A successful photo shoot.........

My very first photo of the swallowtail was unsuccessful as my straw hat scared it away.  My camera snapped and it was gone.

Once I had removed my hat and once it started to get into the nectar of the zinnia, there was not much that I could do to scare it anymore.  It was hungry and it was busy eating and I just snapped many photos.

The butterfly even changed flowers while I was standing there and didn't mind me holding a camera ten inches away from it.

It is nice that it moved around as I was able to get different backgrounds each move.

Just like the monarch, it moves it's wings in and out while it is collecting nectar.  I had to time my clicks with the movements of it's opening and closing.

A monarch joined in on the feeding frenzy and I will share those photos later.  I had 55 photos from that shoot and I continued working in the area and it stayed in the flower bed the entire time.

I took a photo of the same kind of butterfly last year and it too had one of it's back parts of it's wing broken off.  The wind and the weather must be hard on them.

Thanks for stopping by............cooler but still muggy here today.

A story unfolds...........

I was out the other day with my camera and the yellow swallowtail butterfly would not hang around for a phtoto shot.  Yesterday I was out mowing the orchard area and cutting back a few tall weeds next to my tomato patch and look who showed up. 

I know that you want to see more but not today.  I had a monarch show up also and 55 photos later I have a story to tell.  I couldn't believe how they both cooperated. 

I had a surprise call yesterday from my older brother saying he was in Kansas.  I thought that was strange as he lives in Arizona but he and his wife are driving back for his wife's  class reunion of her Methodist Nurses School class in Des Moines.   They will be in the Osceola area for ten days or more.

Forty minutes later I received a call from the other brother from California and he was flying in to Des Moines soon.  He said he was coming for his fiftieth class school reunion and by the way do you have a couch for me to sleep on?  So we had instant company last evening and he left for his celebration this morning.  I hadn't seen him for three years and we may get to see him again once more on Sunday.


Thanks for stopping by........

Friday.......

My photo leans a little but I will go ahead and share it now.  Turtle keeps her company everyday and she keeps collecting water in  her trough.  Maybe I should have said the photographer seems to be leaning a little too much.  I was grilling corn and burgers and took a quick snap while I was out there.  It was very hot so I didn't stick around  to see if the shot was square with the world.

Geraniums are so simple and yet so complicated in their shape.  Do you see the four hearts?

 

It is zinnia mania as I have so  many photos of the zinnia patch.  I like how this one front flower leans so that it is a top view while the others are tipped with a three quarters turned position.

Spent time in Osceola yesterday and we are both tired.  We are walking away from the place now and the only time we will go down is to mow the yard.  We have nothing left to do to the house.  The realtor said we had it in pristine condition and it will be an easy house to show. The realtor officially put the sign up today and our responsibility towards the house is done.  

Thanks for stopping by..........

Thursday's things.......

As if I don't take too many shots of flowers now I will show you my future shots that I will be taking.  The hibiscus is ready to show it's colors probably in another week.

 

Bugs do like the flowers too.  I was out mowing yesterday with the camera in my pocket.  I would stop every once in a while as this wonderful yellow swallowtail butterfly kept darting in and out of the flowers.  As soon as I would stop mowing and pull the camera out of my pocket, it was gone.  I could cheat and show you last years photo of one but I will get that shot sooner or later.

Two years ago I planted a special zinnia from Martha Stewart seeds of a white flower like this.  When it came up, it turned out to be a short zinnia with great white blooms.  Two years later I am still getting white zinnia seed but now it has turned into a tall normal height zinnia.  Genetics are a marvel but I am too old to study the field anymore.

Barney survived his visit to the vet and I was able to mow a half of my yard on Wednesday after we returned home.  Barney behaved well as the young girl assistant made over him and he was just so nice for here.  She even rubbed his belly for him and we don't get to do that very often. He weighed only 52 pounds down from last year.  His weight seems to move up and down depending on how many dog biscuits that he is  getting on the side and also the weather.  He has a skin condition that seems to come with laying in the grass so he gets to take a pill for that now.  It will quit when the snow starts to fly or when whatever plant he is allergic to dies back for the summer.

Thanks for stopping by........we cooled down about 10 degrees less today, what a relief!

A flower discussion.......

This particular color of zinnia must have good germination properties as it is the only color that I have on one end of my zinnia patch.  It is seed from last year flowers and it has done well.  I didn't intend for it to be one pure color.

The west end of the patch has different colors in it.  I know that there are a lot more blooms to come as these plants are just now getting started in blooming.

Taking the big dog to the vet this morning and then maybe I will start to mow some of my lawn.

You can see here that it is tall and very green.  We had 98 degree weather again yesterday and it stays green if you don't scalp it.  I may take two days to get it all done as it may be warm by the time we get back from the vet's office.  Barney goes today and Button goes on Friday.  The need general check ups and a few shots too.

Thanks for stopping by...........

Creative plans.......

I needed to throw this table away.  Apparently I threw away one of the legs a few months ago.  As I was bringing it down from the attic I found it's metal legs.  Oh shucks, that's what the metal thing was that I tossed.  It had prematurely fallen down in the garage and I didn't know what it was.

I think that it would make a great Japanese style platform with short legs.  I can make wooden legs for it and place on it a bonsai looking plant and maybe a statue or something.  It can set it in the garden or on the patio.  I just couldn't throw it away, at least until I play with it for a while.

Yes, my cheap plastic swan planter is  still hanging around.  I put some cheap petunias in it and it is displayed on our patio table.

 

While digging around in the basement area of the house in Osceola, I looked down and there lay four marbles.  Two of them are from a Chinese checker set.  One is a cat eye and the other is an old glass striated marble.  I am getting down to having nothing left to find and the house is totally cleared out now.  Threw away boxes and bags and things that my dad or brother had stowed.  Found my dad's beer stash in the basement but there was only one empty can left in the bag.

Thanks for stopping by.........I have to mow my own yard today.

It's the heat, or maybe it's the humidity.......

Whatever it is, Superman is just going to take a break from it all.  His owner was here for a couple of days but he forgot to take him with him back to Maine.  I may have to send him out by air mail.

Aaron did take some of his Hot Wheels back with him and also his saxophone.  He played his horn, just to see how it had held up and Barney headed for the hills.  Barney didn't know what it was but he sure didn't like it. He has a lot of fears and apparently the sax has a sound that  he just doesn't think to be too pleasant.  Barney and Button both liked having our company here and I do think that they remembered him from a few years back.  They loved his wife Keegan and it is good that she is a dog lover.

Thanks for stopping by and stay in out of the heat.