Garden Visitors.....

I had a monarch visit the flowers yesterday.  I really had not seen any all summer out there in the garden or yard. It seems to be jumpy to get a good wings open shot.  This particular shot shows a wonderful background of colors and shapes. I was in the middle of a project and just stopped work and went to get the camera. I have learned to take photos when the butterflies are there because they don't stay for very long.

I don't see honey bees out on the zinnias but I do see lots of bumblebees. The get irritated with the painted lady butterflies when the start darting in and out on the flowers. The bees are not threatened but the appear distracted when the butterflies are there.

The evidence of the bracing that I had to do for this sunflower stem.  The whole thing lay on the ground but its roots were still in tact.  I just leaned it back up and tied it with some recycled jute twine. I am hoping that the water supply continues to flow to the leaves band especially to the flower bud. I dumped a bucket of water on it yesterday and we had a small rain again last night. I kept thinking I would just toss the large ball of jute, leftover from my mom's macrame days, but now I see I have uses for it. I moved it from Osceola to Woodward.  It  now has been moved to my garden shed in Ankeny and is being used. I may be a hoarder but I do use stuff from my pile of things.

I wasn't expecting more rain but anything that we get will be appreciated. I haven't had to water anywhere yet but am thinking I might spot water some of the front yard. We are hearing predictions that our fall is going to have some high temperatures.

My feeder was in pieces this morning with the bottom laying on the ground.  I had to get the base and attach it again.  When I filled it again I realized that it is badly designed.  When I tighten the nectar jar into the base, I am unscrewing the base below that holds the liquid.  My wife said that early morning the humming birds were at the window asking to for it to be fixed.

I did see a male hummingbird a few days ago with a very red band on its neck. I have not seen him again.  I am hoping that he shows up again when I have my camera in hand. The band is seen when it reflects from a certain angle of light. The females definitely do not have any of those markings. I am suspecting that I have them nesting in the blue spruce in the yard.

We have errands to run today and will be meeting with my wife's friend for lunch. She wants to show us her new apartment set up and is going to feed us coffee ice cream.  I have not heard of that flavor of ice cream but I am all in for trying it out. I drink plenty of coffee all day so maybe I can start eating ice cream coffee all day too. We are hazy and gray this morning but I am sure the sun will come out and we will warm up by noon.

Thank you for stopping by today. I wish you all to have a good day. See you tomorrow.