Whitetail Deer Fawn 2 A couple of weeks ago, I took advantage of a break in our hot Kansas temperatures. I thought with highs forecasted to reach only mid-80's, it would be a good opportunity to get out and take some photographs. My main objective was to head west and south of Hutchinson to check out possibilities of sunflower fields. I had found a couple of good fields last year in that area. To my dismay, one was seeded to a different crop this year, the other was left fallow, and I did not run across any other sunflower fields. I decided since I was most of the way there, I may as well visit the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge. I had a fairly productive day in the refuge, nothing great. I decided to leave when the sun disappeared behind an approaching thunderstorm. I drove through heavy rain (luckily no hail) as I made my way through the 8 miles to the south gate. Just as I was exiting the refuge, the rain stopped. I had reached the back edge of the storm and the clouds were breaking. I was only a few hundred yards outside of the refuge when I noticed some deer crossing the road in front of me. They ducked into a field hedgerow as I approached. I pulled into the edge of the pasture through a drive and waited.  It was not long before a doe ventured out of cover into the pasture followed by her fawn. I stayed in the vehicle using it as a blind to photograph from. 

It was one of those special moments that made the trip worthwhile. 

Okains Bay Darn, I wanted to see if I could really watch TV while filling up. Not sure why there is a TV next to the pump if it's not functional, right?

Debbie and I made a return visit to New Zealand this past April. When we toured the South Island in December 2011, we did not quite see everything. We just had to go back to see the rest and also visit some favorite spots a second time. I am going to break up this year's trip into several galleries, the first of which has just been posted. Please enjoy and check back as I add more galleries from the latest trip. Thank You!

Snow, snow, beautiful snow! Kansas has been terribly dry for three years now. Wichita had two snows in February, only a couple of days apart, totaling 21 inches. That set a record for Wichita for the most snow in one month in recorded history. Hey, it's moisture. Nobody is complaining that it's in the form of snow.

I've been waiting 3 yrs. for a decent snow to go out and photograph some snow scenes. So, of course, I was out the morning after we received our 14.2 inch snowfall. Botanica was beautiful. This sculpture titled 'Harvest Time' seemed to fit right in. The little volunteer was obviously helping clear snow from paths.

The photo below reflects the first scene that greeted me as I entered the gardens. The tables on the terrace have a hole in the middle for an umbrella. The snow had piled up in the form of large angel food cakes on the tables. It looked as though Botanica should be declaring Angel Food Cake Day - all you can eat!

Botanica Cake