Look right along the edge of the tall grass – Photo: L. Weikel

Monday Evening Sightings

Our walk this evening began a little bit later than usual. While I yearned to move my body, I had zero interest in perambulating through air so hot and thick it felt like I was stepping into a steam room. So I waited until the sun was nearly set, hovering just above the horizon, which cooled things off just enough to make the atmosphere breathable and bearable. We still managed to get in some Monday evening sightings.

Lately, when taking our longer route, we’ve not only been encountering the Hounds of the Baskervilles (always a hair-raising treat for Spartacus – literally), we’ve also been treated to the hilarious sight of one of another neighbor’s ducks running home. It doesn’t seem to matter when we’ve walked over the past week or so, though. I’m starting to wonder if we’re their makeshift alarm clock to return home for the night.

The ducks always know we’re coming, no matter what time we happen to be walking by; we can hardly sneak up on them. Heck, the Hounds either bay eerily from their kennels across the field (sensing our passage along their property line) or barrel toward us with bared teeth and snarling invectives. Either way, they trigger the pups that live with the ducks (a few homes down the road) to pick up the greeting and yap at us furiously. (Yes, one’s definitely a Chihuahua and qualifies as a yapper; he’s an incessant – if adorable – yapper, as a matter of fact.)

Tonight, though, I noticed they were not alone as they scampered in their hilarious duck-waddles across the field to the safety of their home. Look closely; you’ll see.

Baby something… – Photo: L. Weikel

Weird Clouds

The clouds tonight were whimsical and evocative. When they billow and fold, reflect tangerine hues among slate gray shadows, and morph before my eyes, it’s hard for me (and my imagination) to simply look upon them and think, “Meh.”

Here’s one that reminded me of a massive stuffed animal sitting in the western sky. It looked like a stuffed Shar-Pei to me, but now that I’ve uploaded the photo I’m thinking it may look more like a baby hippo.

Close beside the stuffed animal cloud, rising up from behind the trees and shifting shape before my eyes was what I’m calling a Menagerie Cloud. The longer I look at this billowing mass of water vapor the more animals I see.

Menagerie Cloud – Photo: L. Weikel

Saving a Few

I’m saving a few of the photos I took today because I suspect the arrival of the remnants of Hurricane Ida may impinge upon my ability to get out and about over the next few days. While I’ll try to squeeze in a quick walk between the raindrops, we’re just going to have to wait and see.

(T-88)