Optical Indigestion

In one of my favorite Alaskan stories, a visiting character to the state of Alaska said during a trip up the Inside Passage that he had 'optical indigestion.' I've never done that trip, but I can see it might fit almost anywhere up north. 

This is a mom and a calf close to the old Lamplight Bar Mrs. Mika used to own. I didn't get  a good photo of the calf. It was kind of annoyed with the hackles up! 

A friend and her husband and brother arrived to get a work bench from the shop. Dad would be glad to have it go to someone who really could use it. 

When my friend, Julie B, arrived from ANC to help me, we came upstairs to find another pair of moose in the yard! Right outside the window. 

It was neat to see them swim the lake. That isn't something you get to see very often. Even if you live on a lake! Bulls will swim it, but calves are a bit more nervous. They went across and were scared back to 'our' side by dogs at the neighbor's house. 

 Fall was so beautiful this year. The colors of red aren't as prevalent as gold, but they combined to create stunning tapestries of autumn. 

Dad had a hat in the garage and in it was a tall white feather. Probably eagle, not sure. I left it under the trees with the colorful leaves. 

Fall Colors Between the Raindrops

I have taken quite a few autumn pictures. I am just getting around to posting them! They are from the first of September through the 17th. We have had raining cats and dogs and then brilliant sunshine. These are sunshine days! 

Watching the neighbor dogs bark from across the lake. 

 I liked this picture. It is a golden eye sleeping on the lake. They are one of the few ducks that sleep in the middle of the lake during most kinds of weather. Rain or shine!!

This day was stunning, though. September 10.

I like the twists in this tree. You can almost see the far tree looking surprised around the larger tree's twist! (eyes and a nose)

 I took the burls on this tree from different angles. This one struck me as prettier with the popping color of the red rose hips.

 Gorgeous sunset from the house.

 Purple skies always make me smile!

The Monday of the digging, I stayed out of the way of the men and hunted for a few raindrop pictures. It had poured on Sunday, yet Monday had dawned warm and lovely. 

 Reflections of fall in a liquid kaleidoscope!

 These guys make me laugh. They are so funny. I keep wondering if it is the same ones up there. In one afternoon you can hear them and watch them as they circle and circle and squawk and circle and decide who is in front of where. I have said they are practicing migrating with the newcomers. These are Sandhill Cranes. You can see their long legs and necks in one of the photos-I took several, but decided to only post two!

Hopefully, they will get their act together and fly south. After all the rain, you can see new snow on the mountains. Termination Dust. Winter is definitely around the corner. 

All Things Bright and Beautiful

I'm not feeling very good today. So, instead of being in church and doing errands, I'm sitting in front of the window looking out at a shining greenish lake. Fluttering golden leaves are dancing from their summer berths to anchor wherever they might for the winter season. Some are in the lake, others the ground, more are inside evergreens and bared deciduous branches of other kinds of trees. Fireweed are shaking their down coats , sending seeds aloft to land where they might grow into a towering flowering herb. Colors are changing fast from summer to fall, winter's stark beauty isn't far off. Babies are growing up and I was fortunate enough to see a few of them the last day or two. 

It isn't often I see these. Spruce hen used to be much more common on walks to and from the bus stop. This family made me laugh when I spied them on the drive. 

 First this one crossed to the other side. Later, the others followed. They aren't so little anymore!!!

I was excited to see these two Sunday morning. I'm pretty sure this is the baby who tripped over the Dish cables hidden in the moss and brush. Some of my photos aren't very clear, but I was pretty thrilled!!! 

 She is RIGHT at the end of the sidewalk next to the house. She was looking at me and I was making darn certain to stay inside the door. I wasn't sure if she was going to step on the concrete! Thankfully, the young one distracted her from the odder threat of me. Kids tend to do that no matter what the species!!! You can see a little leg beyond her head-

 If you look at the photo, you can see on the edge of the right the corner of the house! I guess fireweed and leaves were too dry for the youngster, it almost looks too big to nurse!

 They both wandered in to the mowed part of the yard and I had to speak sternly when the youngster started munching on mom's lilac! (those photos didn't turn out!)

 They didn't stick around too long, but it was beautiful to see them!! I did see the younger bull on Saturday. He was hidden and then left. I hope he comes back, it looked as if one of his antlers was broken! I think the larger bull was taken down. I heard a gunshot the other day and although it is bow season til the first....

One afternoon I ran off to the lake. I saw this incredible masterpiece and paddled away so I could show how camouflaged it was. 

 I also found this beauty on a birch. I was hoping to capture one in flight over the grasses, it wasn't efficient!

Going back in time. This was Saturday the 17th, the day the Swan Lake fire blew up. When we were driving back, the sky was incredibly eerie! 

I look at this world of our and am thankful. Today our sky is cloudy, but no smoke in scent or visibility. Other portions of the peninsula aren't so fortunate. It's chilly in the shade, the thermometer is in the sunshine and reads it is getting up to the 70's. However, the house is not! I'm looking forward to seeing what else might show up around me as summer draws to an end. 

Autumn Reflections

I've used this photo in a previous post, but it from the Kenai library parking lot and is a beautiful picture of fall leaves! 

Obi has eclectic taste buds. He'll eat veggies, fruit, meat, anything that falls to the floor, and nasturtiums! 

It seems one night Obi barked like crazy for a reason. It seems there was a moose altercation of some sort. Notice the bench is still in place, but the capstone from on top of the brick was knocked clear! 

The photos below are of one evening, around 645, out on the lake. 

 The North Kenai Methodist church has a resident moose. I didn't get close to it, it just looks that way! I was in the car for the first picture. I was outside the car for the second one.

It is wonderful what I can see now! Fall is brighter and so are words and all sorts of things out there.