Summertime sunsets, storms and sunflowers

Our recent trip to Florida was full of heat and humidity as we had expected, but we also saw some gorgeous sunsets. I took photos of the sun setting on a lake in Winter Haven on a muggy Saturday evening.

I wasn't the only creature close to the water that evening. A small alligator waded near the shore...a site we don't see in Kentucky. 

I also wasn't the only one taking photos of the beautiful sunset.

It rained during our trip, and I shot this video outside my parent's house one evening. I love the dark purple color of the clouds.

Back in Kentucky, it also rained. One evening, it poured for more than an hour, and our gauge outside showed three inches of rain. You can see how quickly the water filled up the area behind the back of our house.

Below is a similar view that I took last fall when we moved into the house.

We put up two bird feeders full of bird seed that hang on the back deck, and now there are sunflowers growing there, my favorite flower!