Can it be so?

I can hardly believe it, but it must be true!  Fifty-two years with the same one!  It doesn't look much different; maybe a little ragged around the edges, and faded in places.  No, not the lady, the hat!  The lady is still looking and acting like she did 52 years ago... just not as fast. 

Yep, another anniversary has come and gone.  We're thankful for good health and the 52 years of bliss together!  One of the pictures was taken in northern Minnesota, and one in Arizona.  You can guess which is which.

Summer Things

Butterflies are beautiful but I hadn't noticed the intense color on the bottom of this one's wings before.  I have yet to spot a Monarch Butterfly which I hear is rapidly declining in population.

Our neighbor loves to fish and caught this bass off his dock.  Like the true fisherman that he is, he released it after I took this pic.

We live on Eagle Lake in the summer and an Eagle has decided to occasionally perch on the top of  a spruce in front of our place.  He usually draws a crowd... this time a Red-winged Blackbird who just buzzed the eagle and is in full brake mode.  I love this picture because the beak and feet as well as the red wings show up. 

The eagle doesn't look too shook up, but they usually don't stay around once they attract attention.

Back home in GF, the 50 foot evergreens on the north side of the drive had to go... too much risk of coming down on our house or the neighbors.

It helps when you have the right equipment. 

A little over two hours and they were gone.

Back at Eagle Lake the loon hatch has arrived.  It is always tough getting shots of the babies as the lighting is seldom ideal and they get pretty excited if you get too close.  Here baby is hitching a ride on Mama's back.

Only one baby for these proud parents.  We know the feeling.

All parents think their child is exceptional, don't they? 

Mama has a minnow for a snack... they feed them constantly so they don't stay small for very long. Summer is short in the north country.

This is a papa loon's version of passing out cigars.

Watching a loon take off is sort of like running on water while you flap your wings... in human terms you have to be able to rub your belly and tap your head at the same time.  I hear that they, like airplanes, take off into the wind.  It takes them a bit to get airborne and the sound is unique to the loons as you hear flapping of wings and feet hitting the water.

The Minnesota State Flower, the Pink Lady Slipper, is another beauty that you have to catch when they show up.  We have learned approximately when to go looking and we hit the full bloom this year.

I'm sure that the hefty fine keeps visitors to Itasca from picking them; otherwise we wouldn't be able to enjoy them.

I know my sister-in-law wants me to post all the bird pictures I can, so here are a few for her.

This House Finch is peaking around the corner at a Chick-a -Dee.  Birds don't like competition when they eat...

Next to the earlier Baltimore Orioles, this beauty gets the "Best Looking" award.  See how he cocks his head and lifts his one foot to show his best side?  He is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak named because of his rose breast and big beak... see how that works?  If you care to, click on the pictures to enlarge them.  If you don't care to, don't.