R Clay Stiles @webbadass

An American goldfinch on one of my prairie sunflowers.

Nice cluster of Tibouchina flowers, now that is purple!

‘The Cottage by the Cliff Lisa Davies Maybe new ( to me) not sure Love this it’s so neat and precise, even has a laundry line and birds on the roof …

More Erythrostemon

In a year where bumble bee activity has been concerningly low in my gardens, it's a treat to see some rusty-patched bumble bee activity today! Saw one a little over a week ago as well.

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A pair of White-tailed Deer fawns bound across a hay field. Even though these young deer likely are only about two months old they sprint with the ease, grace, and speed of their mom, who was in the lead just out of the picture.

Creamsicle One secretly enjoys the hut when no one else is around. Shh don’t tell

The cats got a COOLING MAT. (Creamsicle One is in back, C2 in front.)

For all my dear Twitter pals who are stuck inside this evening, come for a walk along the ditch path tonight. Hemp-agrimony (pink flowers) borders the path, huge Butterbur leaves are at our feet and new reed fronds are emerging. Enjoy the walk my friends.

Abutilon pictum

Friends! Baby Dog has been in a funny mood since his Tree Disappointment yesterday. Mum walked into the Living Room to find that the Cat Toybox had been RAIDED! Mice EVERYWHERE! I think I know who did it. Oh dear. 🐭 P.S. Please could you hit share for us today. We are disappearing again! ❤️

The Eastern-tailed Blue is a small bluish butterfly with one narrow tail on the hindwing. It flies in the Adirondacks from late spring through late September. wildadirondacks.org/adirondack-but…

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New study provides first evidence of dopamine system injury in the brain of long COVID patients medicalxpress.com/news/2026-07-e…

Wildflower Wednesday! Right now is the time to go out & see if you can find North Dakota’s only federally protected plant. The rare & beautiful Western Prairie Fringed Orchid. prairiewanderlust.etsy.com #photography #nature #wildflowers #prairie #northdakota

Not my Daily Diary Saturday 4th July 2026 #DementiaAwareness Happy Independence Day to all my American friends and followers! I hope you’re enjoying the celebrations, the fireworks, the barbecues, and precious time with family and friends. Even though we’re over here in the UK, I always think of you on this day and send warm wishes across the Atlantic. Today started quietly after yesterday’s busy Friday. I didn’t rush straight outside to do the watering, I needed to get a wash on first. I headed down to the laundry room, I never seemed to keep up with the bath towels!. After a little tidying up indoors, I finally tackled the watering. It was cloudy this morning with no sign of sunshine, but still a pleasant 19°C rising to 23°C in the afternoon . The flowerbeds were really parched, so they got a good long soak. The whole job took about two hours. A few weeks ago, we had an electricity problem that stopped all the pond pumps. I managed to get the waterfall going again, but the fountain and the long pond (our “Suez Canal”) have been out of action for ages. I decided today was the day to sort them. The old wiring needed ripping out. It wasn’t a huge job, but it was quite fiddly. After about an hour of replacing it all, I flipped the big switch and was delighted to see the pond running again. Sadly, the fountain still isn’t working, but I’d run out of time by then. Chris was up and ready, so my garden time was over for the day. Still, I can’t complain, I had a solid four hours out there, thanks to Chris staying in bed watching "Help I’ve Bought a Village." We had nothing planned today and stayed home. I did nip out quickly to the garage for fuel and to pick up our Saturday newspapers before Chris got up, I was there and back in just ten minutes. This afternoon, Chris carried on with more episodes of "Help I’ve Bought a Village", she absolutely loves that programme. When I see the trials and tribulations these people go through to renovate centuries old villages, it really puts everything into perspective and makes my life seem so much easier by comparison. One of the things I’ve learned on this dementia journey is that repetition like this is actually very common and often comforting for people living with the condition. Familiar programmes provide a sense of security and predictability in a world that can feel confusing. The stories are known. There’s no pressure to follow a complicated new plot, and it brings her real enjoyment and calm. It reminds me how important it is to focus on what brings comfort rather than worry about variety. I try to balance it with other familiar programmes, but if a favourite show helps her feel safe and happy, then I’m happy she watches it as many times as she needs. It's a background noise for me while I draw when I can. For dinner, I cooked a four-cheese pizza with homemade chips. Chris didn’t eat much of the pizza again. That’s the second week running, so I think I’ll need to rethink our Saturday menu. Sport completely dominated the TV today, football, tennis, the Formula One Grand Prix, cricket, and the Tour de France. It makes my job of finding something we can both enjoy increasingly difficult! So instead, Chris spent the evening watching more ancient villages being renovated. At least I'm picking up lots of DIY tips from the storylines! At 9pm, Chris watched "Harry and Meghan The wedding that split two families." Now, I know my brain is disintegrating. Have a lovely evening or day wherever you are. If you’re celebrating, I hope you have a wonderful time. Keith and Chris xx

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Flower Friday! A couple of color variations of Wild Roses I came across while wandering the Dakota prairie. prairiewanderlust.etsy.com #photography #nature #wildflowers #northdakota #prairie #grasslands #wandering

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Young Red-tailed Hawks just out of the nest - like this one - have light blue eyes. They will turn yellow during his/her first year, and then to dark brown the following year.

good morning

@weskrantz Wow! And a very good morning to too, sir.

Acrylic on canvas, 50 × 60 cm «The Secret of the Evening Lake» Sometimes we all long for a little more silence and peace, especially when life feels full of noise, emotions, and endless thoughts. For me, the most comforting subject to paint is always sunsets and sunrises. I love the way warm glowing colors meet cool shadows, creating those brief moments when everything feels balanced and calm. While working on this painting, I kept thinking it needed something more. I tried adding people, then birds, then tiny insects. Later I experimented with shimmering lights, almost like fireflies dancing above the water. In the end, I stopped before fully developing them. At some point I realized that this landscape didn’t need anyone or anything else. Its quietness was already enough. So I left it exactly as it is. Wishing you a moment of stillness, peace, and the chance to spend time either with yourself or with the people who make you feel at home. #LandscapePainting #SunsetArt #AcrylicPainting #ContemporaryArt #ArtCollector