Crack of Dawn, Double Sun

Sunrise through a doorway.....I added the doorway because none of my doors face east and I don't have a door like this.

Something To Think About

The top picture was taken late February this year and the second picture was taken in late March.  Remember these days as we swelter through the opposite time of the year temperature wise.  I know I complained about it being so damn cold and that all activities had to be done indoors. 

On June 21st the days started getting short and once we hit July 4th you might as well consider summer over as all the retail stores start clearance sales to get rid of their overage in grills, bathing suits etc, just to make room for, yep, candy for Halloween.  I have seen some Thanksgiving items out and QVC has had their Christmas in July adventure.  I would imagine that as soon as Labor Day shows up, we will see Valentine and Sweetest Day cards and candies out.  Oh yea, Sweetest Day is actually a Hallmark card day in the mid-west only.

Did I forget to say.....the kids all got reminded right after July 4th that school was about to start again with the Back To School sales.  Some had only been  out  for the summer 2 or 3 weeks.

Give me a break retailers.....slow down and enjoy the holidays, at their appropriate times.

Through the Clouds

Some lightning in the distance and lightning that didn't penetrate the clouds but lit up the atmosphere to make the clouds seem very thin.

ISO 100, f-2.8. 4.0 sec, focal length 16mm

Wind and Rain

After the storm with the lightning we had more storms the next day.  Flash floods everywhere.  Sheets of rain blew over this house.

Lightning Shots.....Lucky

We had a very strong thunder storm come through here Tuesday night.  Up to 60 mph winds, hail and rain.  I wasn't going to try to get the lightning since in most incidences I find all I get is the bright burst of light.  I took a bunch of shots, even put the camera on burst for a bit.  I didn't think I got anything because of the slow finger to react to the flash, however I found I got lucky.

The storm came out of the NW  and most of the lighting was taking place to the north, however, you couldn't see out of the window.  I got these shots looking east and still have quite a few water spots showing.  The other thing about these images is they are all hand held photos.  If you look closely in the water in the second image you can see the ducks that make this pond their home base for the summer.    They tend to always face the storms and I'm sure they were paddling frantically since the wind kept pushing them backwards.

In An Evening Glow

In the glow of the late day sun these ducks were feeding near a concrete pipe support that shows up when the water level gets low enough.  They, along with a toad or two and sometimes a turtle, sometimes use it to sunbath.   

A Mated Pair

Something my better half took while I was gone this morning.  Pretty good shot for someone that doesn't use my camera that much.  The camera was in full manual mode and manual focus.  All I had to do was lighten it just a bit.  Way to go Cindy!

A pair of Mallards checking out the fountain island.  They seem to like jumping off into the pond and getting back on.  Oh what a life...

The Stumble

One duck says to the other.....watch yourself there Donald, that first step is a whopper.  For some reason the ducks this year, along with the Heron, seem to like acting like kids.  They like to walk down the top of the wall.

Find the Bee!

Actually it isn't too difficult, however, it does seem to try to blend in.  My best guess is it's a Carpenter Bee and it is trying to bore into the rug on the deck, surprise, it isn't wood.  

Standing Guard

One of several Heron's that visit the pond, this one stands guard in the early morning light.  When the sun gets higher in the sky his yellow look will fade to more white and gray.

Rummaging on a Purple Flower

I don't what kind of bee this is but they get along with humans just fine.  We have this perennial out back that smells like a weed.  Grows like a weed and pretty much looks like a weed other than the flowers.  It attracts butterflies and these bees every year but mainly this variety of bees.  You never see them with pollen on their legs like you do honey bees.  Between this plant and a Lythrum that is close by I would venture a guess of 35 or more bees.  They stay at the plants and if you reach in to do any trimming it doesn't bother them.

Late In The Day

These guys have laid around all day and now they want to adjust their feathers.  Three hens and one male.  He has a harem.

Busy As.......

I took some time to try to get a Bee to hold still long enough for a photo session.  You end up with a lot of wasted card space used and a lot of images that are a total waste of time and energy.  Even though this one is a little blurred it's still not too bad.  Now I need to go through the ones with the bees on some purple flowering plant that smell just like a field of WEEDS!  Good thing my allergies have cleared up with age.  These guys go for the nectar but you never see it on their legs like honey bees.  Not sure if they just eat it or carry it in some other fashion.