Kellers On The Prairie

A Fighting February Sky Watch Friday ...

2012-02-18T07:30:00.005-06:00

We had a gorgeous Sky all day yesterday. While I relate many of my photographs to songs coming from my satellite radio, I followed these clouds to the tune of an argument going on between two friends in my car.

Skies happen for a reason. For me, the mere sight of what's happening above us is meant to draw us away from ourselves and our struggles. I clung to my sky, and my Nikon, for the best reason I knew of ... it's never going to look this way again. And it's just for you, with love from The Prairie.

There are skies. There are people. There are arguments and there is harmony. It's all there at Sky Watch Friday. And we are watching it for you all the way around the World.

Mister MoJo Rising ...

2012-02-03T19:27:00.008-06:00

I'm good at stumbling upon cool stuff. I'm always looking for cool stuff. But I couldn't have found this. It just was ... all because I took the time to pull off of Interstate 29 and head east on a country road.

I was following a bank of clouds that looked like the Ocean. Then I found a cemetery, a mysterious house, and a beautifully wild field of harvested corn.

But this ... all I did was brave the wind and point my camera towards the Sun. And Jim Morrison was wailing on about his L.A. Woman.

At http://www.skyley.blogspot.com you will find a visual litany of our world's skies. Some from one corner and some from another. All have people behind them with good MoJo.

Spreading The Love Sky Watch Friday ...

2012-01-27T06:59:00.006-06:00

I love my trees. At the northwest corner they come together to protrude out into the rich black snow covered soil. I stopped for this -7 degrees photograph just as the sun was about to go down beyond them. The things I do for love ... and other people around the World are doing them too at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Dinosaur's Door Sky Watch Friday ...

2012-01-19T22:39:00.013-06:00

It's been wicked cold here on The Prairie. I've been taking photos of things that look the part. This little building was once a Sinclair gas station here in town. The Dinosaur was phased out in 1969 when Atlantic Richfield bought Sinclair ... big mistake. Who "dumps" a Dinosaur ? It was -8 degrees when I snapped the Dinosaur and his door:

It may be cold skies here on The Prairie, but at Sky Watch Frid ay you'll find warm ones too. We're here to remind you to look up. And while you're doing so, don't miss what's in the trees.

Sky Watch Friday ...

2012-01-14T09:04:00.004-06:00

The Earth and Sky meet with the mere hint of a break between the two. The shelter belt is still, yet there is life ... Pheasants, Rabbits, and perhaps a few Blue Jays who didn't care to venture South.

Many of my favorite photographs say it best by saying nothing at all. I leave it up to you to find it's beauty and meaning.

See what your World is saying, or not, at Sky Watch Friday.

Sky Watch For Yann ...

2012-01-06T08:37:00.003-06:00

Many of you know the work of Yann Arthus Bertrand in the Earth From Above Series. I own the book of 366 Days. It sits open at the table on my sun porch where I turn the page each day, considering the photographs and their location. It's my way of traveling to exotic lands.

I took this photograph of the rising sun through a thin sheet of ice outside the window of my east facing back door. Fortunately I have another back door, this one allowing access to the setting sun from my porch. I keep a close watch on these ever changing ice patterns and the colors in the sky as they splay out behind them.

You have many different friends around the world who are clamoring for your attention in many different ways at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com It's our way of helping you to keep your eye on the sky.

Diane's Clock ...

2011-12-31T09:09:00.005-06:00

Time is something I obsess about when things aren't going well. I either have an overabundance of time or a lack thereof. The study of Time is called Horology and in 2012 that's my plan ... to study it so I can make better use of it.

Happy New Year 2012 from Kellers On The Prairie. Be safe tonight.

Saint Henry Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-12-23T06:28:00.003-06:00

Good Morning World. The Catholic Church in Henry, South Dakota got a brand spankin' new red metal roof this fall. Talk about sharp ... I love it.

Merry Christmas from The Prairie. Around the world we are all looking for Santa at Sky Watch Friday.

No Snow Sky Watch ...

2011-12-15T12:10:00.004-06:00

What little snow we have had is nearly gone and the chances for a White Christmas aren't good. That's very rare here, in addition to temperatures in the high 30's. Yet we are all busy here on The Prairie with preparations for the Holiday.

I have just returned from a road trip with my friend Polly from Bainbridge Island, Washington. We drove from here to Cheyenne, Wyoming where our friend Theresa lives, then on to Boulder, Colorado to her place there for a long weekend. The three of us have not been together for almost 15 years, a class reunion or two ago. We met in the 7th Grade at Watertown Junior High School.

It's fantastic to be heading into Christmas after having had such a great vacation with these awesome Lady Friends. A refreshed perspective is always good this time of year.

Check out http://www.skyley.blogspot.com for another's comings and goings as well as their latest captures of this gorgeous sky God gave us to enjoy. I'm sure it's all good ...

Sky Watch Friday ... What Is Art ?

2011-11-19T09:45:00.011-06:00

My Letter To The Editor was printed in yesterday's Public Opinion.

The Northeastern Artists Network "Deck The Walls" annual Art Show took place here last weekend. If you took time to appreciate these artists, we thank you. Perhaps you saw the show while attending Laura Dahle's Empty Bowl Project which was held in conjunction and benefits People Against Child Hunger. If you did not attend, intentionally or otherwise, please consider these thoughts.

