Stormy day on Hawaii's Big Island

storm

Location: Kohala Coast,Big Island, Hawaii

We knew a storm was headed our way, so I was not surprised to see this scene when I looked outside at about 8:30 this morning.  As it turned out, the storm dumped torrents of rain on some parts of the Big Island, and a waterspout was spotted off the Kona coast (well south of us).  Local news Web site Hawaii 24/7 has published a page with pictures of damage from today's storm, and a video clip of the waterspout.

Our district heard the thunder and got some rain, but not so much as elsewhere on the island.  Still, the rain was enough to make the flowers in our garden perk up.

Snowy morning at Denver International Airport

ERJ-170

United Express ERJ 170 (Shuttle America)
Location: Denver, Colorado, USA

As I write this, the eastern United States is experiencing a major snowstorm that is wreaking havoc on air travel.  This photo was taken earlier this month in another part of the U.S., during a different snowstorm.  It is the season for snow!

This photo shows an Embraer ERJ 170 taxiing through the snow at Denver International Airport.  This aircraft is operated by Shuttle America Corp. on behalf of United Express.  I spotted it through the window of a gate in the airport's 'B' Concourse while we were waiting to board a different aircraft.  Unabashed aviation geek that I am, I had to snap a few photos.

P. S. Planes departing Denver that morning had to be de-iced. Click here to see a couple of photos I took at the de-icing pad.

Elk family


Location:  Broomfield, Colorado, USA

Okay, these are metal sculptures, not real elk -- still, I thought it was an attractive grouping. This sculpted elk family can be found watching over a shopping center in Broomfield, Colorado.

If you have an itch, scratch it!

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA

It looked as though this Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) was going to pose for me, but he must have felt an itch at exactly the moment I pressed the camera's shutter release.  I caught him just as he was beginning to scratch himself with his left forepaw. Well, you know what they say: "If you have an itch, scratch it!"

This Fox Squirrel is the same individual as in yesterday's photo.

Portrait of a Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)

Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger)
Location: Boulder, Colorado, USA

This is a Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger), one of three kinds of tree squirrels native to Colorado. The species was unfamiliar to me, so of course I looked it up.  According to the Web site of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources:  "Fox squirrels eat fruit, nuts and buds, and bury nuts for winter (and because they are forgetful, they plant a lot of trees)."

That last bit made me smile.  I had never thought of squirrels as inadvertent tree planters, but I suppose that does happen.

I saw this little guy foraging in a garden in Boulder, Colorado.  He appeared to be digging up nuts and seeds rather than burying them.  Note the bits of dirt on his chin!