No Peace for the Great Blue

Saturday morning my brother-in-law, who was visiting, spotted something flying through the Hollow behind our house. 

The Great Blue Heron had returned, thanks to a substantial rainfall on Thursday and Friday that left a few feet of water in the ponds.

Big Blue sat patiently on a branch above the small pond while I snapped photo after photo after photo...

...and continued sitting still even when I got my tripod out and snapped photo after photo after photo...

(They all look like this one, so I'll spare you the others.)

I spotted Blue again later wading in a pond. 

This time he wasn't so patient.

I'm pretty sure I heard him muttering "This used to be such a peaceful neighborhood...." as he took off in search of seclusion.

Saying Goodbye

My Daddy passed away this past Saturday. 

The week has been a blur, 

feeling more like five weeks than five days. 

You can read my letter to him over at Long Hollow, but I decided to post the handful of photos I took at the service here.

Daddy was in the Navy in WWII.

A Color Guard escorted his casket and presented my mom with an American Flag.

And then a lone trumpeter played "Day is Done". 

Perfect.

Each of the pallbearers - my kids, niece, nephew, and cousins - wore red carnations, which they placed on top of the casket, one by one.

As each one stepped forward, in my mind I saw a younger version of them, playing with my Daddy, and it made me smile.

Back home, we made sure to give this skinny little squirrel some peanuts, because that's what Daddy would have done.

The next morning, my son stepped up to Daddy's place at the stove and fixed us a huge breakfast with bacon, eggs, and biscuits my sweet friend Rae left in a cooler on our doorstep.

Despite the huge cholesterol-laden breakfast, the kids and I stopped for dinner at Whataburger, because that was one of Daddy's favorite places.

Rest in peace, Daddy. You deserve it.

(But I am going to miss you.)

To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.
 ~ Thomas Campbell

Looking Back at August

It seemed like August barely arrived before it was leaving again, 

blowing past me while I was busy getting acquainted with the real estate business. 

I still made time for quite a few morning walks with my camera. 

Here are a few of my favorites from the past couple of weeks...

One of these days I'll find the name of these. 

They're tiny and easy to ignore, but are so photogenic, aren't they?

There are different stages of beauty. Don't you agree?

Snow-on-the-Prairie. 

Another one that's easy to ignore, but so beautiful if you take a closer look. 

(Thanks to TexWis Girl for letting me know its name!)

A cousin to the Mexican hats. 

A final hurrah for the summer.

This sign is close to the road I walk almost every day, but I don't think I've ever noticed it until now. 

I love the combination of blue and rust.

I love how the bark on this post has peeled and flopped over the barbed wire. 

See the sign from the photo above in the background?

A man I used to work with told me his family used to eat prickly pear, but I don't remember how he said they cooked it. 

(Yes, I know. I can probably find a recipe on the internet, now, right? Hmmm...maybe next year.)

A premonition of cooler weather on its way? 

I hope so!

Hello September.... please don't be in as big a rush as August! Take your time and let us enjoy you!