An Autumn Afternoon

It won't be much longer that the roadside (flowers) weeds 

will be so evident. 

Days are growing shorter, and colder. 

Boo! 

I'm constantly looking for hawks, but seeing many, many crows now that the 

corn and beans have been harvested. 

I am seeing the odd hawk, though, here and there. (Like WAY off the dusty roads) 

These guys were way out in the middle of a field, and as soon as I stopped longer than a minute, they all began heading for the tree line.  However, I know where they are, now, so will see if 

I can find them later this weekend. 

Our beautiful waysides are fading now. 

I saw these resting in the shade of a tree as we came home from walking... 

and their buddies were grazing in the afternoon sunlight. 

Another memory from Facebook... bringing back the "good ole days"

Our beautiful old Ranger, with his crooked muzzle ... the best dog 

who ever lived in the country. 

Finally Friday

There are some weeks around here that I feel like I have 

still worked a full week.  This was one of them. 

We had a good week with Jax and Paiton, but I am getting OLD when I can't cope with two little kids day after day.  They are live wires, and I have trouble keeping up with them! 

School starts for them on Monday. 

We have been going out very early to the old place, 

because I am locking up the chickens now. 

So, I get up early, let them out, and then am going out late, about 

7:40, to lock them up.  Usually they are on the roost when I get there, or

just about ready to go in.  When they see me with the net in my hand, 

in they go. 

I am seeing surprise lillies (lycoris squamigera) everywhere along the road. 

Not seeing many animals along the road because of this... 

this is not smoke, it's DUST.  UGH.  It's getting 

everywhere in the car, and I can't keep the car clean. 

Mr. Heron was fishing in the pond this morning, again. 

And the mockingbird visited at the Ag Hall this afternoon. 

There were also Monarch butterflies but every time I went out 

to get their pictures... they were flitting around. 

There WERE other butterflies working the flowers. 

The late summer flowers are gorgeous still. 

(Celosia) 

Salvia 

The gomphrena is almost hard to look at in the sun. 

I also saw one of the biggest worms I have ever seen!   I removed him to a garden area. 

I'm glad the weekend is here! 

Roadside Flowers and Rain and the Mystery Bird

This year has been wonderful for roadside flowers, and 

I am so happy seeing them.  

We had more rain today... there was supposedly only a 20% chance... but it poured and poured and poured. 

Corn is up, but many of the lower fields are under water, so we will see how it grows. 

concensus... 

Thank you, Donnell, Friend Jill and Old Friend Terry, 
that the mystery bird is 
the Western Meadowlark... you  know, the State Bird of Kansas! 

I had never seen one here... I had never seen one at the old house... but I see them all the time as I drive back and forth. 

That is, of course, not my picture, though I would love to capture one like that! 

Okay, I agree.  

The one I saw sure looked big, though. 

So, is this one?  (female) The beak does not look right... but maybe it's my foggy picture through the windshield tonight. 

Jes was ready to come home tonight, even though we made a very fast trip to the rain-sodden old house.  I can't go into the old henyard now without bug spray, it's ... buggy. 

Our side yard, as we got home. 

It has been full of water for three weeks, but it did go down enough that I was able to cut around it. 
Now, I'm afraid, we're back in the soup.