Sandhills Crane, 2022 The light was pretty good for this mid-morning shot. Not too hot yet, and the birds were active. This photo was taken at the Wildlife Safari Park near Ashland, Nebraska. The drive-thru park has a wide variety of animals, all native to Nebraska except for the lonely Black Bear. Animals have plenty … Continue reading Sandhills Crane
Tag: Nature
This delicate wild flower was found along the Old Smiley Road in Fort Robinson State Park, in northwest Nebraska. The green spikes were about 18" long. If you can identify this plant or have any idea, please let me know. Tnx. Thought for the Day: In all things of nature there is something of the … Continue reading Prairie Flower
Eggs laid July 3, 2022 A Painted Turtle chose our beach to lay her eggs. My neighbor witnessed the laying and built a box with a screen top to protect the eggs from raccoons. Incubation is 80-90 days, A long wait. Thought for the Day: Nature is slow, but sure; she works no faster than … Continue reading Turtle Eggs
Look hard. Concentrate on the spot 1/3 down from the top and 1/3 to the left of the right border, and you will see the head of a Mallard hen. It's amazing how she blends in with her background. On May 1st Mama & Papa duck were seen cavorting in the front yard of a … Continue reading Duck Cam
Barn Owl This barn owl looks healthy and full of life, but it wouldn't last long in the wild. He was hit by a moving vehicle, taken to the Raptor Woodland Refuge at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center, and saved. He is healthy now, but can't fly well enough to feed himself. This is one … Continue reading Perpetual Care
Siesta Key Beach Siesta Key, Florida is known as the #1 Beach in the USA. The sunsets aren't bad either. Thought for the Day: It is the nature of the wise to resist pleasures, but the foolish to be a slave to them.Epictetus 135 AD
Ice Covered Tree After a cold dreary yesterday with freezing rain overnight, a bright sunny morning provided a visual treat. Thought for the Day: Some old -fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.Laura Ingalls Wilder
Marabou Stork Storks enjoyed a favorable connotation when I was a kid. The myth about the stork delivering babies was known world wide, and illustrations always presented them pleasantly; i.e. happy, friendly, trustworthy, reliable, etc. That reputation was shattered when I met the Marabou Stork in its natural habitat -- the local garbage dump in … Continue reading Marabou Stork
Serengeti Campfire It was a very tough day, viewing Mother Nature in its most basic form: new born zebra and wildebeest, the Great Migration, predators, every creature searching for food while avoiding not becoming another's meal, exotic birds, survival of the fittest, circle of life, etc. A full day of watching the Nature Channel in … Continue reading Safari Campfire
Monet's Grave Claude Monet is buried in the Giverny church graveyard along with all of his children. As expected, the otherwise simple plot is full of flowers. Thought for the Day: My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in the corner of nature.Claude Monet
Giant Sunflower Sunflowers are in full bloom, peak time for butterflies and Nature's warning that the lazy hazy days of summer are numbered. The first plant to show up in my new "prairie" this year was a volunteer sunflower -- center stage, like it was the star of the show. Not knowing if anything else … Continue reading Sunflower
Monet's House and Garden Two surprises awaited me when I visited Claude Monet's house and gardens in Giverny, France. One, his house was much bigger than I thought it would be -- a mansion for the times he lived, and two, his gardens were less formal than imagined. Mid summer was the perfect time to … Continue reading Monet’s House & Garden
Ngorongoro Crater A few gazillion years ago a volcano blew its top off. Given the size of the crater today, 11 miles across and 2,000' deep, the mountain was taller than Mount Kilimanjaro, the world's tallest free standing mountain and just a few miles away in Northern Tanzania. It is the most intact caldera in … Continue reading Crater
Graske Crossing, Elkhorn River A month after the Elkhorn River left its banks and unleashed Nature's fury on nearby towns and farmland, I visited Graske Crossing, a popular boat ramp near Elkhorn, NE. A small area with half dozen picnic tables, a couple grills, parking for 15 and a very nice concrete boat ramp was … Continue reading Flood Aftermath
The sun was up, at least enough to light the peak of Cathedral Rock. Nothing stirring this early in the morning, no cars, no bikers or hikers, not even a breath of wind to rustle the trees. So quiet and peaceful, I was afraid the sound of my shutter would upset the entire balance of … Continue reading Cathedral Rock
One of the things I find most fascinating in nature is patterns. I don't expect to find patterns in nature; i.e. not patterns in the sense of sameness or duplicity. Sure, pine trees all have the "same" shape, the "same" color, the "same'' needles, etc. but each one is unique. Snow flakes have the same … Continue reading Wild Blue Wonder
Uggh! Middle of winter. Wish I could hibernate 'til spring, although I can't complain about the recent waaay-above-normal temps. Thought for the Day: Winter is Nature's way of saying, "Up yours!" … Continue reading Hibernating
When I used to watch "Sesame Street", I always thought Kermit the Frog's eyes were exaggerated, waaay too big for his body, not to mention Kermit's mouth. I know it's done for effect in a cartoonish sort of way. Now, I'm not so sure. My up close and personal encounter with this frog in a … Continue reading Kermit
Happy hippos? This might give you a different impression of the chubby cuties depicted in cartoons and children's literature. I took this shot at the Tanzanian hippo pool shown here in an earlier blog. It's a close-up of the hippo in the center-lower-right part of the pool. Hippos lay around in the water all day to … Continue reading Yawning Hippo
Spring break and the grandkids were out of school, so we piled in the car and headed south. Clear skies, light winds and moderate temps -- a perfect day to witness the massive spring migration of waterfowl at Squaw Creek Wildlife Refuge, near Mound City, Missouri. Squaw Creek is an ideal place for the birds … Continue reading Who’s Counting?
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