Nikonbill's 2026 random photos

[nikonbill]

Ms redwing

 

[nikonbill]

Some yard flowers, I think the face like flowers are neat

 

[nikonbill]

 

[nikonbill]

Our clematis vine has a neat story, my wife has always loved plants and flowers and this vine was at our back porch with a trellis to grow on since we have owned our house (40 years) for our retirement in 2025 we removed the porch and added a sun room. I carefully dug out the clematis vine and wintered it (2024/2025) in a half barrel we had. After the room was competed spring of 2025 we put it back within a few feet of where it was before. It even bloomed last year but looks really like its old self this year. We were both so surprised it worked.

 

[nikonbill]

Boy its hard to photograph an insect on glass, I did capture some unexpected reflections though of a baby praying mantis

 

[Needa]

Boy its hard to photograph an insect on glass, I did capture some unexpected reflections though of a baby praying mantis
View attachment 429512

That's interesting.

 

[nikonbill]

That's interesting.

sure was - one clear reflection in the outer glass and then the inside glass and a blurry insect head I was a week ahead on that one

 

[nikonbill]

We recently took a short trip to Scroon Lake in the catskill mountains of NY we visited fort Ticonderoga and had a magical return day after a full day of rain. The formal gardens at the fort were pretty cool. Here are some late evening shots of Scroon lake

 

[nikonbill]

The fort

The plaque inside the opening

 

[nikonbill]

 

[nikonbill]

A little trip magic happened on a stop to General/President US Grants cottage (where he spent his last 6 weeks) it was June 19th and we were in perfect timing for a program by Fredric Douglas

 

[nikonbill]

 

[nikonbill]

Much to my surprise photography inside was permitted

 

[nikonbill]

The real flowers simply left to dry - I learned much I did not know about US Grant. This stop will spark digging deeper into his history