Monarch Butterfly, Redbird Fam Wildlife Sanctury, IA

 A monarch butterfly perched on a clover in a nearby wildlife sanctuary.

Amish meeting, Johnson County, IA

Dozens of Amish carriages, all pulled up together for a meeting at somebody's farm in one of the more rural parts of Johnson County.

No Fun Here, Iowa City

 I don't know why there's no fun at this house, but I particularly appreciate its contrast with their pride flag.

Popping bubble

One last popping bubble picture, this in the transition between structured and chaotic phases, and black and white to emphasize the shapes yet more.

Popping bubble

After the initial symmetric contraction, the remnants of a popping bubble scatter out in random droplets flying everywhere.

Popping bubble

Another popping bubble, with dark shadow nucleus and outward rings.

Popping bubble

I believe this bubble is in the process of popping form the bottom up, thus producing the rings of disturbance on the inside even as the outside is as yet undisturbed.

Popping bubble

 The shadows underneath the water do awesome things as a bubble on the surface pops.

Bubble and shadow

The bluish color of the bubble's shadow really comes out here.

Bubble and shadow

 Bubble and its curving shadow coming closer as it reaches the edge of the pool.

Bubble and shadow

One of the things I like about the bubble shadows is how they fade in gradually at the edges as the curvature of the bubble provides a variable effective thickness of distortion.

Bubble and shadow

A soap bubble drifting along atop the water, its shadow on the bottom close below.

Bubble shadow

 Blown over a kiddie pool in strong sunlight, the shadow of the bubble becomes quite interesting to me as well.

Balancing bubble

 One more balancing bubble view, this time against a background of plants and gravel.

Balancing bubble

Baby swing distorting through the lens of an interposing bubble.

Balancing bubble

 Another view on this great big balancing soap bubble.

Balancing bubble

 Bending interface between the bubble and its resting points on the bubble wand that caught it.

Balancing bubble

My older daughter is really good at blowing large soap bubbles, then catching them again. And I like the optical effects one can get from playing around with big soap bubbles.

Decorated birdhouse, Iowa City

 How homey this birdhouse is with its little white picket fence.

Nervous deer, Iowa City

 Nervous deer checking me out as I walked past in a park.

Dragonfly buoy, Iowa City

 Another perspective on the metal dragonfly, highlighting the interesting mix of colors on its eyes.

Dragonfly buoy, Iowa City

Metal dragonfly sculpture alighted on a sort of buoy shape; a fishing bobber perhaps?

Old dam, Coralville, IA

 One of the rounded faces of the old dam, water sheeting over the ledge to fall a scant few feet below.

Love locks on the old dam, Coralville, IA

 Closeup on several of the love locks, backed against the turbulent foam below the dam.

Love locks on the old dam, Coralville, IA

No city bridge seems safe from the "love locks" tradition, though at this time at least the old dam is only lightly touched.

Dam trail, Coralville, IA

 A lovely, well-maintained biking and walking trail spans the old dam in Coralville.

Geese by the Iowa River, Coralville, IA

 These two geese had a huddle of half-grown goslings in between their watchful hissing gazes.

Geese by the Iowa River, Coralville, IA

Geese hanging out by the edge of the Iowa River in Coralville.

Visiting fledgling

Let us welcome in the new year with a fledgling bird that visited a bush outside our window last summer. This little bird fluttered down from above and perched, exhausted, on a branch. My three year old and I came over and watched it as it sat there, was visited by a parent and apparently fed, then eventually launched itself up and out again.