Albino Turtle

The Aquarium is constructed with education in mind, each section has a theme such as "Adaptation", "Ozark Streams"or "Coral reefs". There are interactive exhibits, beautiful tanks of fresh water and salt water habitats, reptiles, amphibians, sponges, fish, coral and much more.

Clown fish

Stack of turtles

Turtle Tank

Several tanks encouraged feeding or actually touching rays, and other small sharks.


The shark exhibit was spectacular it includes a tunnel that goes directly under and through the tank. Its very surreal, the light, the sounds of folks walking through and the sharks swimming over you. I couldn't help but take a long exposures to play with the light. I like these two the best.
to see visit the official site; http://www.okaquarium.org/

for more Camera Critters ; http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

Photo Hunt: View

The theme for Photo hunt this week is view, this was our view from the banks of Lake Monarch in Colorado this summer during our fishing trip.

For more Photo Hunters visit here;
http://tnchick.com/

Wordless Wednesday

to participate in Wordless Wednesday visit;

http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

Photo Hunt

Wind Farm East of Wichita Kansas

My wife and I explored down some gravel roads recently. We were trying to get as close as possible to these giant wind turbines. The road eventually became a muddy mess so we turned back. You can get close to these giants in other locations out here, there are some along the interstate near Russell Kansas. They are somewhat surreal as you pass near them. They represent the future here I guess. So I like the way the old gravel road leads to the new source of energy. We should be harnessing this great wind we have here in Kansas.

This is my first try at photohunt, this weeks theme was "Road"

You can hunt here; http://tnchick.com/

Skywatch Friday

I have taken a break from blogging this past week, but not going outside for walks in the evening.

The other night I stood at the edge one of our pastures and listened for a great horned owl I had been hearing recently at dusk. It wasn't long before I heard the familiar call off to the north in a wooded area. A moment or so later these Canadian Geese appeared and flew noisely in from the south west.

They banked north and flew right over me.

For more skywatch photos visit; http://skyley.blogspot.com/

Today's Flowers

Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis L. a member of the Bellflower Famly.
This time of the year you can find it growing along streams here in SE Kansas and SW Missouri. Its beautiful red color stands out.
It prefers open wet ground on prairies, in woods and marshes and along rivers and streams.
There are cultivated varieties you can grow in your garden, but I do enjoy coming across it in the wild.



For more great flowers visit; http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/

Prairie Walk part 2

On labor day I was up and out for the day by 5. This is the second post of my mornings trip. In Prairie State Park a herd of more than sixty (I guess) bison are free to roam as they wish over most of the 4000 or so acres of native prairie. There are signs warning you to be alert that they are out and about so as I hiked I kept an eye on the horizon for dark shapes.
I came across a spot where the grass had been "rubbed" away, I believe they roll in the dust in these spots and produce "wallows". They can scratch those spots that are hard to reach. It might keep the flies off them as well. These tracks were fairly recent.
I hiked back to my car where I had left it on the gravel road that runs through the park, stopping to take a few more photos of the wildflowers. I couldn't resist getting down low and taking this shot of some Gaura flowers against the sky.
These are Blazing Button Star buds about to burst open. I got back to the car and started to drive and found the herd several hundred yards down the road over a hill.
I guess this is what you call a Missouri roadblock. A large bull watched me approach slowly. I usually keep my distance in my car from the larger bulls and any cows with calves, but these bison are use to pickups and cars that move slowly through here every day. So I drove on up slowly and was soon riding along with the herd. I have driven through large herds of cattle in western kansas and eastern colorado but this was a bit different.

There was a smaller group further down the road beyond the larger group of around 20, this young bull stopped and eyed me a bit while he munched.
This young bull had bits of "grazing" material all over his shaggy head. This shows how the bison are involved in that great game of evolution "spread my seeds please" that the some native plants play. I also liked the coloring in his coat. One bull was wearing half a plant as a hat. I couldn't get his photo as he was a bit far from me. A cow and calf slipped by me at a safe distance.
I stopped at the far end of the park and took a few more photos before heading down to a nearby stream hoping to find some last photos for the morning.

Young bull bison runs through bluestem

Here is a great site for this wonderful area found in SW Missouri;

http://www.mostateparks.com/prairie.htm

Skywatch Friday

A walk on the prairie

I stopped here on my way out to Prairie Park the other morning.

Just before sunup Sept. 1st

Crawford County Kansas

I also stopped at Pin Oak Lake and sat watching the sun rise from the dam. I could hear Dove hunters nearby as the season of fall hunting began.

By the time I arrived at the Prairie the sun was up. I was greeted by a doe and two fawns.

The bluestem is going to seed.

Button Blazing Star

A Katydid on a Thistle

The cool morning began to heat up a bit as I hiked back to my car to head home.

For more skywatch photos visit;
http://skyley.blogspot.com/

ABC Wednesday

Gaura longiflora Spach

Barton County Missouri

G is for Gaura an native annual that is is bloom now around here. A member of the Evening Primrose Family it does well in Rocky tallgrass prairies, roadsides, disturbed sites, and sometime wooded areas.

for more great G's visit ABC Wednesday at;

http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/