Yard Art

While driving through a neighborhood in Minneapolis, saw these homes with yard art. Gus wouldn't go outside if he saw those huge antlers!

I like this one. Reminds me of mine when they were young!

Nature Notes - Geese

I'm not finding any unusual birds or critters recently, but there seems to be a plethora of Canadian Geese.

Have a wonderful week!

Linking to Nature Notes

My Sunday Best

I'm joining My Sunday Best today but struggled to choose a photo. Should it be the best picture I took this week, or a favorite despite being average? I went with the latter, as most of my photos are decent but not exceptional.

Initially, I thought this was a barn, but a closer look suggests it's a corn crib or grain storage structure. The vents on the walls give it away. I'm puzzled by the large door—maybe it's for equipment when not storing grain. Its unique design made it my Sunday Best choice.

Happy Sunday!

Linking to Sunday Best

Sunday Barns

I love the shape of older barns which often had gambrel roofs. The design, with its two distinct slopes on each side—steeper at the bottom and flatter at the top—allowed for a larger loft area to store hay or equipment without increasing the building's square feet. This was especially valuable for farmers with limited land or resources. The shape also shed snow and rain effectively, reducing maintenance, and was relatively simple to construct with timber framing, making it cost-effective. 

Modern construction prioritizes cost-effectiveness and speed. Prefabricated metal buildings or pole barns are quicker and cheaper to erect than traditional gambrel-roofed barns, which required skilled carpenters. Simplified designs reduce labor costs and construction time. But they are not as pleasing to the eye.

The area around the barn below seems to be an old tractor graveyard.

I grew up on a farm where the barn had a gambrel roof much like the one below. They remain my favorite.

Happy Sunday!!!

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!

Wordless Wednesday - Cat

I hope everyone is having a marvelous week so far!

Linking to Wordless Wednesday

Tuesday Treasures - Old Milliken Store

Old Milliken Store is located out in the country. It is located along route 52 Westmoreland and Portland, TN. A blue moon ago, mid 1970s, we lived on the ridge above Bethpage, so this was a nostalgic visit. Not that we had visited this store before, but it was nice being back in the old neighborhood. Lots of fond memories, beginning with the bottles of soda found in this cooler.

                   

And I could have spent the day searching through the crafts displayed in the store. I particularly enjoyed the baby quilt I found, but alas didn't purchase. Now I have regret. Perhaps next trip when we go for breakfast at the attached restaurant.

Of course, I had to laugh at the toilet paper holder in the ladies room. 

Linking to Tuesday Treasures

Chicory

Chicory is a plant with edible leaves, roots and flowers. When roasted and ground, it is a popular coffee substitute. Have you been to New Orleans and tried their chicory blend coffee? I have and am not particularly fond of the bitter taste. However, I drink coffee black and it may not be as bad had I used sugar and cream. 

Linking to Nature Notes

Barn? House?

Once a barn. Now a home. We always admire this house when we drive by and wish we had a smaller version.

Happy Sunday!

Weekend Roundup - D

 Today's assignment: Starts with D, Favorite, and Dog.

Starts with D: During a recent trip to Tennessee to visit family, we saw lots of DEER. They have a beautiful piece of property that backs up to a wooded area. The twins are my favorite.

Favorite: Of course, Gus is my favorite DOG. But today, meet Buford, the neighbor's DOG. Gus is not a fan of other pups, so when I took him out one dark morning, I failed to seen a stranger sleeping in the rocker on the porch. When he hopped down and came over to me, I felt certain I would soon be in the middle of a dog fight. Instead of barking and attacking, Gus simply walked over to Buford with his tail wagging, and the two became fast friends.

Dog: Gus was born on November 3, 2015. He is an Australian Cattle Dog a.k.a. a red heeler. I'm not sure of the date he came to live with us, but it was early in 2016. He was a frisky fella. He enjoyed chewing on house slippers, furniture legs, and basically anything he could fit into his mouth around. Lucky for him, he was too cute to get into too much trouble.

He sure loves to play and he knows the names and colors of all of his toys. If I ask for his green ball or monkey, he comes back with the correct one. 

He also likes to nap.

In Oklahoma, we lived near Tishomingo where Blake Shelton's Ole Red is located. Gus is a proud member of the Dog Wall.

Linking to The Weekend Roundup