Art is the process of arranging items, with symbolic significance, in order to influence our senses, emotions, and intellect. Art is expressed through music, literature, movies, sculpture, painting, photography, carving, jewelry, glass works, pottery, collage, and fiber.

Long ago, art meant skill. That changed during the romantic period when it became "a special faculty of the human mind to be classified with religion and science." Finally, art is made with one purpose only: to stimulate thought and emotion.

I take the explanations of art from my dictionary, Google, and Wickipedia, to make my point: It's important. It's good stuff. It would not be aligned with Religion and Science if it were not.

To ignore Art is a mistake. To take it for granted is shameful. We should see it and dare to understand it. If we don't stimulate thought and emotion through Art generated in our world as well as our community, what are we doing ?

You may be a struggling wage earner with several jobs. You're a farmer, a highly paid executive, or a business owner. You govern us or sit on a board ... it matters not. If you fail to take an interest in the Art created in Watertown, you fail your community. You fail your world. You fail yourself.

Opinions make the world go round ... and so does Art. Check out Sky Watch Friday. It's your world. Photo: the old church turned welding shop, Tinkertown, South Dakota.

What A Beautiful Mess I'm In ...

2011-11-10T16:58:00.005-06:00

There is no better feeling than screaming down the highway and seeing something that takes your breath away. For me, it's a must stop situation. This happens to me often here on The Prairie. It's a rare occasion for me to ignore the call to capture a scene that may only last a moment or so.

This week it was a field of Sunflowers, under a wavy gravy sky west of Clark, South Dakota. And one lone Sunflower spoke to us all.

At Sky Watch Friday the Earth is calling to you from every corner.

A Rare & Scientific Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-11-06T08:37:00.004-06:00

These trees are ours. They border the north side of our 3.22 acres. The dirt belongs to a guy named Steve, who rents it out to a guy named Nathan. Nathan just harvested his wheat and what you see here, the soil, is all glacial debris that has traveled from Canada with the glaciers. It's very handy to be married to a Scientist.

A simple blue sky without clouds is rare here on The Prairie. Check out Sky Watch Friday where rare can sometimes be the norm ... or not.

Girlie Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-10-28T09:01:00.006-05:00

Yesterday morning the Sun was a Girl. I knew that to the tips of my own Girlie toes.

I had to be in town early which gave me the opportunity to catch the band of fog that had rolled over the field of winter wheat and backed itself up to the morning Sun. I pulled over and hung out.

Like a Girl, you really don't know what's coming until you consider each and every element and emotion going on around her. On a good day you will see this ... her soft and feminine side surrounding her, and what appear to be flower petals around her face.

There are other sides to the story at Sky Watch Friday. Some feminine, some masculine. All created by someone who cared enough to stop, look, click and tell you all about it. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Dot Your i's Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-10-21T07:41:00.012-05:00

I took this photograph yesterday evening at a benefit for our Codington County Heritage Museum. Bernie Hunhoff, the founder of South Dakota Magazine, was the entertainment. He's a very funny guy and told some great stories on people from around here.

I really love the firey energy of the sun and sky in this photograph, along with the serenity of the water and the activity on the boat. This sunset formed pretty quickly and the sky went through quite a few very soft pastel changes after the sun was actually down.

Take a look at someone else's evening and find out what it meant to them at Sky Watch Friday. And don't forget to cross your t's too.

I Swear To God Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-10-14T22:42:00.003-05:00

Half of my heart is back in Custer tumbling along with this vivid band of storm clouds. See 9 September for an additional view.

In this big beautiful world, no two photographers click alike ... see what I'm talking about at Sky Watch Friday.

SDSU Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-10-08T09:39:00.014-05:00

I typically find beautiful Architecture in this part of the world in the buildings along main streets of our small towns.

I visited the SDSU Campus yesterday and when the tower came out of the clouds at me I had to do a double take and say "whoa" ... Built in 1929, the University’s most recognized symbol is the Campanile Tower. It was funded by Charles L. Coughlin, an electrical engineering graduate. Coughlin was president of Briggs & Stratton Corporation. Steven Briggs, inventor of the Briggs & Stratton engine, was a graduate as well.

The university's Dairy Plant invented Cookies & Cream ice cream : ) SDSU is also home to the Lady Jacks. More to come on them. What else is out there, up in the sky? Find out at Sky Watch Friday around the world.

Life Lesson Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-10-01T10:38:00.006-05:00

If more people would spend more time looking up, there would be less negative energy. Period. I shot this last month in The Badlands.

I am continually inspired by what I see in the Sky each and every day. My appreciation for what goes on up there has been finely tuned by Sky Watch Friday. Thanks to the Team and thanks to all of you.

Now get out there, look up, and Peace Out. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Henry James Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-09-23T10:21:00.005-05:00

"One ought to feel one's relation to things ... to others." At Sky Watch Friday we are doing just that.

Singing My Soul Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-09-16T13:17:00.008-05:00

My soul singing Sky Watch photo tells you exactly what our days are now like, here on The Prairie. It's nearly Fall and there is so much to sing about. See what we sound like at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com.

Storm In Custer State Park ...

