The county fairs have started around the state, but this pig wouldn’t win any show with its swayback look. He loves getting petted and the more scratching under his chin, the more the back sways to the ground.
Swayback Pig
Picture of the Day for July 13, 2016
On the riverbed of the Glacial St. Croix River, which was fed the melting ice sheets that were a mile thick over 10,000 years ago, sand and gravel were caught in giant eddies. The action of the swirling rocks wore holes in the hard basalt riverbed and larger rocks that fell into the holes were tumbled and spun until nearly smooth.
This large pothole is called the Lily Pond, since in the early days of the state park, water lilies were planted in the pothole. I didn’t see any lilies in the pothole, although a frog was croaking up a storm, but I think it might need to be renamed Pea Soup Pond instead.
Lily Pond Pothole
Picture of the Day for July 12, 2016
The road ditches are full of color from the orange lilies, yellow black-eyed susans and purple from the Wild Bergamot, which is also called bee balm, and the bees were very active in the flower blossoms.
Colorful Wild Bergamot
Picture of the Day for July 11, 2016
On a warm summer day, the pond is full of activity with frogs, fish, tadpoles, damselflies and dragonflies. This dragonfly was busy laying her eggs in the water. The eggs are surrounded by a jelly-like substance which helps the eggs to stick to plants or the bottom of the pond.
Laying Eggs
Picture of the Day for July 10, 2016
When I headed out last evening to take the sunset picture, I spotted a silk moth flying around. It almost landed in the tree but then took off flying towards the road to where I was headed for the sunset, so I picked up my pace to try to capture both. The trip was cut short and I never made it to my destination due to a critter coming down the driveway towards me, one long tail black and white Pepé Le Pew! I slowly headed back to the house without my pictures due to the skunk arrival, so here is a sunset picture from a prior day.
An Uninterrupted Sunset
Picture of the Day for July 9, 2016
The old farmstead may no longer have activity inside the buildings without livestock under its roof, but the land is still being farmed. Many farmers were working today getting hay cut or baled up.
Old Red Farmstead
Picture of the Day for July 8, 2016
When I was taking the picture of this blossom, I didn’t realize that there was two blossoms stacked together so it makes it harder to identify but I believe it is call Asiatic Dayflower (which isn’t a native flower). If I was closer to the blossoms, I might have noticed it was two but to get the picture, I was on my knees and arm stretched out over the rock and that clump of blue caught my eye.
Doubled Up
Picture of the Day for July 7, 2016
When seeing this Great Blue Heron from a distance, I thought it was stuck in a piece of driftwood until I realized it was his wings I was seeing. I had never spotting a heron sunning his wings before so it was an interesting pose to capture.
Birds assume one of several wing postures to sun – such as spread wing, droop wing and delta wing. I believe this pose is referred to as the delta wing sunning pose. Besides sunning, the wings may be held out to dry it feathers, lose heat, show off to rivals or to shades its eggs or babies.
Heron Catching Some Sun
Picture of the Day for July 6, 2016
Yesterday the clouds and river had some gentle swirls midday as people enjoyed the St. Croix River in kayaks, canoes and boats before the storms moved in later in the day. The little speck of orange from a kayak looks tiny against the rock cliffs where walls in the Dalles area rise from 50 to 250 feet above the river.
Enjoying the St. Croix River
Picture of the Day for July 5, 2016
The barns are filled with new kittens and some are adventuring out and causing trouble but this evening they better seek shelter inside the barn because of the approaching storm.
Innocent Kitten
