Sun Singer

On a spring visit to the magnificent Allerton Park sculpture gardens near Monticello, Illinois, I caught the end of a beautiful sunny day at the base of The Sun Singer, a 16-foot-tall bronze statue of the Greek god Apollo by Swedish artist, Carl Milles.

Sky Watch Friday

Calling It a Day

After a day of feeding in cornfields around the Platte River Valley of Nebraska, many thousands of migrating sandhill cranes move back to the river beds to roost. Before and after sunset we watched for about an hour as formation after formation sailed over our heads, chatting it up all the while, and settled down on the river for the night.

Sky Watch Friday

Lesser is Sometimes Greater

Sandhill Cranes (Grus canadensis) 

Among the hundreds of thousands of migrating sandhill cranes now converging on the
Platte River Valley in Nebraska are several subspecies including the greater and lesser sandhill cranes.
The greater cranes are a little taller (4 to 5 feet) and slightly heavier (10-12 lbs)  than the their lesser cousins.
It's estimated that the lessers represent 90% of the total sandhill cranes passing through.
It is such a pleasure to get into the mix of their migration and experience their large numbers in the evening as they return to roost along the river valley and then to catch them again the next morning at dawn as these large graceful birds suddenly make for the heavens with a deafening cacophony of chatter.
It is truly one of nature's premier spectacles.

ABC Wednesday     Wild Bird Wednesday    

Movin' It!

In step and full stride, this couple wastes little time getting across the street. 

Pedestrians crossing is the theme today for the City Daily Photo blogging community.

Click here to enjoy all the participating members' interpretation of the theme. 

Foggy Dawn Liftoff

Before sunrise this morning, I had just enough light to catch 

these sandhill cranes leaving their overnight roost on the Platte River 

to head out for a day's feeding in nearby cornfields.

Weekly Top Shot        Sky Watch Friday

Kazoodle?

Kidding around with a kazoo, a kaleidoscope and a kamera on the kitchen kounter today

just because the theme for ABC Wednesday is the letter K.  OK!!

Washaway Beach

My wife captured this striking sunset on the Washington coast a few years back
as my son and I were returning from razor clam digging at the water's edge.

Travels

Sky Watch Friday     Weekend Reflections

Juxtaposed

Cairns in a junk pile.

A column of small stacked rocks seem to be following their leader 

who is calling back to lead them out of their jam.

 Just joshing, of course, because the theme today for ABC Wednesday is the letter J.

Join us on our journey of jovial jottings.  

Spring is Nigh

It's a bad case of the winter blues, blahs and bahs 

that has me dreaming of fair skies and full sails.

Sky Watch Friday

Home, Sweet Home

A worn and weathered bluebird nesting box stands 

 in an open field awaiting new arrivals.

ABC Wednesday

Cafe Chairs

A waiter chalks in the daily specials during the morning setup.

Evening diners at La Buvette in Omaha's Old Market District.
Soon it will be time to sit outdoors again in those comfy chairs,
but it's a favorite cafe of ours any time of year.

 The theme for the City Daily Photo blogging community this March is Cafe Chairs. 

Participating members for the theme can be found here.

Going Guzzi

Getting around town on a bike is a great way to go, but it was the Moto Guzzi that caught my eye because, I guess, I rarely see them on the road. Good to see a Guzzi.

Contributor to     ABC Wednesday    Sky Watch Friday    Weekend Reflections

Flight

Cold, cloudy skies along the Missouri river valley are beginning to show migrating birds on the move. We are still in the grip of winter, but the migrants are restless. Flocks of snow geese shown here are a harbinger of the millions of waterfowl to follow in the coming spring. Soon some half million sandhill cranes will collect along the Platte River wetlands and cornfields in south central Nebraska for weeks of rest and feeding before their final push to nesting grounds in Canada and Alaska.

Contributor to  Sky Watch Friday    Weekly Top Shot

Solitary Man

On a visit last summer to Mustang Island on the gulf coast of Texas, I passed this fella far down the beach, away from the crowds, sitting back in one chair and feet in another, beverage in hand, tunes from a player, himself and a cooler shaded by umbrellas - all good things for chilling by the sea. A little nourishment by the seaside is always good, however you choose to do it.
Umbrellas is the theme this month for CDP bloggers. All those participating can be found here.

Contributor to Sky Watch Friday

Red River

January dawn on the Missouri. 

Sky Watch Friday     Weekend Reflections     

Sky Watch

A twilight moon in the Eternal City

Travels

Sky Watch Friday