Changes

The yellows and oranges and bronzes and reds and burgundies are overtaking the palette of greens...some pictures from Gage Park this afternoon.

The oaks and maples haven't really gotten started yet, though.

Butterfly Milkweed (by Greg W.)

Maybe the brightest of the summer wildflowers around Topeka--I love seeing a field of these joyous blooms, and as the name indicates, the butterflies love them too. The adult butterflies feed on the nectar, and the Monarch butterfly caterpillars eat the leaves and make themselves unappetizing to critters who want them for lunch.

I like that.

Coneflower (by Greg W.)

Another nice flower picture, thanks, Greg! This is what I call a coneflower. Not being a botanist except in the most amateur of ways, I can't say exactly what sort, but it's a wonderful summer sight.

Monarda (by Greg W.)

Monarda, known to me as "bee balm." A mid-to-late summer bloomer in this part of the world. It attracts bees, butterflies, and sometimes even hummingbirds. If I make a wildflower garden, I'll certainly plant some. We need to help out our pollinators!

Cow Slobbers (by Greg W.)

Greg assures me this lovely spiderwort plant is also known as "Cow Slobbers." I'm not even sure I want to know why...

Though not currently in bloom here, it does grow in abundance around Topeka and blooms in the spring and early summer. I have a bit in my yard.

Cow Slobbers.

Sunset Sunflower

Waiting for the moon to rise, I saw this sunflower illuminated by the sunset it was facing. It's very fierce.

Harvest Moon

Partway up on Burnett's Mound--couldn't climb clear to the top. I have loved these big orange Harvest Moons ever since childhood, and this was a spectacularly pretty one.

Still Seeking Contributors

Just a reminder: my intent in creating this blog was to provide a place to show pictures of Topeka--not just my own, but contributed by anyone who wants to participate. If you have pictures you want to share, please contact me via email at k.l.holmes13 at gmail.com. If you have a Blogspot account (which is free, by the way), I can set it up so you can author posts here and post your own pics anytime. If you don't want to do that, you can email pictures to me and I'll post them under your name. Copyright remains with the artist.

Edit to add: Thanks, Greg W., for the beautiful wildflower pictures from around the Topeka area. I'll be adding more of them later.

Anyone else? You know you want to...

Lola's Neon on a Drippy Day

Lola's, Fleming Place at 10th & Gage, where I spend probably too much of my somewhat free time, and where I interact and discourse with people of like mind, unlike mind, and hardly any mind at all.

We all love it.

Since the rain won't quit, I'll picture it

OK, it's been raining in Topeka every single day for what, a week? Except for three days ago, when it was nice and cool and sunny, and I had to go to Lawrence that day. I got a good picture there, but it's not from Topeka so I won't lie and post it here.

So, this is my day in Topeka.

George!

This is George.

George drinks coffee nearly every day at Lola's Cafe Espresso when he's not running off to California, Alaska, or other parts of the world. He also volunteers at Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library, goes to weekly meetings of a writer's club at Barnes & Noble, is active in the UUFT, and takes classes at Washburn University.

George studied for the ministry but spent most of his "working" days as a teacher.

George is a writer, an artist, a storyteller, a poet, an actor, and a very entertaining personality and friend.

He's one of Topeka's treasures.

Topeka Has Poetry!

Not all the poets on this list are from Topeka, but sometimes some of them are. For updates on the readings organized by Top City Poetry, go to their website, Top City Poetry. Please check that site before coming, as dates do occasionally change.

And do come and enjoy! I'll be at as many of these as possible myself.