Promise of Rain

In the distance, a promise of rain.

Moon Set over Bonanza

      As I prepared my plane to fly, the moon set behind the clouds. 

MissusParkey's Trees

     Meanwhile, at MissusParkey's house, I noted the remarkable cloud formations that promised scattered showers forming over the house. The once upon a time lovely garden (so I hear), with trees now dead, provides a contrasting foreground for the clouds. This sort of contrast often makes me reminisce of the sweet times that might have passed there, at the home on the grasslands of North Texas.

Mud Dauber Nests

Hanging in an old barn.

Gulf Fritillary on a Sunflower

Saddles in a Barn

Batteries and Stones

A dusty dirt road took me to an interesting site. 

I approached, noting the effects of erosion.

If I had driven up on a paved road, my wheels would have squealed as I stopped abruptly, excitedly.

           All around these old things erosion had created fascinating formations and exposed rocks worthy of a photographic exploration. 

       I wondered, how long ago did someone place the flat stone under the ladder to make it sturdy on the clay soil?

Oxidized Tube on Sandy Soil

Pre-flight at Sunrise

     I had one eye on my plane as I checked it before my flight, and one eye on the glorious sunrise.

Austin parks my plane after pulling out of the hangar. The morning felt cool and looked beautiful. 

Dredging a Pond

      When the mesquite-lined ponds dry up, the opportunity to tend to the health of the pond arises. A large mud bucket, seen lying on its side at the top right side of the pond, is pulled across the muddy bottom to remove the sludgy parts. Then the bulldozers push soil to the sides. The process looks impressive from the air. When, eventually, the rains return, the pond will fill.

Wide angle view of a pond in the middle of a wheat field. Two bulldozers push dirt to the edges of the pond. Seen at top of the pond, two white trucks, a fuel tank, and a mud bucket.

The morning sun reflects on the moisture of the soil.

Ground view of the dredged pond. 

Moonflower Drooping

Lovely moonflower as the sun rises, then, when its rays caress its petals . . . 

. . . the moonflower gathers up and droops.

Moonflower seed pod.

Swallowtail, Sulphur, Fritillary

A Giant Swallowtail, a Cloudless Sulphur, and numerous Gulf Fritillaries enjoyed a cool morning.

Below, a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar.

Fall Sunflower Pods

       In the garden, sunflowers volunteered to grow, and they now grow pods, ready to seed, to return again next year, gratefully welcomed by me.

There are Great-horned Owls at Wild Bird Rescue

       This one seems to be the "alpha" owl in the large aviary, and the older of the four owls.

During the few minutes that I remained in the aviary while Katie brought in their supper, this owl kept his eyes on me and my camera.

Particularly large in size, this one may be a female. She watches the "alpha" owl.

I look up at the southwest corner of the aviary to see this owl. 

She watches the "alpha" owl sitting on a rafter across the aviary. 

Been reading any good books, lately?

These owls were rescued, raised, and soon will be released by Wild Bird Rescue.

Rain Five Miles Away as Seen from 2,000 Feet

        Rain off the starboard side of my nose. The city of Wichita Falls lies to the left, a cluster of colorful buildings.

       My cross-country from Denton airport to Kickapoo airport as shown by the iPad and the app, Foreflight, just after we landed. 

Museum of Biblical Art

iPhone image of Lewisville Lake in Dallas on our way to land at Love Field.

Jeweled monstrance (c. 1830) and its shadow on the wall.

A beautiful building with exquisite exhibits.

The Ryrie Library holds a stunning collection of books, including a 1663 edition written in the language of Algonquin (not pictured), the first printed Bible in America.

And this is the way an image looks when you tuck your iPhone surreptitiously back into your pocket because they told you not to take pictures but you did anyway, such is your want to share your experience at a marvelous museum.

On our way home, the beautiful lighting through the clouds reminded me of Michelangelo, whose work reflects the beauty of nature. One of his bronzes of Pieta graces the Museum of Biblical Art.

Where a Tractor Turned Around

On the sandy, clayey soil of North Texas, a bulldozer turned around.

       With the ponds empty of water and become muddy or dry, bulldozers dredge the bottom to make them deeper and cleaner. When the rains come to fill up the ponds again, the water will be deeper and healthier.