With the first hard freeze of the season earlier this week, we have definitely said good-bye to summer here in central Iowa. The forecast calls for a few more warmish days but the nip in the air says it is definitely autumn.
I think you should be able to click on one photo to see the full image and then scroll through all of them.
ADDED: So interesting that the images are square when post is read through the WordPress Reader. When read on the Another LQQK page, the photos are cropped round and can be pulled up one by one in their original rectangular shape. – Teressa
Another week for an eclectic mix of pictures in response to Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge! The October letter of the week is a “Q” or an “U” somewhere in the word. I considered sharing only photos that could be loosely connected to an aquatic theme. But couldn’t resist a few letter “U” pics that are definitely not aquatic.
The first three pictures – aquatic, blue heron watching Canada Geese, and gulls – as well as the last picture – sunset – were are all taken at Big Creek State Park in the last month.
The bed tuft picture was taken at the Brooklyn Bedding mattress factory in Mesa, Arizona in May.
I found the bathtub in a sunflower field at Center Grove Orchard in September.
The sunflower bud was shot in July in the sunflower fields near Badger Creek State Park, Iowa.
The white buffalo was part of the “OrigamiintheGarden2” exhibit at Reiman Gardens, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.
Rather than choosing one topic for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge this week, I decided to just share photos that came to mind after seeing her October Pick a Topic Picture. It’s an eclectic group!
The bicycle metal work sign in Cee’s photo reminded me of metal work at a petroglyph site near Gila Bend, Arizona.
The colors of the shirts in Cee’s photo caused me to pull the purple leaf and cherry tomatoes pictures I took in my sister’s backyard last weekend.
The handprints on the side of the table made me smile because I had stopped to take pictures of handprints on the Neal Smith Trail when out walking on Tuesday – the day before Cee shared her picture!
The number of signs in Cee’s photo sent me looking though pictures I took at Center Grove Orchard a month or so ago. Nothing says fall in Iowa like corn mazes!
Posted in response to Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – October Close Up or Macro. I put all the photos in one ‘gallery’ so you should be able to enlarge any one of them then scroll through the rest. While you’re at it, you might notice the shapes, the textures, the shadows or the light, and the colors.
Raccoon River, Walnut Woods State Park, West Des Moines, Iowa. September 30, 2021.
Cee’s theme for the Midweek Madness Challenge is Autumn or Spring. I decided to stick to Autumn and use pictures I have taken in the last several weeks.
Some of the apples were ripe for picking at Center Grove Orchard when I was there in mid-September. That morning’s excursion ended at the Hay Café for lunch. The fresh, chunky applesauce was good; the warm apple crisp was even better. I might need to go back soon.
Though not advertised at the orchard when I was there, I found the pumpkins.
Pumpkin on Vine. Center Grove Orchard, Cumming, Iowa. September 14, 2021.
When searching for fall color on the 20th of September, I found these red sumac leaves at the center of the plant.
Sumac. Big Creek State Park, Iowa. September 20, 2021.
On the last day of September I found these beauties – some kind of a vine that winds around tree trunks in the woods.
Leaves, Light and Shadow. Summerset State Park, Iowa. September 30, 2021.Leaves, Summerset State Park, Iowa. September 30, 2021.
The current theme for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge is Words that Have the Letter “O” Anywhere in the Middle. Finding the first picture of a Sunflower with its Shadow and Pollen felt a like a triple win when browsing my digital files.
Floating Globe, Iowa State Fairgrounds
The globe in front of the Agricultural Building on the Iowa State Fairgrounds rotatesrandomly as it floats on water. When I look at the second picture of the globe, I see a hand (upside down South America) holding a heart (reflection of building and trees).
Thinking of hearts, here’s an old picture of heart-shaped cookie cutters.
Cookie Cutters
These spools of thread were set up on embroidery machines to embroider logos on mattress coverings at Brooklyn Bedding in Mesa, Arizona.
Spools of Thread at Brooklyn Bedding
When the words “Crayola Crayons” crossed my mind this morning, I knew I’d have to dig out the boxes of color crayons for a picture. I think that the old box of 16 was in a care package I received when I was in college way back when!
Knowing I would find all kinds of things to photograph at the Iowa State Fair in mid-August, I looked ahead at Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenges to have something in particular to watch for. Prize winning vegetables in the Agricultural Building fit September’s color challenge: dark green.
Winning Watermelon, Iowa State Fair, 2021.Squash, Iowa State Fair, 2021.Gourds, Iowa State Fair, 2021.
It’s Close-up or Macro week for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge. I waited for the rain to subside yesterday before heading over to Big Creek State Park for a walk with camera in hand.
Water droplets looked like miniature gloves when hanging from what remains of small flowers.
Finely spun spiderwebs glistened with the tiniest of water droplets.
Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge August Alphabet is Must Have 2 M’s in the word. Her focus photo is of a hummingbird and her pictures includes a mom, mushrooms, and mammals as well as a monochrome image. After considering a variety of possibilities – particularly mushrooms from my digital archives – I began to lean toward museum, memorial, and monument.
When I couldn’t pick just one photo of Devils Tower National Monument (in northeast Wyoming) from the hundred or so I took back in May, I decided to just show you some of what I saw.
The top photo was taken from an Historic Marker (see it here) that is 1.7 miles south of the park. Did you notice the school bus in the lower right corner?
After driving the three miles from the park entrance to the parking lot and with plenty of time in my schedule, I decided to walk the 1.3 mile trail around the base of the Tower.
How tall is Devils Tower? Devils Tower is 867 feet from its base to the summit. It stands 1,267 feet above the Belle Fourche River and is 5,112 feet above sea level.
Why is it called Devils Tower? The name “Devils Tower” originated during an 1875 scientific expedition. The Army commander in charge of the military escort, Col. Richard Dodge, wrote that “the Indians call the shaft “Bad God’s Tower,” which he modified to “Devil’s Tower.” The earliest official maps of the area label the formation as “Bear Lodge,” which is a direct translation of the Lakota name Mato Tipila. Other American Indian names include Bear’s Tipi, Home of the Bear, Tree Rock and Great Gray Horn.
Is Devils Tower an old volcano? No. Geologists agree that Devils Tower is an igneous intrusion; this means it formed underground from molten rock. Magma pushed up into the surrounding sedimentary rock. There it cooled and hardened. The sedimentary rock has since eroded away to show the Tower.
What kind of rock is it? The rock is called phonolite porphyry; it is similar in composition to granite but lacks quartz. Phonolite refers to the ringing of the rock when a small slab is struck, and its ability to reflect sound. Porphyry refers to its texture: large crystals of feldspar embedded in a mass of smaller crystals.
If you look very carefully, you might see a very old ladder as well as two climbers in the picture above. Quite honestly, I needed my binoculars! It also helped to see a picture to know what to look for (see below).
Enlarging the photo also helps (see below). In the comparison photo I circled the ladder and the hikers.
Three more photos to finish the hike. The arrow in the middle photo is pointing to a person.
And, yes, for those who are wondering, this is the tower in the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
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