Sweet Shot Tuesday

I have a couple of sweet shots today. They are sweet to me, at least. Some of them are not particularly good photographs, but I don't care. Yesterday, we went to Kentucky Lake to see the White Pelicans. They were amazing! We saw about two hundred of them. They were sitting on the water, catching fish, and swooping over our heads. Unfortunately, virtually all the pictures are terrible. The day was really windy and mostly cloudy- not good conditions for picture taking.

But as I was watching and attempting to capture the pelicans, I saw something moving up on the rocks. It was a mink carrying a very large fish! I have seen minks a couple of times before, but never out of the water and never up close.It was thrilling! I chased the little guy (or gal) for a couple of minutes.

Look how big the fish is!

Here is another bad photo that shows the way the little guy looked while running.

The American Mink is about two feet long including tail. According to my Audubon mammal guide, minks can release a malodorous musk that is as nasty smelling as a skunk, but not as long lasting. I did not know this tidbit as I was chasing and irritating this mink.

She hid her fish in the rocks so I wouldn't steal it. Ain't she pretty?

Hope you enjoy! Feel free to click for a closer look.
Don't forget to stop by Life With My 3 Boybarians to see what others have to share.

-Susan

Macro Friday

Spring is here! I know it's not "officially" here, but as far as I am concerned, spring is here. The willows are leafing out, the spring bulb flowers are in bloom, and I wore short sleeves yesterday. The weather has been so nice, I've not been inside enough to blog.
Here is a photo I took of Mom's crocus.

I hope to get outside with my camera more soon. Most of this past week I've had my hands too full with kiddos to take many pictures. I love this time of year!

As always, you can click on any of the photos for a closer look.

Don't forget to
stop by

blogging from bolivia
to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Macro Friday

This week, I had the opportunity to take a day trip to Marion, Kentucky. What, you may be asking, is in Marion? Many things. It's a beautiful area with very hilly, yet not mountainous terrain. There are many Amish folks in the area and as a result, there are numerous little shops and stores. These aren't the reasons we traveled to Marion though. Marion is home to the Ben E. Clement Mineral Museum which has a fantastic collection of minerals with an emphasis on fluorspar. Fluorspar, also known as fluorite, was mined in this part of Kentucky as well as in southern Illinois. There may not be any active mining at this time, but
there are still spar deposits in them-thar hills!

Fluorspar is used primarily in the production of steel and to a lesser extent, aluminum. It also makes some lovely jewelry.

The above is my entry in Macro Friday. It is certainly not the only macro here today.



Fluorite occurs in a wide variety of colors.

This is a lovely assortment of cut fluorite on a bed of quartz.


The next few pieces were back-lit. They sure were beautiful.


The above specimen is featured on postcards in the gift shop.
Did I forget to mention the gift shop?
They have a great gift shop.





Do you see the face in the above photo?

How about now?


Here are some carvings made from fluorite. Although it is hard like a stone, fluorite is not very hard compared to other minerals like sapphires or diamonds.
Fluorite also tends to be brittle, so much care has to be taken when carving.

Above is proof that all was not fluorite.

Above is more non-fluorite.

Visiting the museum was a wonderful treat on a rainy day. They even have a nice collection of fossils. We are already planning a return trip.

If any of you are ever in the area, I definitely recommend a trip to the Clement Mineral Museum! The only thing better than the museum is the knowledgeable staff. Friendly and extremely well informed. Afterwards, stop by the neighboring town of Mattoon and visit some of the Amish stores, greenhouses, and bakeries!

I hope you've enjoyed these photos as much as I enjoyed taking them! Do you have a mineral museum in your area? Do they mine anything where you live? Is it pretty?
Under Shakerag lies coal. Although I appreciate coal and even think it's pretty, it is no where near as lovely as fluorspar.

Here is a photo of Ben E. Clement as a young man. He was a graduate of Vanderbilt University, a pilot in World War One, a schoolteacher, a fluorspar mine operator, and a serious rock hound.
The majority of the beauties in the museum were his personal collection.

As always, you can click on any of the photos for a closer look.

Don't forget to
stop by

blogging from bolivia
to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Watery Wednesday

Here are some water shots from our trip to Land Between the Lakes last week. I'm linking with Watery Wednesday since I haven't in a while. We all love this particular spot. The kids could happily throw rocks into the water for hours.
Maybe we'll do just that when it's warmer.








-Susan

Snake Shot

Here are a couple more photos from our recent trip to
Land Between the Lakes.

So, for those of you who have a strong dislike of snakes,
GO NO FURTHER!
Come back another day.


































Although I like snakes in general, I'm not so fond of poisonous snakes. These were taken at the Nature Station through glass.
He's a Copperhead, and he really was pretty.


I love the texture and feel of a snake. No, I didn't touch this one.


This photo has more true to life color. They are especially beautiful in the sun.

As always, click on any photo for a closer look. Hope you have a great week!

-Susan

Macro Friday

March has begun and so has some more agreeable weather. It's still a bit on the cool side, but it's been pleasant enough. This week, the Nature Station at Land Between the Lakes opened for the year. We were there the first day. While the Nature Station can be quite busy, that was not the case on Wednesday. We were able to see all the animals and ask questions. We even got to see them feed their Virginia Opossum. It's not too different from watching a 'possum eating in our bird feeder, but it was still interesting. There are a pair of Red Wolves in residence. I don't recall ever getting to see them before, but one of them was out enjoying the sunshine during our visit.

The owls are my daughter's favorite animals at the Nature Station; they are my favorites, too. All of the owls are unable to live in the wild whether due to an injury or imprinting. It's a wonderful place for both the animals and the people.
We can see the animals and learn about them, and they have a safe place to live with plenty of food. I know I have said it before, but if you are ever near Kentucky Lake, make a trip to
Land Between the Lakes, you won't regret it.

The above is a macro shot I took of the little Eastern Screech Owl. I would have liked to crop out the sleeve of the naturalist holding the owl, but if I had I would have lost some of the fuzzy-ness of the owl's face.

This little owl is just about ten inches tall.

Unlike most other birds, Screech Owls come in two different colors or morphs.

He is the red morph. The other color they come in is gray.

The call of the Screech Owl sounds much more like a soft whinney than a screech. It's sort of dove-like.

Like the Great-horned Owl, he can raise or lower his "horns" as the whim takes him.

Isn't he beautiful?


As always, you can click on any of the photos for a closer look.

Don't forget to
stop by

blogging from bolivia
to link up your own Macro Friday post!

-Susan

Sweet Tweet Tuesday, um Sweet Shot Tuesday

Near the end of my thrilling day of the bluebird, this little guy came and sat on the chair just outside the window. He actually did this twice. The first time, my memory card was full! I didn't dare get up to get another card. The second time, however, I was able to capture him. Only four shots turned out at all. Here is my favorite.

Hope you enjoy! Feel free to click for a closer look.
Don't forget to stop by Life With My 3 Boybarians to see what others have to share.

-Susan