Lightning Creek

Lightning Creek Looking North

Cherokee County

Saturday morning I headed west from town out towards the old mining towns of West Mineral and Sherman. Along the way I stopped on the Lightning creek bridge and got out. As I looked to the north I saw what I think was a small grey fox silently move up the bank and disappear into the brush. I was too slow to get a photo. But I really thought the reflection was beautiful.

Lightning Creek looking South

Cherokee County

I turned to look south and stood for a moment in the quiet of the shaded bridge. I suddenly realized there was a dog, a light colored lab down stream. As I looked closer I saw that the lab was eating away at what I think looked like a deer carcass. Hes in the photo but too far for my lens. Soon another dog a German Short Hair appeared. Funny thing this area is a controlled shooting area, no hunting. Well I thought I hope its not a poached deer. I took a few more photos and turned to go to the car just as a coyote crossed the road and stopped to look at me from the east. I think its unusual to see dogs and coyotes and foxes around at the same time, maybe it was the carcass that brought all three together.

Short walk

Friday when I got home from work I went for a short walk around our acreage. Charley the beagle and stinky the cat tagged along. No real goal in mind we just took off. This is what we came across: An unidentified butterfly that didn't seem to mind me taking his photo.
A cowboy in the weeds
Some blue glass we picked up at a flea market, held against the sky.
An angel in a red maple tree watching the sun set, I stopped for a few moments myself.
Some deer hair I think, Charley was very interested in it.
Deer tracks leading to the fence where we found the hair.
And a red maple leaf held against the sky. We headed back to the house for supper, feeling we had accomplished what we set out to do.

Horses at the flea market

Horses at the flea market

Near Sarcoxie Missouri

Sumac

Sumac

Crawford County

Halloween Black Cat

Stinky The Black Halloween Cat
Following me on a walk

Eight years ago tonight I stood out in the dark with my daughters and wife admiring our handiwork at carving pumpkins. We had lit candles in the hollow orbs and they glowed, "cool" we said together. Out of the dark came a pitiful meow, we turned and squinted into the dark and listened as the meow came closer and closer across the front yard out of the tall grass. We couldn't see her as black as she was, she was skinny and about a week past being weaned. That's how Stinky the Black cat showed up at our place on Halloween eve. Shes been here ever since, we wont go into how or why my girls called her stinky. She didn't work out with the other house cat the aloof miss kitty, so she became our shed, garage and general outside cat. We live a mile or so out of town, over the years we have had several cats dumped here. We feed them, most move on. Stinky stayed. The dogs and other outside cats treat her as royalty, shes fast with a claw. She follows me when I go for walks. She climbs every fence post or any vertical object hoping Ill scratch her head, I usually oblige.

Flea Market Fawn

Flea Market near Sarcoxie Missouri

Wordless Wednesday

Road side Morning Glory

Leavenworth County