2011-09-09T10:00:00.004-05:00

Ron and I took an amazing 10 day camping trip to The Black Hills recently. Ruby Thursday came along and the three of us shared a tent behind Al, Cheryl, and Chris, in their luxurious Avignon with all of the conveniences necessary to take the bite out of "Roughing It". Our first evening there we took a beautiful drive to check out our surroundings. As we neared the turn into the campground the clouds around us moved together and formed this amazing spectacle. Al and I grabbed our cameras and began shooting. It was difficult to pick just one photograph for Sky Watch Friday. I chose this one for the effect of the trees on the mountain and how they matched the color of the clouds. I really do live an amazing life ... and if it's out there, I'm going to capture it. Check out Sky Watch Friday when you leave here. You have friends around the world who want to show you what they captured for you too.

Bad Lands ...

2011-09-05T10:52:00.003-05:00

On the way home from our camping trip in Custer State Park we went through the Bad Lands. It was a drizzly day and the rain's moisture penetrated the colors in an amazing way. A few of my friends from Custer made their way into this photo. Love from The Prairie ... have a great Labor Day.

Simply Blue ...

2011-09-02T14:33:00.006-05:00

The soft blue sky is a great backdrop to the vivid erosion of The Badlands. Just that. And it's great to be back home. See what your other peeps are up to at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Follow That Cloud Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-08-18T16:37:00.012-05:00

I take all of my photographs in color these days but some of them are just meant to be black and white. I followed this amazing cloud two weeks ago, shooting around it as much as I possibly could. This one was taken at Lake Pelican near the end of the road we live on. It's in a show that will be up during the month of September at the Goss Opera House. It's called "Too Soon Moon" ... I love my job.

Check out http://www.skyley.blogspot.com You have more friends who also follow clouds all the way around the world.

A Cloud In The Sky ...

2011-08-11T14:44:00.002-05:00

My camera is a priority ... it goes most everywhere with me. I look at things before me, all around me, up above and down below me. I have an appreciation for most everything, especially if it is beautiful, interesting, funny, or sad ... the list of adjectives goes on and on. So when I take a photograph it's because I am on to something. And around the World there are people with cameras who think like I think and do what I do. See what they are on to at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Pa Ingalls Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-07-14T18:29:00.006-05:00

Last week we took our friends Karen and Lee to DeSmet to see where Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up. Karen lives in China and Lee lives in Indianapolis. They both read these books as children and Karen actually learned to speak German by watching the Little House On The Prairie reruns while living there. I had a difficult time disassociating Michael Landon with the place. So here's one for Pa Ingalls ... the church on the road up to the Farm. See what your Earth family has to show and tell at Sky Watch Friday.

Scenography Sky Watch ...

2011-07-08T01:02:00.014-05:00

The object in perspective here is what I believe to be a planet. You might see what it looks like from the other side at http://skyley.blogspot.com/

This Sky Of Mine ...

2011-07-01T08:27:00.001-05:00

It follows me everywhere. Sky Watch Friday ... see where else it has been.

Roof Meets Sky ...

2011-06-24T10:34:00.003-05:00

I visited my cousins on their Farm near Ipswich, South Dakota last weekend. We walked the property while the sun was setting on Saturday evening. I wandered off to find the soft light of the pastel sky and it's interesting contrast to the 100 year old roof of this building. SKY WATCH FRIDAY ...

The Wonder Of It All Baby, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah ...

2011-06-21T17:55:00.004-05:00

I am in love. My new Girlfriend's name is Bambette. She is beautiful and came through my back yard this morning while I was having coffee on the porch. She was nibbling on my white flowering crab apple tree. She can have it. Ron put a feeder out for her and filled it with corn. xoxo from The Prairie. Did I mention that I love my life?

Wow, Dad ...

2011-06-19T21:35:00.004-05:00

I love you and I totally get the outfit. Happy Father's Day. xoxo.

Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-06-17T07:39:00.004-05:00

I have perches. I go to them when the sky speaks to me. It can take me quite a while to arrive home when it's evening and I have been in town. All my Family needs to do to know where I am is to look up. My extended Family has been looking up too ... see what they came up with at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com. They are your Family too.

Pure Love ...

2011-06-16T06:54:00.009-05:00

Here on The Prairie the first Peony to open is a big deal. They follow the Lilacs ... but it's not a competition. The Peony blossom sets a pattern for itself, and then does not follow. The frail layers, the color, the zest, the passion ... and the fragrance? Why that's the smell of Love.

Hey Woman ...

2011-06-15T06:18:00.002-05:00

Let me know if you need anything. Mi casa su casa.

This Fragile Planet ...

2011-06-13T07:53:00.002-05:00

I am an Episcopalian ... that's Catholic Lite, 1/3 less guilt. Yesterday we celebrated Pentecost, the birth of the church. We said a prayer for the Planet ... this is what the service meant to me. This is how I witness.

It's The Weekend Sky Watch ...

2011-06-10T06:14:00.002-05:00

I am in a silly mood. It's going to last the rest of my life. I am certain. There are other skies and other moods around this silly world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Flirting With Lucinda ...

2011-06-07T10:30:00.002-05:00

I am a Rabbit. I have a clue for a friend ... it's east of Mount Rushmore.

I hide under these daisies because I am shy. I nibble on flowers that belong to someone I love. I don't nibble to anger her ... I nibble because I want her attention. So where was the cracked corn this winter ???

Riding With Grandma ...

2011-06-03T16:34:00.004-05:00

One of my Grandmother's greatest joys in life was going for a ride in the country. After loosing her husband as a young wife, she moved her children into town from off of the farm and went to work for Herberger's.

