Sightings........

There haven't been any Luke sightings of late......if anyone knows if he's still in medical school please send updates. :) Meanwhile, there have been other sightings......

Beautiful Grey Fox

Lydia watched a mouse and her newborns on our Painted Rocks Property. She's carrying one of her babies.

September Ames Art Festival

Sculpture Garden

It's not so much what you see...as it is how you see it.

Baby Mountain Lion

Puma, Mountain Lion, Panther, or Cougar...many names for a beautiful wildcat.

'Diesel'

Wolves are loyal pack members and have deep, haunting eyes; the wild ones do not come in 'sheep's clothing'.......this one was born in mid-March. His name is 'Diesel'.

'Deep Nature'

When I was young my playgrounds were forests, fields, and ocean - not much has changed except my 'ocean' is now a big lake in central Iowa. The preservation of these wild and natural places - especially the remaining Iowa prairies is the heart of a wondrous new book 'Deep Nature: Photographs from Iowa'. The photography by Robert and Linda Scarth is extraordinary and the essay - by my good friend John Pearson, aka 'Professor Lichen' - is a deeply perceptive narrative of the preservation of our prairies over a span of 30 years. I am amazed at his awareness and knowledge of these natural places, and hope that everyone reading this will find the opportunity to read his essay. This lovely field guide quotes Australian, Paddy Pallin, " The best place is here and the best time is now." I can't think of a better way to affirm that today is the day to appreciate what is around us........and I'm grateful the IDNR chose to employ an ecologist that has, indeed, tackled an impossible task.

Blossoming Photographer

Lydia was gracious to spend her morning as a GAAR photographer. She's always been the artist of the group (although recognizing we now have lots of new Erbes artists) - interlaced on her media card between the photos of athletes are flowers, rocks, feet, birds, and a really strange gloved hand protruding on a stick that she dismissed as something from the 'Blair Witch Project'.......

Here's a sample of what I found on the card - which, by the way, they showed on WHO TV. :)

Moonlight Paddle

On A Moonlite Night.......

Old Friends and New......

And a New Book to View (but that needs a blog of it's own - stay tuned)

GAAR - Great Ames Adventure Race 2009

Karen
Repeat Winners

Beth Ames Fire and Rescue

So Long!

Photos by: Lydia Lowry, Jeff White, and me.