Saturday, Here in the Park....

I awoke to a thunderstorm this morning.

Thunderhead Overhead

Morning thunderstorm.
Raindrops pound on the rooftop.
Going back to sleep.

It was a strong rainshower. I waited for some "drying off" before heading to the park. 

My Mom suggested I read this book to get in the mindset of the homesteaders, so I am currently reading this:

BTW, It is also available on streaming media as a mini-series.

At the park, I set up my easel by the Palmer-Epard cabin and quickly watercolored this image.

Then I "played" with a few monochromatic images.

Can you tell that I am drawn to abstraction over realism?

After lunch, I took a walk around the park. I brought my pocket kite, thinking the breeze would fly it, but it wouldn't fly.

I found this scat but couldn't determine its source. It looks like it has raspberry seeds in it. Bears have only rarely been seen in this park. Maybe it is raccoon? Does a bear scat in this park?

I saw this possible badger den near the Freeman gravestones.

Is this a fruit or nut? 

The park has spectacularly restored native grasslands.

A demostration of a variety of fence types included this stone pillar fence. The intervening barbed wire strands are difficult to see. 

There are many interestimng plants. Did you know that only humans seem to be affected by poison ivy? Other animals can actually eat it!

Bur Oak trees are common throughout the park.

From an Acorn

Variegated leaves

vacillate in the South breeze

on the Bur Oak tree.

The Daughters of the American Revolution erected this monument in 1925, before this was a national monument/park.

In 1962 a time capsule was buried here -- to be opened 100 years later (2062). That interval is now more than half over!

A nice observation area is centrally located in the park.

Huge cottonwood trees are nearby along an old roadway.

The tree roots make for an interesting reservoir for the morning's rainwater.

Bye-Bye Blackbird

The red-winged blackbird

chatters to keep me away:

away from her nest.

Milkweed plants are abundant here. They are the prime source of food for monarch butterflies. I have seen a few monarchs flying about.

Butterflymilk

Milkweed is a food 

for the monarch butterfly.

Is it buttermilk?

This is Ranger Tanner Christy. He was the primary contact for setting up my visit to Homestead NHP.

I learned from him that the park has open wifi! I also learned that the databank of homestead records can be accessed from anywhere-- not just from the computers here at the park. 

I saw a Kildeer (bird) today -- near the pond I sketched at yesterday.

Maybe the wind will fly my kite tomorrow?