Weekend Roundup - F

This week's assignment: Starts with F, Favorite, and Fantastic.

Starts with F: FARM starts with an F. They are plentiful around here. Lots of corn, soybeans, and tractors. I have seen a couple of hay fields, but not many since this is FARM country, not ranch country.

Favorite: FOXTAIL and FLOWERS

Sunflowers

Queen Anne's Lace

Fantastic: I had trouble deciding what to post for FANTASTIC. So chose this picture from the archives. This is my all time favorite shot of the handsome boy. I think it's FANTASTIC.

Ask me to show you poetry in motion and I will show you a horse ~ Roy English

Linking to The Weekend Roundup  

Wordless Wednesday

 

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Treasures - Trains and Windmills

My very first memory of a train is of racing down a long lane, heart pounding, bare feet kicking up dust, to wave at the conductor of a mighty steam engine as it roared by. When the man saw me, he waved and pulled the lever to allow the whistle's screams to fill the air. As with everything, progress happened. Diesel engines replaced steam, but the trains kept rumbling by throughout my childhood. I still feel excited each time I see a one ... well, unless it's blocking the road and I'm in a hurry. 😀 I found this one along the Illinois River.

Windmills, with their creaking blades, once stood guard across fields, harnessing the wind to pump water for ranches and farms. They are becoming more difficult to find, so when I see one, I find a place to pull off the road and take a pic. 

Happy Tuesday!

Linking to Tuesday Treasures

Sunday Drive

Yesterday, I spent some one-on-one time with my grandson. We went out to lunch, a country drive, and a short walk down a nature trail as an early celebration for his 22nd birthday. 

Monarch Butterflies are known for their orange and black wings and are famous for their long-distance migratory behavior. I didn't realize they moved south for the winter until a fall trip to Florida. I saw hundreds of them along my favorite walking route. They travel approximately 50 to 100 miles each day. Their eggs are laid on milkweed plants and the caterpillars feed only on this plant because it contains toxins that make monarchs unpalatable to predators. 

Horace's Duskywing is a butterfly, not a moth. It belongs to the skipper family. According to wiki, butterflies have clubbed antennae and moths have feathery antennae. I learned something today.

              

We drove to the sunflower field hoping to take pics of their beautiful faces. Too late! They have already bowed their heads. :(

I've seen these beauties all my life but didn't know anything about them. Thanks to my new "Seek" app, I now know they are called Guelder-rose. The berries are edible for birds, but toxic to humans if eaten raw. However, I learned they can be eaten cooked or made into jam. Hmm. Think I'll pass. 

Have a wonderful week!

Linking to Nature Notes

Tennessee Barn

 While looking for a house we lived in back in the mid 1970s, we happened upon this barn.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a way to get a better shot since there wasn't a road and too much vegetation. 

Also unfortunately, we didn't find the house. The were so many homes built since then, I believe it was sold and torn down to make room for more construction. At the time it was a great place to live. The house set back off the road and it was surrounded by pasture with evergreen trees and a pond. Too bad it couldn't have survived. 

Happy Sunday!

Weekend Roundup - E

This week's assignment is: Starts with E, Favorite, and Evening.

Starts with E: Sonny Boy happened upon this ELEPHANT who was a part of a wedding party for a couple from India. Of course, he had to have a picture.

                    

Favorite: I have posted this picture many times. Even though I have other EAGLE pictures I could post, this one is my favorite.

Evening: There is nothing more relaxing than sitting outside watching the sun set in the EVENING. 

Have a wonderful weekend!!!

Linking to The Weekend Roundup 

It's a Backroad!

 Since we moved from Oklahoma to Illinois, we've had trouble finding good nature roads to search for birds, critters, and flowers. Daughter found one and took me for a drive. It isn't a dirt or gravel road, but not much traffic so we took several nature pics along the way.

 

At the top of a hill we saw deer nibbling grass and leaves beside the road ...

... and a sunflower field, but alas! they looked the other way.

We should have picked a persimmon from this tree. "According to folklore, the seeds can predict winter weather based on their shape when sliced open. A spoon shape indicates a snowy winter, a fork shape suggests a mild winter with light snow, and a knife shape implies a cold, harsh winter with icy winds." ~ wiki 

Maybe on our next drive I can convince daughter or hubs to grab one.

Wildflowers were abundant. We saw Hairy Vetch, Queen Ann's Lace, Brown-eyed Susans, Wild Bergamot, Guelder-rose, and more.

We also took a walk down a trail that's a great place to walk Gus. But the best thing about this drive ... horses!

Happy Friday!!!

Linking to Nature Friday

Thursday Thoughts

The Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is one of the biggest shopping centers in the world. It isn't simply a mall like the ones I'm familiar with. It's huge! While visiting granddaughter, we decided to go since we've always heard about it. 

Note to self: Next time wear more comfortable shoes.

What's inside? It has over 500 stores filled with clothes, toys, books, and more. But it isn't simply shopping. It's a good thing because I don't enjoy shopping. I like to know what I need and run inside to buy it. But this one supplied lots of interesting people to watch and things to see. I kept looking up at the beautiful lights hanging from the ceiling. Sadly, my pic doesn't show their beauty. 

If we were younger, we would have enjoyed the huge indoor theme park called Nickelodeon Universe with roller coaster and other rides. 

I didn't get a pic, but there is also the SEA LIFE Aquarium to see sharks, turtles, and colorful fish.

I did find souvenirs in this shop dedicated to Minnesota. I bought Hubs a cup and a hoodie. Of course, I bought myself one, too.

Feeling hungry? The mall has tons of food options, from pizza and burgers to fancy restaurants. You can grab a quick snack or sit down for a big meal. There’s even a giant candy store! Fortunately, we avoided the sweets, but did have a refreshment and good food at Cantina Laredo. Yum!

If you’re in Minneapolis, the Mall of America is a must-see. It’s an adventure, but don't forget comfortable shoes!