The skies around here

Almost every evening I look to the west and wish I was out at the strip pits, so last night I went in the hopes of a nice sunset...I was hoping for a big sun, but instead I got clouds. Not that I mind. I thought if someone didn't know better and only glanced at the photo above, they might for second think those clouds were snow capped mountains...
Looking one direction, you see the above sky. Notice the streaks...those were really there. Nothing to do with my camera or altering the photo in anyway except a reduction in size.

Then looking to the west, this is the scene as the sun slipped behind that could....I really hope you will enlarge this one, if not any of the others. It was just glorious.
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We went down to see the Toot today...she is so funny. Roger will stretch out in the floor or on the couch and pretend to be asleep--sometimes not pretending...and Lorelei's eyes just light up. She heads right to him and will climb all over him or beat on him...along with laying down beside him and pretending to be asleep. She will do that for a few minutes, then get up and go on about her business of playing.

In a little while, if he is actually asleep, she will go over close to him and either lean on him, or on the couch, or whatever and stare at his face. Next, she will start beating on him, or go get something to beat on him with. Sarah and I sit and laugh till we cry...
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You will never guess what I fixed tonight, considering the temperature was in the 90's, but felt near 100º....I came home and fixed vegetable soup. And it was GOOD! Even Roger liked it, and he doesn't usually care much for soup in the heat of summer.

A run through the strip pits....

I made a run through the strip pits...or maybe I should call it a crawl...because that is what I did. Everywhere I went, there were herds and herds of these little white butterflies. I think they are called cabbage whites. I don't know what groups of butterflies are called, so I called it a herd.
At this one puddle/pond I saw this muskrat above...along with the 'ducks' below...
I'm not sure what they are called.

This body of water is maybe 20 ft. in length and probably 10-12 ft. wide at the most, and there is almost always something there. I saw frogs, but didn't try to take any photos...and sometimes I see turtles. I doubt the water is over two ft. in depth anywhere...and it is right beside the road. It is amazing the amount of life it supports.