Early Autumn

"The foliage has been losing its freshness through the month of August,

and here and there a yellow leaf shows itself like the first gray hair amidst

the locks of a beauty who has seen one season too many."

                                                                   --Oliver Wendell Holmes

"Of all the paths you take in life, 

make sure a few of them are dirt."

                                       --John Muir

Autumn Arrives

"Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile."

                                               --William Cullen Bryant

Things with Wings

Featured in this post are two more outstanding LEGO sculptures that can be seen (through October 2016) in the Nature Connects exhibit now on display at Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.  Several delightful LEGO brick creations, made by the talented LEGO Brick Artist Sean Kenney, are located throughout the 17-acre plot.  Regarding brick counts, 39,708 were used for the monarch and milkweed and 61,107 for the hummingbird and trumpet flower.  Early autumn would be the perfect time to visit this little piece of paradise in the heartland.

Yin & Yang

"What good is the warmth of summer,

without the cold of winter to give it sweetness."

                                                                                  --John Steinbeck

Toothless Grin

Tomorrow my nephew celebrates his seventh birthday.  In the last year he and his five-year-old sister have kept the tooth fairy busy.  And, although I delight in celebrating another one of their birthdays, losing baby teeth also signals that these beloved little folks are growing up very quickly.  Anyway, if you know this sweet boy, be sure to wish him a happy birthday.

"Other than a dimple in a cute little chin,

What's more adorable than a toothless grin?"

                                        --Terri Guillemets

Music in Mind

        

Recently I created this doodle for a band teacher but the sentiment applies to all.  Of course, the quote is not my original statement but something I found in multiple online sites; the rest of the artwork I designed.  As I've suggested before, find a quote you love and put pen to paper.  Don't worry about the outcome as there are no mistakes in doodling.

Before & After

Photo taken in late June a short while after the gates were closed.

As many in these parts know, July 24, 2010 there was a period of heavy rain and the dam just southwest of Delhi, Iowa failed leaving the area upstream with a greatly reduced flow of the  Maquoketa River.  After six dry years, the gates on the new dam were closed and water now flows over the newly constructed spillway.  As a result, Lake Delhi is once again an area in which to recreate and many folks, including myself, are thrilled.  And, on this Labor Day holiday, one expects the river to be full of boats as people enjoy the return of the lake.

Photo taken August 27 with water now flowing over the new spillway.

Photo taken just after sunrise on September 3 as fog still hovers over parts of the river.

More LEGO Designs

As promised, here are more images featuring LEGO sculptures that are currently on display at Reiman Gardens on the Iowa State University campus in Ames, Iowa.  Along with several other pieces, LEGO Brick Artist Sean Kenney created the dragonfly and a few backyard visitors for the Nature Connects exhibit that runs through October.  Finally, regarding the brick count, 27,788 and 14,802 -- obviously, the dragonfly was designed on a much larger scale than the scene at the birdbath.