Another Visit With The Cranes

The two Sandhill Cranes that have visited our neighborhood over the last week or so were back in our front yard again this afternoon.  Click HERE to see my previous post featuring them.

Today there was a little bit of sunshine so it made for better photos.

They wandered around a bit finding nummy things to eat.

Then something startled them and they went on alert.

They prepared to take off.....

.....and were quickly airborne, a little faster than I was able to react.  Hopefully they will be back tomorrow, along with a little more sunshine.  I think my chances are probably better to see the Cranes than to get the sunshine, as it's been in very short supply here this summer.

I am linking up with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

The Crane Caper

A couple of Sandhill Cranes have been spending the better part of the day in our neighborhood this past week.  We have had a bumper crop of grasshoppers and numerous other bugs this year, so it's made for some good hunting.

Yesterday they were chowing down in my front yard. 

Suddenly there was a bit of a disturbance.  The mailman arrived and was filling the mailboxes.  

"Alert!  Alert!"

"We'd better move out, Mabel!"

"A little faster!"

"Good grief, Fred.  This is far enough.  I'm hungry!"

"I don't know what Fred's problem is.  There were tasty grasshoppers over there." 

I am linking up with Good Fences

at Run "A" Round Ranch Report.

Flowers From My Garden

A Swarm of Dragons

Every year about this time our yard is swarming with Blue Darner Dragonflies.  It's quite a sight to see several plus dozen flying around at one time.  They zip across the deck in front of you and fly around your head as you walk across the lawn, or even perhaps land on you for a brief rest.  We have plenty of mosquitoes to feed them, and I am very happy to see them on the hunt.  I'm happy to see one land on a flower, and even happier when they stick around long enough for me to get my camera focused on them.  I've gotten lots of photos with blurry dragons or of the bare flower they were just recently sitting on.  Occasionally though it all comes together.

I am linking up with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

Pump House Fence Through the Seasons

In June I posted photos of the fence at the Pump House Restaurant, made from the old pipe used to pump water from the river to gold dredges.  Click HERE to see that post and find out more about that.  I took those photos on June 3rd, and they are in the collage below.  That was at the tail end of springtime here.

On to summertime on July 3rd.

The collage below shows shadows of the fence.  The upper photo and the one on the lower left hand side were taken on July 3rd.  The one on the lower right was taken on June 3rd.  Notice the difference in the water level of the river.  We have had a summer with record breaking rainfalls and the river has been at or near flood stage all summer.


The next photo was taken September 23, 2012, of the side of the fence nearest the river, and shows the giant in the foreground.  Click HERE for the June 3rd post that includes an explanation of how the giant was used.  

The scene is a bit different in the winter.  These photos were taken on December 31, 2012, at 11:30 a.m.  Yes, that glow on the trees is still from the sunrise, which would have been about 10:45 a.m.  Those summertime photos were taken around 9:30 p.m.

I am linking up with Theresa's Good Fences

at the Run "A" Round Ranch Report.

Midnight Sunset

Sunset, 12:15 a.m. July 10, 2014

Breadnabbers

I stopped by the Chena River Wednesday afternoon and watched the action as some kids were feeding bread to the ducks and gulls.  The Mew Gulls were very aggressive and determined that they were going to get the bread.  They were quite successful!

I am linking up with Eileen's Saturday's Critters.

A Year in the Life of Creamer's Field

Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge has many moods.  No matter how many times I visit I always see something different.  The following series of photos are all taken from roughly the same vantage point, but each tells its own story.

 July 9, 2014

 June 19, 2014

 April 22, 2014

 April 11, 2014

 February 19, 2014

September 21, 2013

I am linking up with Good Fences

at the Run "A" Round Ranch Report