Interesting sunset this evening

I can tell if we have an interesting sunset by looking at the sun on the trees out our back window (looking east).  This is what I saw tonight...

Can't be too bad outside

Here's an eastern chipmunk poking his head out of the "stone condo".  Eastern chipmunks don't truly hibernate but will go into long periods of decreased physiological activity.  But not today...

Frozen fungus

I noticed this fungus growing out of a tree just behind my fence.  So I went out to look at it today and it was still covered in ice from the other night.  Looks a bit like deep-fried potato chips.

Thanksgiving at our house yesterday

Not a very nice day outside.  Steady light rain most of the day that thankfully didn't freeze until after everyone left.

Thankful we could be together and for another four-generation holiday.

The Des Moines Register.com and WHO Channel 13 picked up one of my photos

I also post pictures to Instagram and include the hashtag #IA365 for a chance to get re-posted by the DM Register on their Instagram feed.  That also means you could get posted on their website and possibly used by Channel 13 weather.  Well that happened today.

My post of a sunset got re-posted by the Register and the Register started following my Instagram account.  Then at the 4pm newscast, my photo was used and name mentioned.  Ruth saw it on TV and is my witness.  It's a nice photo but I feel I got noticed for my caption "Thankful for sunsets".
Here is a screen grab of the re-post.  As of this posting, I had 78 "likes" (the currency of such things).

Beautiful sunset tonight

The pictures don't quite capture how amazing the sky looked but here is a sense...

The first snow of 2015

I think we got about 6.5 inches overnight.  You can see it was the type of snow to stick to everything.  Shoveling this morning I found out it was wet and heavy underneath.

Here is the beginning of the storm yesterday afternoon...

 

 Here is what it looked like at bedtime.  You can see it completely covered the fence (yes, Russ got caught)...

 

 

And here is what it looked like this morning and this afternoon...

 

 

And I need to sneak in a photo of my butterfly bush...

 

Just before the snow...

I thought I better get some milkweed seeds down.  I know my readers in Salina have been waiting for an update on milkweed.

Two years ago I bunched the seeds too close together.  Last year, I spaced out one by one and no real results.  So this year, I just cast them out in an area I would like them to grow and I'll let nature take its course.

Update on the hornet's nest

I had posted a picture of what I determined to be a bald-faced hornet's nest up the street (here is that picture again)...

 

Here is the same nest after the very strong winds we've had recently.  Looks like it literally ripped in half.  Interesting to see the detail inside.

 

 

 

Good morning, deer.

I've been seeing this buck lately.  And he was with a doe this morning.

 

Sun kissed

This is what caught my eye this morning (look in the center of the image for a "glow")...



This is what it turned out to be...

Things I saw on my walk this morning with Russ

It's a beautiful time of the year and I really enjoy watching the sun come up.  I will post these images in the order I took them and you will see the effect of living next to a hill and what it does with light.

This looks like the house is on fire...

 

 

Here is the same tree from another angle.  It is framed by two other trees.

 

 

 

This doesn't show light but somehow these leaves survived the wind (and a rake)...

 

 

A finally back home where it appears the sun is just getting started...

 

Some trees just demand your attention

I saw this one on the way to work and got it on the way home. 

In the light of the morning

Just when I think I'm done taking pictures of leaves, you get this "light" show in the morning...

 

This tree needs pruned but I love the color and the 1955 Studebaker President doesn't hurt...

 

The cars become accents to the tree...