Armadillo 1A Nine-banded Armadillo rooting around in the leaf debris looking for insects. I found this guy while photographing at the Old Mill in Oxford, noted in the previous post. I visited the mill a week before snow blanketed the landscape. My tripod was set up at the edge of the pond and as usual I was directing my concentration through the camera's viewfinder, totally absorbed in trying to develop the perfect composition. I started to notice the sound of some critter rustling in the leaves on the ground behind me. Of course, I thought it was a rambunctious squirrel trying to rediscover some buried acorns for a late winter snack. I did not allow the sound to break my concentration. As I continued to snap photos of the mill at various angles, the rustling also continued. Finally, I turned around to see what that pesky squirrel was doing. Why, it wasn't a squirrel at all! I was surprised to see a nine-banded armadillo with it's head down, bulldozing through the leaves. He/she was probably looking for a tasty insect. The armadillo quickly scooted through the litter to within ten feet of me when it stopped and raised it's head to look around. Upon seeing me, it scurried off, disappearing into some tall grass. I guess that armadillo and I had been equally oblivious of each other, both lost in concentrating on our separate missions.

Armadillo 2A Nine-banded Armadillo rooting around in the leaf debris looking for insects.

Oxford Old MillThe Old Mill at Oxford, Kansas, was built in 1874. Learn more here. The Old Mill in Oxford, Kansas, was built in 1874. A 3 mile race was hand dug to bring water to the mill from the Arkansas River. The water passing through the mill provided electricity to run the mill. A dam was also constructed on the Arkansas River to divert more water to the mill. The mill played a key role in helping early Oxford become a thriving town by producing "Oxford's Best" flour & cornmeal. 

I had heard of the mill in Oxford for years but, had never visited the town. I thought, if we get a decent snow this winter, the mill might be a good photo opportunity. The recent snowfall in early February provided the perfect setting. I waited a few days for the roads to get cleared and was then hoping for some sun... but, get there before the snow melted ( I know, photographers are a picky lot). The first sunny day was only 18 degrees & just what I needed.

Amaryllis 'Aphrodite'

I decided to brighten my winter days by forcing some amaryllis bulbs again this year. The flowers are so big and spectacular, they can't help but bring some joy to dull and cold winter weather. Growers offer a huge selection of color now. Of course, color is still limited mostly to combinations of white, pink & red but, combinations of markings are almost limitless. And, getting the bulbs to bloom is so easy. Even someone without the slightest tinge of green on their thumb, can have success. You can purchase bulbs already potted or for the price of one potted bulb you can get two bare bulbs and pot them up yourself. Plant each bulb in a 6-7" pot in standard potting soil, place in a warm sunny window, water only when the top inch of soil feels dry, and in 8-10 weeks you will be enjoying big beautiful flowers. You don't even have to fertilize. There is plenty of food for producing the flowers stored in the bulb. There are many online sources but, I ordered this year from White Flower Farm . 'Aphrodite' is shown in the photo above. I really liked the way each petal has a sharp red line along the edge. The other variety I tried this year was 'Sweet Nymph' which was a nice solid pink. The one I grew last year was 'Dancing Queen'. I highly recommend any of these three. You can regrow the bulbs after flowering in hopes that they will flower again next winter but, for the price of the bulb, I would rather throw it away after the blooms are finished and try a different one nest season. I received both bulbs in late November and potted them up immediately. 'Sweet Nymph' started blooming at Christmas and 'Aphrodite' is blooming now in mid-January. It was nice they did not bloom at the same time, we had a longer period to enjoy them.