My little sidekick

Yesterday while Roger went fishing with a buddy, I took off to run through the strip pits and maybe go for more of a drive. I seen frogs, butterflies, one pheasant and one quail....none of the things that fly cooperated at all...and only one photo of a frog.
I passed on through the strip pits coming out just over the state line in Illinois...and drove north for the most part. I came to this section of road that had fresh clover blossoms and in general was just a grassy area, with butterflies that were much more willing to pose. I had one land on me and I shooed it off without thinking. Then this one landed on my arm.

I took a few photos with it there, but I could not get my arm in a position and far enough away at the same time for it to be in focus...the auto focus on my longer lens does not work so all that was left was to move my arm to try to get it in focus. The above is one of those photos.
I took some other pictures with it staying on my arm, so I though I might as well try something...so I put my finger up there and it crawled on to that hand. It was on my left arm so, I had to use my right hand. So, since I am right handed and could not operate the camera at all with my left hand, I had to transfer the little guy back over to my left hand...so, here's a photo from that.

I tried to go on about my business and leave it alone while I took photos of other butterflies, but it insisted on staying at the ends of my fingers so I had actually shake it and make it leave.

I don't know what type of butterfly it is, and too tired to try to identify. So, if you know the name, post it in the comments.

Just a bit more about the approaching season...

I did the post last night talking about the coming of fall, and of course I went back in my blog and read This post....I remember hearing that poem read almost like it was yesterday...more the quality of the voice. So, I got to wondering if I could find it on you tube or some such place being read out loud.

Lo, and behold! Listen to what I found! I could not believe it. It is not read as I heard it read the first time...and it is quoted in a different way. But grab your cup of coffee, or your tea, or Coke or whatever you are drinking....sit back and listen....and I do enjoy watching it. He has got a sort of gravelly voice I think so have to listen carefully...

I had sort of planned on going ahead and putting the above video on, but sent it first to my BFF to get her reaction, and then had Roger listen to it...got basically the same reaction from both. It confirmed for me that it was blog-worthy....

and I took these photos just today to go along with it.
I only hope you enjoy the video half as much as we did.

Logansport mural

I took this photo of the Iron Horse as we drove through Logansport, Indiana....I thought it was a fantastic mural. Then, I got home and saw this post by Carletta....now I still like my mural but there is just something about the one she shows that is just fantastic. I am not sure what it is, unless it is maybe a slight feeling of the train really coming through that brick wall and it feels sort of futuristic.
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Today has been another day of killer heat here in the Midwest. I am telling you now that I don't even like to go outside in it. I picked okra yesterday and had to pick it again this evening. I cut it up, and fried one batch for supper, and threw meal and flour in the other and made sure it was coated real good, and froze another bag of it. That will be so good come winter time. I will fix soup beans, cornbread and fried okra....there is no finer meal to be had.

I have been sitting outside a little bit after the sun goes down, sometimes just by myself, sometimes when I am talking to Neal. Even though the heat is pressing in even then, there is that certain feel to the air till you know fall is approaching. There is all the singing of the insects...I am not sure what kind of insects they are, but we hear them every summer when fall is approaching.

I have also noticed leaves are beginning to drop from certain trees...my crab apple for one.
And I have even seen a few leaves that have dropped that are gold. And on our way north, and on our way home I noticed a two trees tipped with red! I cannot remember how far north we were though.

Even though our fall promises to be a busy one, I am so looking forward to it. Days that are crisp to begin with but warm up as the sun rises higher in the sky...with big puffy clouds on some of the days at least. You know the type...the ones that make you feel like you could just go on forever. At least that is they make me feel...but instead I wish I could just freeze some of the those moments in time. But since I can't, I at least look forward to capturing some in pixels.

Until then, I will keep plugging away and trying to enjoy the moments as they come.