Summer's Fading

 Just wanted to post a few late August pictures.

Several mornings, I've patiently sat with camera ready, shutter speed, aperture & ISO just right. And those fickle little hummers would whiz on by.

Finally, I managed to catch a shot of one. Not the perfect settings, mind you. It was Auto mode all the way.

Khaleesi seems to be sensing the warm mornings coming to a close.

Or she's avoiding my camera, like those rascally hummingbirds. She used to actually pose for me! Lately, she's been rather snooty when she sees the camera.

It's been a wet year. I've had to wipe paws every morning since last winter!

One good thing has come of the wet and somewhat cool (for here) summer. The morning glories have been glorious!

We have a few weeks yet before we greet the crispness of fall, but already the sunlight is changing.

That's ok - October is absolutely my favorite month of the year!

Reno, NV - pt 1

Reno was Part 2 of our summer vacation (we were here to visit family.) We stayed in the heart of downtown, right next to the Reno Arch.

The hotel was called Whitney Peak. It had an indoor climbing wall and an outdoor one that went to the top of the building. Certainly that is not why we chose it, though.

We happened to be there during "WingFest." Reno claims to have more festivals than any other city of its size. And they do love art!

This was a converted empty lot, I think. Full of sculptures. A sign posted right next to the heart said "do not climb on sculptures."  So, of course, everyone does. People.

Thought this was an interesting sign. I saw a couple of these. I think they might have designated certain areas during the festival for speechifying?

Loved this mural on the parking lot.

Reno, NV pt 2 - Exploring

We did some exploring in the nearby areas. First a drive up to Mt. Rose.

Even this dirty old snow had a certain beauty to it, like a black gemstone.

It was fun to see snow in July.

This leads to a hiking trail.

Another ride was around beautiful Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, it was the 4th of July holiday and traffic was heavy as our drive wound all around the lake as the day wore on.

 This was a drive over to Virginia City. Such a beautiful view of Reno from up there.

The next post will be pictures of Virginia City.

Reno, NV - pt 3 Virginia City

Virginia City was a neat place to explore! It's an original Old West town, right up on top of the mountains.

I wish there hadn't been poles, power lines and cars to obscure shots of those old western buildings. They should really create a parking area to keep the main street as authentic as possible.

There were some unique shops as well as old time saloons, candy stores, museums, and churches.

The sidewalks are still made of wood.

A pair of local characters.

A bit of old West re-enactments.

I got some interesting shots of a couple churches that I'll group in the next post. (if it doesn't show up here, click "older posts")