She managed the china and housewares department, so my Grandma, Marie Van Sickle, knew all of the brides in town. She also stocked many a kitchen through the 40's, 50's and 60's. She loved Farberware, Corelle, and little paring knives.

When I see a scene like this on The Prairie I think of riding in her light blue Ford Fairlane, traveling the gravel roads north of town. It's summer. The sun is setting. And there is a Zesto vanilla ice cream cone in my future.

Check out another summer story at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com It's your planet ... get to know it.

No Contest ...

2011-06-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

If I were a handsome Rabbit at lunch time on The Prairie and I could munch this beautiful Gazania blossom instead of a piece of tree bark, no doubt, I would choose the blossom. Lucinda B. Rabbit might want to join me. She would be impressed by the crunchy texture of the Gazania's center followed by it's sweet tart petals. Maybe she would want to see more of me. A handsome Rabbit can only dream of her soft Bunny nose as it twitches. She doesn't even know me.

What Goes Up Sky Watch ...

2011-05-27T11:13:00.006-05:00

Most of my backyard sunsets are incredibly interesting. Many of my sunsets are spectacular. I call them mine because they happen in my backyard. Your Peeps at Sky Watch Friday are covering the rest of the Planet. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Lettuce In A Pot ...

2011-05-23T09:33:00.003-05:00

I love lettuce. The rabbits around here love it too ... and the German Shepherd here on The Prairie can only do so much. Sioux Valley Nursery is selling pots of lettuce that are ready to eat. You cut the 6 mixed varieties down right away and eat them so that you will have more in 10 days. So far so good and there is plenty coming right back. Isn't it beautiful? Sorry rabbits.

Sky Watching ...

2011-05-21T09:41:00.010-05:00

Feeding the world is a responsibility we take seriously here on The Prairie. We watch the skies for plenty of sun and the perfect amount of rain. 480 acres of wheat surround us and the vegetable garden that Mister Keller planted yesterday. Drops of rain fell through the night and everything is just as it should be. Unless, of course, the world ends this afternoon ... In that case, you might want to check out skies around the world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Just Sitting There Looking Pretty ...

2011-05-17T09:42:00.016-05:00

I am crazy about editing and bringing many of my photographs to a totally different level from where they begin. Many of my shots need that because I take them that way. Sometimes I already know what's going to happen.

And then I take photographs like this ... enter the Columbine. It was sitting there inside it's warm and humid nursery surroundings. The light did not appear to be anything very special. But the detail of this Colorado flower, particularly it's very dramatic tail, always photographs well. I took just this one, primarily for it's "just sitting there" beauty and gave it one layer of an antique effect.

I love it. And I am going to apply the "just sitting there" beauty theory to more of the things I see.

Setting Sun Sky Watch ...

2011-05-13T16:25:00.008-05:00

The leaves on my western shelter belt trees are busy turning green. Spring winds push the clouds along from there to here. My porch provides a perfect spot to catch this vivid entertainment. On Sky Watch Friday I'm paying attention for all of us ... and I love taking my editing up a notch or two just for you. No link to other posts today due to technical issues. Have a great weekend. xoxo from The Prairie.

What I Like About Me Sky Watch ...

2011-05-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

I like that I save things. I have been saving, as opposed to hoarding, all my life. For the past month I've been working on going through those awful cardboard boxes labeled "Momentos" ... my Boyfriend has been going though the photographs and slides. We are no longer cluttered. We are close to being a family of recycled plastic tubs with labels. Oprah would be proud. There are Sky Watch photographers and their stories at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Baby Goat Love ...

2011-04-25T08:31:00.004-05:00

This adorable baby boy Goat, just five days old, snuggled up against my bare neck last week. He lives at Sioux Valley Nursery. My Spring is really just beginning here on The Prairie. And everything old is truly new again at Easter.

No Snow Sky Watch Good Friday ...

2011-04-22T07:31:00.007-05:00

The Prairie has the most beautiful and fertile soil on the Planet. So when that soil has been covered with snow for a good long while I can't help but notice its beauty in the Spring. While last years corn stalks are still standing, making up the hint of brown, underneath it is jet black. The clouds gather in the distance to complete the picture.

On the other side of the Planet there is another picture and another story from someone else who wants to show you their Sky. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Deep Sigh ...

2011-04-20T15:25:00.003-05:00

I stopped in Sioux Valley Nursery this afternoon for the first time this season. I've been decluttering at my house so I wasn't ready to buy anything. I'm focused on Easter Week and having a great Spring and Summer. The Gardenias smelled just as heavenly as they looked.

Spring Sky Watching ...

2011-04-15T12:06:00.003-05:00

Although there is actually a nice Wintery Mix in our forecast. Mother Nature is a tease. See what she's up to on the other side of the Earth at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Snow Means Water Means Life Lesson ...

2011-04-08T08:01:00.006-05:00

I have been photographing this grove of trees for almost 4 years. The melted snow has become what appears to be a new lake. What remains appears to be a shore. As for the sky ... this is likely the last of the wintry clouds. They have become big, puffy, and rolling for summer. They have to do that. It's their job.

There is a lesson here ... don't take a thing for granted. Things can change in an instant. Take a look at skies around the world today, at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com
They won't look like this again.

Pop Corn Geranium ...

