For the first evening that we are trying to save the daylight, which, by the way, is not endangered out here, the Painter went a little wild jamming with the clouds.
Venus and Mars showed up at 6:30 am, the time formerly known as 5:30 am.
Daddy Owl enjoying the colors
Resa’s tree kissed colorful Dawn
Cracked clouds strangled sun
Cracked clouds covered Corrales
The Rio Grande eats bank crumbles
Clouds collided
Cranes look north anticipation
A final gasp glowing color
Daddy perches tangled arches
Tangle Heart pinches purple
Dawn
I didn’t see Daddy Owl when I first went out tonight, and Mama Owl’s ear tufts just barely showed in her nest. I walked over to see the cranes. On the way back from the cranes I could hear Mama Owl hooting from her nest, but there was no answer from Daddy Owl. When I got up to our gate, I heard Daddy Owl answering with different hoots than the normal hoots when he answers Mama Owl. It was getting dark, but I walked down to see what was up with Daddy Owl. He had a gopher. He sat on a large branch and continued his hooting. When the dusk was almost darkness, I saw the silhouette of Mama Owl pop up out of the nest. The Bazooka could not focus on her in the darkness. She flew over to Daddy Owl, he gave her the gopher, and she flew back to her nest. I got a blurry shot right after Daddy Owl gave Mama Owl the gopher.
You can see how much bigger Mama Owl is than Daddy Owl.
Almost half-moon tonight
The forecast was for rain between 2:00 am and 5:00 am, clearing after sunrise with winds in the afternoon. They got the clearing after sunrise and winds right. We didn’t get a drop of rain that I could tell. On my way home at 4:15 pm, the dust made clouds that obscured the sun.
Mama Owl is in the nest! I’ve been checking every night since I photographed Mama and Daddy together on Friday evening to see if I could see Mama Owl in the nest. Last night I didn’t see her, but tonight I could see the top of her head. When I said, “Mama Owl, you are on the nest!” She popped her head up just enough to look over the edge at me and let her ear tuffs blow in the wind. The evening sky was celebrating mama owl with a display of beautiful colors after sundown.
Daddy Owl was deep in thought.
At dusk tonight, Daddy Owl was sitting under the moon. The moon is almost full at 93.9%. The full moon is on Wednesday. He was very patient with me getting very close, kneeling under him on the levee to get the moon circled around his head. At first, I was inside the minimum focus range of 11 feet for the Bazooka, so I have to scoot back a little.
Daddy Owl going “Aak! Aak! Aak!”
Daddy owl let me get close again tonight, and he paused from posing to puke up a pellet. I felt honored to be part of his pellet puking circle.
Back to posing.
The moon is a little over half full tonight at 64.3%.
Since we had cloud cover for the first two days I would have seen the sliver moon, I only have the seven moonshots so far in February.
Catching air
From the Ministry of Silly Walks on Water.
Sunset looking to the southeast over the Rio Grande.
Trees and clouds at dusk looking northwest from the levee.
Meet Buddy. He’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and he’s our newest staff member. We have not been able to find sufficient staff, so we’ve gone to the dogs for new hires. Buddy is young and impressionable, therefore, we can train him in his office doggie duties.
Being so young, he’s not quite up to full-time work and fell asleep on the job. Buddy is Ailene’s dog. Her husband died last month after battling cancer for a year. She got a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel because they are easygoing, people-oriented dogs. Buddy spent the morning in my office while Ailene was at a meeting.
I took a walk around the long block (about a mile to get all the way around) at the office today. The clouds were excellent from the east and the west.
Daddy Owl at dusk.
Purple Dawn
Dusk
Icy wind picks up
Pulls leaf free from snowbound hold
Underfoot no more
Today’s wind was favorable for the leaf that was snowbound last night. The leaf was blown free of its icy hold, left lying peacefully off to the side of the trail no longer underfoot. Below is The Who’s “I’m Free” live in 1977 to celebrate the leaf’s luck of the draw.
Daddy owl eyeing me through a tangle of twigs.
This American Coot was foraging on the sandbar. Then it started to take flight and decided against it.
pTerodactyl trying to hide behind a tumbleweed.
Venus at dawn under clear skies.
After having cloud cover for most of the day, these were the last few clouds hanging around at sunset.
Off Center & Not Even 