equine Elegance

I just happened on an All Breeds Horse Show at the Fairgrounds during the classes for English tack.

aspen Sunset

After the storm passes by

liking some Lichens

44N   103.49W

Wood shingles on a cabin roof shed the rain and snow, and offer a foothold to lichens looking for spot to homestead.

highest point east of the Rockies

 Harney Peak, Black Hills of South Dakota 

elevation 7,242 ft above sea level

There is no summit east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States that has higher elevation. The stone fire tower just visible in the top photo was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.

Known as Hinhan Kaga Paha to the native Lakota people, it is a sacred site and place of vision quests.

defying Gravity

Flight

drab, drab, Drab

Mallard drake, July

Wood duck hen and drake, July

Field guides always illustrate waterfowl in their gorgeous breeding plumage, but come July, you wouldn't recognize these dandies! They are all molting in to eclipse plumage for 6-8 weeks, now that breeding season is over. They look very much like their womenfolk for a while. Come fall, they will be in their lovely, iridescent plumage again.

nitrogen Fixer

Dalea purpurea

Purple prairie clover, butterfly favorite, fixer of nitrogen in the prairie soil, tough as nails because of a deep taproot. Laughs at drought, but is happily enjoying the moisture we've had.

go jump in the Creek!

 

French Creek, Custer State Park

Yes, please!

don't say nobody warned You...

in the Park

It was Pronghorn Day in Custer State Park 7/13/13! Big ones, little ones, curious ones, hungry ones and disdainful ones! The buck just stood like a statue for several moments, like we were supposed to pay homage and admire his elegance.

While I was taking pictures of the doe and the fawns, I was using a road sign as a kind of monopod for the camera with the telephoto.  Apparently, this youthful mountain bluebird thought I was part of the sign. He landed, chirruped for a few minutes, looked down, realized I was not road sign, screeched in alarm and fled. I got just one shot of him just as he discovered I was there.

omg, Pirates

 

Through the window at my favorite stoplight. Pirates around western SD are probably called cattle rustlers!

just Noticing

Skyfire

Coneflower

beautiful Baby

July 11, 1993     1st birthday

Today,  this beautiful baby, who is our youngest daughter, turns 21. She has become a beautiful young woman, with a giving heart, an artistic soul, and a goofy sense of humor. Love you, Surprise of the Century!

big bang Theory

The morning after the night before

My little Sony has a FIREWORKS setting, I had never had the chance to try it before. You don't know what you got till you got it, so every image is a surprise. How fun is that? SUPERFUN!

welcome to the World

Back from MN visiting our grandchildren, just in time to receive the news that a dear friend had welcomed a new granddaughter. Her Papa passed away just a few short weeks ago, so she had a Guardian Angel watching over her. Live long and prosper, Sydney Lee.

July 4, 2013

Happy Birthday, America!

popeye the sailor man must be in Shock

Ok, they nailed quesadilla and artichoke, iffy on the chix, but epic fail on the spinnch! I drove around the block to see if I saw what I thought I did. I saw it.  Even better, the McD's up the street has a blueberry-pomegrante smoothie to drink with your spinnch quesadilla! Score 2.

suddenly, it's July

A month of celebrations!

A 237th birthday

A 90th birthday

A 21st birthday

A grandfather and his granddaughter

get their own kind of fireworks!