Category Archives: Nature

Sights and smells of the great outdoors.

CMMC July Color: Brown

9 Replies

My first thought for this week’s Midweek Madness Challenge: “Brown? Seriously? I can’t imagine I have any pictures of things that are brown.”

But, of course, cattails are brown.

Sunflowers and yellow cone flowers have brown centers.

As summer turns toward autumn, pine cones and leaves turn brown.

Another thought: “Like green, there are shades of brown.” Keeping an open mind, I started scrolling through photos on my computer. And found more pictures than I could have imagined!

Chickens Checking Out the Humans on the Patio. April 2021.
Prairie Girl Picture Made of Corn Cobs. Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota. May 2021.
Siding of Permanent Bird Blind. Montana. May 2021.
Trail Sign. Badlands National Park, South Dakota. May 2021.

Thanks for the challenge, Cee!

TreeSquare: East Boulder River

2 Replies
East Boulder River, Montana

While spending time with my parents in Montana in May 2021, we took a day trip to visit friends who retired to the family homestead south of Big Timber. Their place is not far from where the East Boulder joins the Boulder River south of McLeod, Montana. What? You’ve never heard of McLeod? I hadn’t either.

The view includes part of the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness. Looking south from the lower pasture, Boone Mountain (or Boone Peak, elevation 8944 feet) is the near mountain behind the willow trees. Morning Star Peak (elevation 9255 feet) is further away on the right. Enos Mountain is off to the left.

Willow Trees

Since their property is on both sides of East Boulder River, a bridge is required. There is a road so you don’t have to walk across the bridge. But where’s the fun in that?

Suspension Bridge over the East Boulder River

Need a seat?

Tree Stump Chair

I chose pictures with trees and cropped them square just to share for Becky’s July #TreeSquare challenge.

CMMC: July Close-Up or Macro

2 Replies
Magnolia, Reiman Gardens, April 13, 2021.

It’s a close-up week for Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge and I’ve decided to share three photos I took back in April.

Magnolia, Reiman Gardens, April 18, 2021.

My goal had been to go to Reiman Gardens every Friday to watch spring spring forth. The weather didn’t cooperate one week (I avoid going out in rain when there’s lightening) and it seems like other things got in the way on Fridays, but I did manage to get there about once a week.

Magnolia, Reiman Gardens, April 26, 2021.

Since all three pictures are of flowers from magnolia trees and could be cropped square, I’m including them in the Becky’s July #TreeSquare challenge as well.

TreeSquare: Matching Set?

4 Replies
One of These Things Is Not Like the Other

Becky is back with a square photo challenge for July. The first, most important, must be kept rule is that the photo must be square – four equal sides.

The theme is trees. Or parts of trees. Or shadows of trees. And the trees don’t have to be real. And the picture can include things other than trees. As long as the picture itself is cropped square (see the first rule).

But when I first saw that trees would be the theme for July, I thought trees and only trees. Whole trees: trunk, branches, and leaves/needles. And I started looking for photogenic trees when out with my camera.

These trees are not particularly photogenic, but I couldn’t help but think of the song “One of These Things” from the TV show Sesame Street.

+ + +

Visit Becky’s TreesSquare site here to join the fun or to see what others are sharing.

Flower of the Day: Roses

4 Replies

Since I was nearly in the neighborhood, I stopped by the Des Moines Rose Garden this morning (July 1, 2021) to see if there were any roses still in bloom. There were!

These are my favorite pictures of the day. Each shows a cluster of roses at different stages of blooming. Isn’t that how life is? From just beginning to nearly the end, each stage has its own beauty and, at its best, is connected to others.

Have you stopped to smell any roses lately?

Cee – the Cee of Cee’s Midweek Madness Challenge – has multiple photography challenges. Since this is all flowers, I’m including it in her Flower of the Day challenge.