2011-04-07T09:10:00.005-05:00

I have a Sun Porch full of Geraniums. I buy them in Spring for my tall black pots along the garage. I can't stand to let them go in the Fall so I cut them all back, dig them all up, and move them all indoors ... thinking all the while that I'll put them back in the Spring. But I don't. Sioux Valley Nursery opens this weekend. And Geraniums will be the first thing I buy.

Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-04-01T08:35:00.004-05:00

A group of geese on the ground is called a gaggle; when geese fly in formation they are called a wedge or a skein. There's a whole lot of shakin' going on here on the Prairie ... and it's Spring around the World at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Raspberry Cheese Pie ...

2011-03-24T08:13:00.003-05:00

This is for F. Carter Smith ... from my Junior League of Houston Star of Texas Cookbook.

Make your own crust from a box (6-3/4 oz) graham crackers, 2/3 cup sugar and a softened stick of butter. Roll the crackers with a pin and combine with sugar and butter. Press firmly and evenly into the sides and bottom of a 9" pie plate and refridgerate for an hour.

Make the filling in a blender after preheating the oven to 375. Add 1.5 hunks of softened cream cheese (12 oz), 2 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon. Whirrrrrrrrrr it for at least a minute and fold in the raspberries gently by hand with a wooden spoon. Pour into the crust, bake for 20 to 25 minutes and cool. It should just be starting to get a little browned in a few places.

Make the topping with 2 cups of sour cream, 3 tbs sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Spread over the cooled pie and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Refrigerate for as long as you can stand ... my minimum is a few hours and it's still going to be a little runny. Seriously, it's better if you wait a day.

Resurrecting Memories ...

2011-03-20T14:12:00.006-05:00

I'm going to stay OUT of the moment for a while. My feet are really not tanned and dusty these days. And there isn't a thing in my Garden that's green. But I was going through photographs today and couldn't leave this one behind.

Suddenly Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-03-18T09:21:00.005-05:00

I try not to assume it's Spring here on The Prairie. After several months spent indoors it's difficult not to. Even when a lone goose flies over my farm quite low to the ground and honks, I remain cautious. And as the snow melts it seems the sky does too. See what people around the world who love to watch the sky have to say today at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Sun Dog Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-03-11T11:25:00.009-06:00

Sun Dogs are visible when the sun is near the horizon and on the same horizontal plane as the observer and the ice crystals. As sunlight passes through the ice crystals, it is bent by 22 degrees before reaching our eyes. This bending of light results in the formation of a Sun Dog. Some of us are scientific. Some of us are artistic. Some of each have a sky for you just because it's Sky Watch Friday http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

I Can't Help Myself ...

2011-03-09T08:42:00.007-06:00

I still love snow. Even on the 9th of March when I open my eyes and it's falling again outside my bedroom window. And especially when I take an alley in town so I don't miss this.

Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-03-04T08:58:00.003-06:00

I travel up and down this road quite often. I call it the scenic route to town. But then again it's all scenery to me. When I saw that the sun behind me was hitting these curling twirling drifts that had formed in the previous night's snowing and blowing, I pulled over. I took just the shot I intended to.

At Sky Watch Friday someone on the other side of the world did the same. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Spring It On Me ...

2011-03-01T12:13:00.000-06:00

This is Spring on The Prairie. I'm looking for bird baths. My favorites are these ... the ones filled with snow to their brims, their centers resting nicely within. I noticed these pretty blue birds in their snow bath in a yard at the Lake on Sunday. It was quite a challenge to get to them.

I do miss my Spring days in Houston where I typically had my gardening projects going by Valentines Day. But I am also one who appreciates the beauty all of this snow, especially during Spring, and how it compliments nearly everything it touches.

You have to be careful who you say that to around here. And you don't even want to mention that the Farmer's Almanac says we're getting another 50" in March.

Bain de Soleil Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-02-24T22:01:00.015-06:00

When I was a teenager I used to lie on the sands of Lake Kampeska perfecting my tan ... not an easy feat for a blue eyed blonde. My girlfriends and I didn't think about SPF content. We thought about straightening our hair without a Chi. And when the cool guys were going to show up. No cell phones ... no text messages ... things just happened.

I stepped out of my warm white GMC truck to snap this photograph of Lake Kampeska on Wednesday. I wasn't wearing my coat so I wasn't planning on taking long. But the Sun got a hold of me ... and it had every bit of my attention. It wasn't warm ... it was hot. It wasn't St. Tropez ... it was The Prairie. And it wasn't even the 1970's ... it was now. See the World's version of someone else's now at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Let's Cook Out ...

2011-02-24T08:36:00.001-06:00

You may have heard about our last Blizzard. I'm taking lots of crazy photos to record our 71" total this year. The Farmers Almanac says we will get another 50" in March. I may have time to complete another indoor project or ten before it's time to plant the Garden.

Walk This Way ...

2011-02-18T08:52:00.004-06:00

But the other way is really pretty too. The Prairie ... it's all good. A sky from every corner of the world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Sun, Shadow and Silver ...

2011-02-15T12:57:00.000-06:00

The sun casts a bold shadow of my Silver Maple over the entire garage ... I don't miss much. Time really is on my side.

Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-02-11T07:42:00.004-06:00

I've been away at the Mayo Clinic for my Mother's heart surgery ... a successful aortic valve replacement donated by a very special Cow. We are having fun with this I can assure you.

This photo is what her blood vessels look like now after coming alive again. At http://www.skyley.blogspot.com the skies around our World are doing other wonderful things.

Winter Moon Over My Home Town ...

