Kaw River State Park, The Low Time

The Kaw River is a much different river right now than it was in June when I last posted pictures from the Kaw River State Park. It's very low, and there are huge sandbars that were not at all visible in June.

I could walk down the boat ramp quite a ways for some downriver views.

And some views across the river, with the wide sandy banks showing.

The trail back into the woods was full of bright colors in the afternoon sun.

These bushes, some about 15 feet high, lined the trail as far back as I could see. There were robins very interested in them, who I don't think appreciated my presence. These are just lovely, the bright red berries and the glowing green foliage. However, I have discovered that these may be the very invasive amur honeysuckle, which is not a good thing to have there.

There were lots of amazing trees sporting amazing colors, too.

Most amazing sight of the day, perhaps, is this view of the valley taken from the top of the hill on the road down to the river, a 15% grade that has to be closed in the winter whenever it's slick. Thanks to Richard Mote for stopping on the road so I could hop out and take this picture.

And just one more, along the less steep part of the road. There are trails leading off all over the place. Someday if I feel up to it, there are places I would like to explore along them.

It was a wonderful afternoon, and a well-timed visit. Today it rained.

Heron Hunter Moon

Out at Lake Shawnee the past couple of nights, I was graced with the gorgeous face of the Moon.

Above images from October 11. Hunter's Moon, so called, some believe, because the falling of the leaves and the clearing of crops from the fields made it easier to track creatures under the bright Moon's light. Also, the cooler weather is better for butchering and preserving meat. Stock up the larder, Winter is coming.

The next night, we went back out hoping for a sight of the Moon and Jupiter. We did see those, but we were also granted the presence of a heron perching on a snag in the middle of this part of the lake, under the light of the Hunter's Moon.

The heron arrived before we could see the Moon, and then, she appeared:

The heron stayed, as far as I know, the entire time we were there under the Hunter's Moon.

The Moon alone, never as interesting to me as when She plays with trees and clouds and the lake, but this was the gorgeous color of her face when she rose out of the clouds.

There was a very strong moon path this night. At times the waves on the lake made it appear like a series of Moons rippling through part of the water.

As far as the Moon and Jupiter, it was indeed a wonderful sight, but my photographic capabilities could not do it justice. Imagine the Moon above in the image below, and reflected on the rippling lake, add the conversation of the geese and the patient heron still sitting, and you will come closer to the wonder of it all.

Why, there was a Moon out there

Now that it's Full Moon time again already, I get around to posting last month's Full Moon. So, the Full Moon of September, at Lake Shawnee. Enjoy, I always do.

Moon in the water.

There was a lot of some kind of "stuff" in the water that added an interesting texture to the moon path.

More Monarda

Will she ever quit talking about that dang Monarda? Well, maybe eventually, but right now it's just so lovely I can't quit looking at it.

See?

And from the weather report, blue, blue skies, glowing green plants, and tiny little harmless white clouds. Life is good.

The Water is Wide--Kaw River State Park, June 03 2011

Last time we visited the Kaw River State Park, a couple of weeks ago, the river was fairly low. Not so today. After the rains of earlier this week, it is definitely not low now.

The water had been up nearly to the top of the boat ramp.

It looks good this way! And it actually moves.

Another pretty nice view.

The water is wide, I cannot get o'er...

A cottonwood at the river's edge.

The water almost looks inviting, it was in the lower 90s out there today. Whew. Shade was nice!

View from a little ways up toward a trail head. We weren't really into walking trails today, though.

Lovely, lovely leaves of three. Thanks to the rhyme, we let them be. One of my European friends says "but they look so innocent!" Uh, no.

On the way out of the trail head, there was some lovely flowering grass that needed its picture taken. I should know this, it's very common, but I can't think of the name right now.

It was a nice little trip, good to see a different face of the Kaw this time.

Well, that was exciting.

Last night in and around Topeka, in fact pretty much all over NE KS, there was excitement. For me, it was the first time in my life I have ever gotten pictures of actual funnel clouds. We were lucky here--the tornadoes were mostly weak and not well organized. There was some hail damage, more on that later. In the meantime, views from the Blackbird Espresso Cafe, where Rich and I were joshing about the non-Rapture when the sirens sounded. Topeka was lucky; Reading, KS, in Lyon County, was not.

Before the storms, the sky to the south was blue with white clouds. Note the wind from the SW, though.

To the north, a whole different picture.

Unsettled skies.

Mammatus clouds, just a line of them against the blue and white. This is one of the most odd cloud formations I've ever taken a picture of, and one of the most interesting. Almost like an abstract of some kind.

View of the approaching storms looking to the northwest from the back door of the Blackbird.

Hail in front of the front door of the Bird. Rich's car was out there, but this hail was fairly small and he didn't get any damage. The hail was larger at my house, but my car didn't take any damage, either. Kathy wasn't quite so lucky; she was parked downtown while at work and her car is full of dents from golf ball sized hail.

Back at the back door again, and yes, ladies and gentlemen, that is a funnel cloud. This one did not connect with the ground, and was coming from Auburn, SW of Topeka, and paseed south and east of us.

Another little straggle of a funnel. This was definitely a multiple-vortex storm.

It was frustrating being in the city with the view blocked by buildings and trees; but then again, it was raining and hailing and thundering and so forth, so I wouldn't have been wanting to stand out in the open somewhere either. Besides, we didn't really know at this point how strong these storms were going to get, or not.

Another small, weak funnel.

Very dramatic, very strange clouds, around to the front of the Bird again.

Just incredibly strange and wonderful.

Ah, and look--off to the ESE, there is the funnel from the other side now.

This is the shot everyone likes. You can see how feathery and light the funnel looks, but it's definitely a tornado. An EF-0 according to the NWS.

This was the size of the hail at the house, where the only damage noted was a lot of twigs and leaves littering the area around the trees, and some unhappy-looking iris and peonies. We were so lucky.

Tonight I am sad for Joplin, MO as well as Reading, KS. Joplin was hit by a mile-wide tornado right through the center of the city this evening, with massive damage and some unknown amount of loss of life.

It's Spring, and that means pretty flowers, baby birds, and terror in the skies.