____________________________________________________________________________
Awesome Sunflower seed-head, 12 inch diameter, and healthy Cantaloupe, Lewisville TX
___________________________________________________________________________
It’s amazing that doves have survived to evolve as far as they have. For one thing, their nests are flimsy. They are also more comfortable nesting openly near humans than any other wild bird, at least here in Dallas.
Today this chick and it’s parent were sitting on the curb beside a very busy street. When I came too close the mother tried to fly across the road, and tried to appear injured as if to fool me. Uhh, better to create a less exposed, less vulnerable nest in the first place, Mama!!! Judging from the experience of doves nesting in the wreath at our back door last year, this chick is not ready to fly yet either. Perhaps they both fell from a nest in the tree. I wonder what their chances are for survival with all the cats, dogs, people and vehicles in the vicinity?
A little Wren chirps, perched on our fence every afternoon. Soft pink Myrtle trees bloom in the background.
The Sunflower plant has so much character. Here the flower heads droop with the weight of seeds against the backdrop of a spectacular sunset — silhouettes nodding and swaying against the sky. Amazing!
I was just coming home from shopping so I missed capturing the double rainbow arching over our neighborhood after a short storm. Both ends were visible, and rare sights like that are so electrifying! I hurried home to get the camera, then still managed a few shots of the golden glow accentuating everything as the sunset.
After two weeks away, one of the first things I did was inspect the garden, most curious about the cucumbers, because it’s the first year they’ve survived this far into the season. There I was at midnight, feeling around in the dark, and found a cucumber that had grown from 1/2 inch long to 8″L X 3″ wide during that short time. I expected to find a virtual Jack And The Bean Stalk situation this morning, but all the other cukes are average-sized. The heart-shaped cookie cutters I placed around some veggies have fallen off, so will have to try again; now able to monitor the progress of growth.
Severe and spooky Summer storm in Calgary, Alberta
___________________________________________________________________________
I have yet to see a tornado in Texas since we moved there, yet here is the first one I’ve ever seen, about to touch down in Airdrie, near Calgary Alberta while we’re on holidays. Watching it form is surreal, and though it’s not far away I don’t feel in any danger. It formed a perfect funnel then I watched it pull back again, spawning a skinny long string-like tornado, then dissolve. The associated clouds are ominous and dark in contrast to the sunny neighborhood where I’m standing. I learned later this afternoon that the tornado touched down in a farmer’s feild for a few moments.
___________________________________________________________________________