2011-01-27T18:11:00.013-06:00

I moved from Watertown to Houston when I was just 16. I spent my summers here during those 37 years and missed only two. I couldn't stay away.

A favorite thing about driving into town, nearly always at night, was how it felt to be at the top of Harmony Hill from Highway 81 and see the lights come into view. It's not that Houston doesn't have lights. These were the lights of Home ... as in where my Grandmother lived.

Now I am able to see those lights every night. This photo is from the road I turn onto from Highway 212 to go Home. The view doesn't change much from my Farm but many things in my new life are different. I lost my sister, Wendy, and my Grandmother passed away. But this is Home and I love it.

Check out http://www.skyley.blogspot.com where others want to show you what Home means to them.

White Swan ...

2011-01-19T08:22:00.009-06:00

Plenty of snow combined with high winds make for amazing sculpture here on The Prairie. When the air hits a structure, it slows down and changes direction. The decrease in the speed of the wind causes the air to drop snow and make a drift. I found this huge white Swan wing yesterday on our drive home around Lake Kampeska. We had just worked out ... an incredible visual reward.

Once Upon A Garden ...

2011-01-17T18:11:00.006-06:00

there was snow. And it was beautiful.

McCrory Gardens, Brookings, SDSU

You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine Sky Watch ...

2011-01-14T08:44:00.011-06:00

Clouds moving with the wind, breaking up, saying goodbye, and getting on with it.
Skies around the world and stories to go with them at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

You Are Here ...

2011-01-12T09:12:00.007-06:00

Knowing where you are is good. I rarely pass up the opportunity to check out the signs I see in various places that tell me where I am ... even if I know exactly where I am.

I ended up back on The Prairie less than a year after my sister, Wendy, died suddenly and unexpectedly. I had been living away from home for thirty seven years. Love drove me back ... my story is an example of God's will. What else can I say ? One thing ... Wendy is here now too. Yesterday afternoon she was sitting at the top of the sun, looking out for me, and keeping her eye on things at my Farm.

This Way Up Sky Watch Friday ...

2011-01-06T22:39:00.009-06:00

This may not be the moon. It may even be upside down. But trust me ... everything is just as it should be. It has to be on a Sky Watch Friday. http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Cold Enough Fer Ya ???

2011-01-04T09:26:00.004-06:00

Yowza !!! It's -8 degrees. On this day in 1912 it was 30. Are you familiar with snow in a can that's used to make your windows look like it's winter? We don't need that here.

Ice Bouquet ...

2011-01-03T06:13:00.008-06:00

Freezing temperatures here on The Prairie don't stop my outdoor creativity ... they actually send me into overdrive with my need for fresh air.

I garden all year long both in the ground and in containers. I bring most of the potted things inside to be cared for over winter. That can amount to 50 or so plants on the sun porch and on shelves in my kitchen windows.

This weekend I made arrangements of greens from trimming indoors. I also made a few with dried things I collected this fall. I moved them out to the deck into vases and vessels that started out as Ice Candles. I saturated them with my mister and layers of sprinkled snow, resulting in what I call Ice Bouquets. They will change every day depending on where they are on the deck in relation to the sun, and whatever my next inspirational step might be.

The additional bonus being one Laurie On The Prairie, in and out all day long, living, moving, breathing and creating.

2011-01-01T16:04:00.000-06:00

Eve Of The New Year - 2011

2010-12-31T09:25:00.009-06:00

Resolutions anyone ? I have one I know I can keep ... to continue looking up. May your New Year take you to new places. And may it also bring awareness of the beauty surrounding you right where you are. Blessings to you, yours, and all people. Love to our creatures, great and small. Love from The Prairie. And love from the world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Dream Weaver ...

2010-12-28T15:39:00.012-06:00

Last summer I began nesting out on the property around our buildings. I have collected many fine things over the years and have never ditched anything I've treasured that I was certain would be timeless according to me.

As a result, here on The Prairie it's a mixture of many things from my many adventures. At the Hen House it's a Moroccan window grill from Surroundings on Sunset Boulevard/Houston. It became a curtain backdrop to an old beautiful door that I drug off of the junk pile at the Apple Inn B&B here on Kemp Avenue during the Fall Clean Up Weekend.

I never dreamed that it would look so pretty this winter. I just knew.

Sky Watch Christmas Eve ...

2010-12-24T07:24:00.008-06:00

The sun setting behind Lake Kampeska on a very cold evening ... Merry Christmas. Check out Christmas skies around the world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Ice Candles 2010 ...

2010-12-20T03:55:00.022-06:00

I am an artist. I have time on my hands. I am dangerous.

My photographs are in the Birch Tree Gallery here on Main Street. And I create night lights with my photographs, using a process called DyeNamic Infusion ... those are in Houston at the gallery of Joan Son. I was not planning this. 2010 has been a great year for Laurie On The Prairie.

These days I am a winter artist of ice, ice candles, icicles and snow. This is a harnessed creativity that will carry me to warmer temperatures. It's free style loosie goosie and it's taking place on my deck.

You can bet your sweet bottom, southern or otherwise, it's cold out there. And art has no temperature gauge. It doesn't get cold. Art happens around the conditions. It's like pulling off a gravel road, laying down in a ditch, and crawling around to capture a cloud. It's art. It's me. I'm giving it my full attention.

I Watch The Sky ...

