With the rain cooled temperatures, this batch of three kittens may need to cuddle to keep warm and it is hard to tell their bodies apart from another.
Pile of Kittens
Picture of the Day for August 2, 2017
With the weather this spring, a lot of the corn wasn’t “knee high by the 4th of July”, but now most of the corn stalks were over my head and it is tasseling and silking. And the corn silks look like a hair wig as the silks blow in the wind. There is one silk for each potential kernel of corn, and if a silk doesn’t get pollinated, then there will be a missing kernel.
Corn Silk
Picture of the Day for August 1, 2017
The milkweed plants and the field around my pond today had a lot of varieties of butterflies floating through, including Monarchs, Tiger Swallowtails, Giant Swallowtails, Red Admiral and Mourning Cloak. There were probably more species, but they weren’t as large or showy to spot as I was mowing lawn. This Black Swallowtail has a wingspan about 4 inches across so more noticeable than the little Spring Azure with a wingspan of about an inch which was flying ahead of the mower.
Black Swallowtail
Picture of the Day for July 31, 2017
Many of the baby birds have left the nest, even the second batches, but some of the young still want their meals delivered by their parents like this young Rose-breasted Grosbeak, who was crying in the tree limb trying to get some attention.
Young Grosbeak
Picture of the Day for July 30, 2017
The sky had a small hint of color as the sun set on this last Sunday in July, ending a nice dry weekend for outdoor activities.
July Sunday Sunset
Picture of the Day for July 29, 2017
This old wooden barn still stands proudly in the summer sun even if retired without milk cows in the stalls in the lower part of the barn or the silo being filled.
Semi-Retired Barn
Picture of the Day for July 28, 2017
At first glance, this moth is often mistaken as a hummingbird as it hovers above the flowers gathering nectar. The hummingbird clearwing is a moth of the Sphingidae (hawkmoth) family which have a wingspan around two inches, if you can glimpse the moving clear wings as it darts from flower to flower, like this milkweed blossom.
Hummingbird Clearwing Feeding
Picture of the Day for July 27, 2017
It is not all fun and laughs at a county fair – not when I hear kids crying because they didn’t get to go on another ride or eat more junk food. Even some of the critters looked upset too, like this chicken, who apparently didn’t like its picture taken.
Upset Chicken
Picture of the Day for July 26, 2017
The extreme high dew points did drop this evening, which is good for the brave souls climbing to the top of St. Anne’s Hill in Plain, Wisconsin on this feast day of St. Anne. The St. Anne’s Chapel sits on a hill, which pilgrims can reach as they follow the half mile path along the fourteen stations of the Way of the Cross as it climbs about two hundred feet in elevation. Looking down the hill from the 9th Station, the 8th station, St. Luke’s Church and School can been seen in the background before making the steepest part of the climb.
Climbing St. Anne’s Hill
Picture of the Day for July 25, 2017
The summertime flowers got both a little sunshine and rain today, but at least it wasn’t an extremely hot day. These flowers definitely remind me of sun and summer.
Summer Flowers
