A Green Heron rests on a branch, checking out a pond with fish below.

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. Queen butterfly in the Garden. White butterfly in the Majestic Mariposas butterfly house within the Garden. That exhibition will be over November 12. There are Monarchs in the Mariposas exhibit, and Queens in many areas of the larger Garden.

Wandering around the Westport beach and into the driftwood area. I grew up on Beach Drive in West Seattle and it brings back many memories.

On the Mt. Lemmon road, bushes, trees and flowers, seem to grow right out of the amazing rock formations.

On our way to Lake Pleasant this morning we got side-tracked when about 5 balloons landed not far from the road. Photos of Lake Pleasant Regional Park will follow in the next few days.

In the cool evening at Bosque the sun often shines through the clouds as night approaches. This is usually the time the Sandhills return to the ponds for safety from the coyotes. In the morning the Sandhills return to the fields to eat. Because this year there are fewer birds and no corn fields, we spent over 90% of our shooting time early mornings and late afternoons and after sunset.

This is not what I usually post here, but I am because the water on the Oregon coast is so cold – beautiful nature though.

On the Oregon coast. I watched this guy for a long time. Surfing over and over. The water must have been freezing. He was alone in the water. Now I actually learned to swim, all those years ago, in the cold Puget Sound. And I have snorkeled and scuba dived and worn the wet suits. But I still felt cold just watching this persistent surfer

Alaskan Wild Rose – and a bug.

Castle Hot Springs Road – an old windmill, no longer used.

Good morning flowers from the Paton House Garden