2010-12-17T13:50:00.001-06:00

I took a road trip to Brookings early this morning. I had my nails done, first things first, then took a walk through McCrory Gardens. This is a formal garden honoring Professor S.A. McCrory, founder of the SDSU Horticulture, Forestry, Landscape and Parks Department in 1947. McCrory Gardens is unique and harmonious ... ohmmmmmmmmmmm. Check out http://www.skyley.blogspot.com and see where another's Sky Watch Friday photo efforts lead you.

Shelter Belts 101 ...

2010-12-11T11:48:00.006-06:00

Here on The Prairie we have Shelter Belts. Long, straight and beautiful rows of trees planted around the edges of fields and farms ... They break the wind and prevent snow from drifting onto roadways and into Farm yards.

Here on my piece of The Prairie, I have two Shelterbelts of my very own. Both strategically planned for the north and west sides. They provide an incredible habitat for my Deer, Pheasants, Ducks, Geese, Rabbits, Fox, Wood Chucks and Birds galore. I love Shelter Belts ... and I am continually drawn to mine and all of my prairie neighbor's as I roam along with my camera.

And after I pull my photographs up in Photo Shop I am drawn in once again. It was very pretty just as it was last night ... but this is what I want you to see this morning. Have yourself a merry little weekend.

Hey Houston, Problem Solved ...

2010-12-09T04:05:00.004-06:00

... If it's about your Christmas list. The blue night light in the shot is one of many that I made for JOAN SON's Christmas show and sale this weekend. Joan is an Artist of Origami and her Gallery is behind Anderson Fair at 904 Welch. You can visit and/or shop on Friday 12 - 8, Saturday 10 - 6, and Sunday 12 - 6. Eight Artists are participating in this annual event ... Merry Christmas from all of us.

I Would Like To Explain ...

2010-12-05T18:54:00.001-06:00

But I am not certain that I should.

Mary on Sky Watch Friday ...

2010-12-03T06:07:00.005-06:00

From Her perch along the Interstate, somewhere between there and here, Mary watches the World ... and She has Peeps at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com who are watching too.

Loving Me Some Ice ...

2010-11-28T09:26:00.003-06:00

This is my icy Silver Maple Tree from the nippin' weather two weeks ago. Tonight it will be 5 degrees so I'm making my first Ice Pillars to support my Ice Candles. Here on The Prairie, Winter Art is high on the agenda. Last year I barely scratched the surface of creative possibilities ... particularly after discovering that my House Mate has a PHD in Snow Sculpture.

Thank Goodness ...

2010-11-25T13:12:00.001-06:00

If we give thanks to Goodness we should have it pretty well covered.

The Color White ...

2010-11-21T07:36:00.011-06:00

While Fall turns to Winter here on The Prairie, I wait for the color White. One might think there isn't much to look at around here, as miles and miles of healthy green fields go to sleep for the Winter, but that's not the case ... and if it's pretty, I will find it. But the color White, I'm talking Snow here, is just so fresh, and so calming.

I returned from my vacation with 1,623 photos after two cuts, and this morning I went looking for the color White. I found plenty and picked my favorite ... this is my Family on the Beach at Marco Island near Naples, Florida. We attended Ron's sister Susan's wedding to Charlie and some of us headed to the Ocean ... it was sunny, it was hot, it was humid, it was everything the Ocean and Beach are supposed to be. And it was White ... I'm a fan.

A Day at President Jefferson's ...

2010-11-18T15:41:00.001-06:00

It was raining lightly the day Ron and I spent at Thomas Jefferson's Virginia estate. The colors were saturated, just as I like them, and we took a very pretty walk through his beautiful vegetable gardens, along the vast willow lined meadow to the family cemetery, and then disappeared into his forest for the one mile stroll down from Monticello. Vacations are wonderful ... but home is too.

It's All Up From Here ...

2010-11-13T05:52:00.004-06:00

I love this photograph. I'm putting it in a show I'm in this weekend called Deck The Walls. I took it this summer at Lake Marsh in Hamlin County while in the area to photograph Garfield Church. I have anxiety about selling it ... even though I could print tons of them and paper the walls of my house, barn, and grainery. What's that about ???

Sky Watching At Longwood Gardens ...

2010-11-12T07:22:00.004-06:00

I was involved in the pond at my feet as well as the view above me ... and appreciating being married to a Man who lets me take as many photos as my heart desires. See what's happening in our world up above at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Skywatch Friday ...

2010-11-05T03:02:00.005-05:00

I am still on the road and the skies are beautiful everywhere I have been. I took this photo at Gettysburg on Wednesday ... it's the monument to the great state of Louisiana. Isn't she gorgeous ? Sculptor, Donald Delue, calls her The “Spirit of the Confederacy” but she is also said to be Saint Barbara, the patron-saint of artillerymen because of the flaming cannonball she is holding in her right hand. See skies around the world, and history as well at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

One Leaf ...

2010-10-31T07:13:00.006-05:00

I have been on a road trip ... one that has taken us a bit over 4,ooo miles so far ... and it isn't over yet. We have 32 states in the license plate game and can't go home until we get them all. That's retirement. And if it weren't for the Sugar Wolf, Ruby Thursday, that would be true.

I took this photo on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This One Leaf, that floated gently towards me and brushed the tip of my ear ever so lightly, was a deal maker for my first post in two weeks. This One Leaf represents all there is to say about this trip and about me. It takes a lot of leaves to tell the story of Fall on The Parkway, but this One Leaf is telling you the story of me.

Happy Halloween from Kriss and Dave's in New Jersey. And even though I forgot to pack my Skeleton Ear Rings, this One Leaf has my back.

Sky Watch Friday ...

2010-10-15T05:34:00.005-05:00

Sunset at Lake Marsh in Hamlin County ... the color of early Fall. Rest up this weekend and look around. The skies are being watched for you at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Seed Is All I Need ...

2010-10-11T18:00:00.000-05:00

My life on The Prairie includes frivolous purchases made as a West University/Houston Homemaker and Wife. Frivolous because I bought many things in those days simply because I wanted them.

I'm gathering flower seeds for a Wild Garden this week and blending them on this beautiful platter I bought at Berings, an upscale hardware/gift store that fit right into my fancy life back then. I'm sure I paid way too much for the piece so I'm redeeming myself and doing something with this platter that has nothing to do with dinner in my dark red West U dining room.

Winter Wheat ...

2010-10-05T16:40:00.007-05:00

This is what I saw early this morning as I was heading in to town and took the curve in our driveway. The Winter Wheat came up while we were away this weekend. Winter Wheat sprouts before it freezes then goes dormant. It's combined with softer wheat to make the flour that came from here, The Prairie, and ended up right there in your pantry ... I know you'd do the same for me.

Happy Birthday, Mom ...

2010-10-02T05:36:00.003-05:00

Today is my Mom's 83rd Birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom. You always smile like you mean it. I love that about you. Have an awesome weekend taking care of Kellers On The Prairie while we go to Minnesota camping and to Meander Art Crawl. Sorry I'm taking the cake with me. xoxo.

My Life Story Sky Watch ...

2010-10-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

While crouching then lying down in a ditch just west of town to take this photograph, I heard a carload of Ladies slowing down then turning on the road behind me. Seconds later my childhood friend, Shellie, was running towards me and calling my name. I hadn't seen her in a while ... she was my very first Girlfriend ... the one I threatened I would cut all her hair off for one reason or another. You know how it is when you are 6 years old ... hair is everything. She didn't come down into the ditch because she was dressed up for her Niece's wedding shower. But she patiently conversed with me while I tried to capture just the right shot. Thanks, Shellie ... I got it. Skies and stories around the world at http://www.skyley.blogspot.com

Oh What A Tangled Web ...

2010-09-29T08:25:00.007-05:00

Here on the Prairie we are known for our Spiders ... the reason being I have to clean both them and their webs off of my house several times a year.

Yesterday the heavy morning dew clung to this beautiful web in my Garden. The power and genius behind this architectural masterpiece is a Black and Yellow Garden Spider. Most Spiders have four pair of eyes with one on the top of their heads. Those eyes can all swivel and have telephoto lenses. Spiders can scan then integrate images. They gather at dusk each evening and put on Powerpoint presentations. They are judged on technical and artistic levels, the best in each category being awarded an extra fly at dinner.

Hamlin County Sky Watch ...

2010-09-24T09:35:00.007-05:00

It can be about what's on this side of the road. It can be about what's on the other side of the road. It can even be about what's on the hill in between. But today it's about the Sky around the World and the People who are watching it for all of us. Sky Watch Friday.

Hi Honey, I'm Home ...

2010-09-23T04:57:00.012-05:00

I am totally amused by Farm Animals here on The Prairie. When I locate a herd of something I like, I buddy up. These Sheep belong to Van Well Farms just a few miles from here. They know me. They like me.

Columbus brought Sheep to the Colonies on his first return visit. Aside from providing wool, meat and cheese, they have made many outstanding contributions to Science. Remember Dolly, the cloned Ewe? Sheep have horizontal slit shaped pupils that provide peripheral vision up to 320 degrees. They don't have to turn their heads to know you are behind them. I like that.

Their mental process of facial recognition is identical to ours. So go out and hug a Sheep today ... and then to test this theory, hug it again tomorrow.

Goodnight Garden ...

2010-09-20T03:21:00.006-05:00

It isn't blooming, but my Garden on The Prairie is still full of life and color. Fallen curly Maple leaves, tiny bright green Sedum, red bark mulch and my favorite stepping stone make a pretty picture prelude to a long Winter's nap. Goodnight, Mittens. Goodnight, Kittens. Goodnight, Moon. And Goodnight, Garden.

Beauty, The Beholders, And The Droid, In Color ...

2010-09-16T05:56:00.014-05:00

I've been making Road Trips over to Hamlin County to photograph a beautiful Country Church. Yesterday morning the Boyfriend, Ruby Thursday, and I, took a new route. Boyfriend, a Geologist and Map Man in every sense of the word, is now a high tech hot shot with my Droid's "live" Google mapping system. These are the things we see when we go the back way ... People being themselves, in color, with no need to conform. I love that.

Stepping Away, Stepping Up, and Stepping In ...

2010-09-06T14:21:00.000-05:00

This photograph makes my heart hurt. But it makes it beat too.

Wendy, my Sister who passed away unexpectedly four years ago ...Wendy's only child, Catherine, a loving and strong woman who stepped in for her Mother ... Me, before I moved back to The Prairie after 37 years in Houston to step in for Wendy ... And my Mother, Shirley, a very hip Senior who has very likely just stepped into a boat with my brother, Randy, out at The River in Pierre.

These are the Ladies of our Club.