Willy Nilly Friday 082815

There's no place like Home.

1.  Welcome

2.  First time to grow these Elephant Ears.



3.  Ruby Throated Hummingbird in for a landing on the feeder I created from a fast food coleslaw container. (1/2 c. nectar). Refilled it when I noticed it's beak didn't reach.

4.  Pretty green and white in the distant shade.

5.  My Mother's favorite Rose. I think of her with every bloom. The RG transplanted it from her home.

Joining Tanya for:

Willy Nilly Friday

???

The RG spied this teeny tiny gem that appeared on its own. I suppose that puts it in the weed family. But so vivid and precious.

He doesn't recall ever seeing one before.

 

Not our normal violet.

Any guesses or identifications?

 

Joining:

Floral Friday

Short Fence

A Short Fence

 and a beautiful tree



Locust Tree

 

Joining Tex for

Good Fences

Flocks

Canada Geese

A sign of things to come (or going)? 

 Looks like a 'V' to me.

It won't be long now.

And on the west side of the bridge

this pretty flock of Cedar Waxwings soaking up the evening sun.

In motion,

 

and at rest.

 

joining Stewart for:

Wild Bird Wednesday



Green 082515

Today's prompt from The August Break, a month of mindful pleasures, is GREEN

The RG tried a new plant to us this year.

Elephant Ears

They have lived up to their name.

How to Grow Elephant Ear Plants

The Elephant Ear (Colocasia) plant is perennial herb that grows up to 9 feet in height and sprouts large, arrow-shape leaves. It gets its name because the large leaves resemble the ears on an elephant. These plants make a great showing as a backdrop or a center of interest in any garden. Growing the showy, tropical Elephant Ear plant is possible even in cold weather zones. If temperatures average below about 40-45ºF (roughly 4-7ºC) for any extended period of time, the root system - tuber(s) - must be dug up and stored in a cool, dry place until replanted the following warm season.

 

Joining 

Outdoor Wednesday

Bring Them In

Treat yourself

to the Beauty you cultivate.

 

 

Joining Judith at:

Mosaic Monday

Evening Into Night

Linking with:

Catching Light

and

Our World Tuesday

 

Sunset in the west reflecting on northeast clouds

Through the silhouette of a Canadian Maple tree.

 

 Northern Hemisphere - 1st Quarter - 47%

This phase occurs roughly 7 days after the New Moon when the earth is one quarter of the way through it’s orbit around the earth. Exactly half the moon will be illuminated and half dark. On the day of the First Quarter phase the moon is high overhead at sunset and is visible until mid-night when it sets in the west. The First Quarter phase is a one day event and in the following days enters a Waxing Gibbous phase becoming more illuminated each day until the Full Moon.

 

 



On My Commute

This is a barn I pass on my commute to and from work.

Clean, Crisp Red and White is appealing

It appears to be a well organized working operation.

I observe apparent employees at work here and there.

 

Joining Tom for:

The Barn Collective

A Critter and a Bird

You never know what's on the other side.

And you'll never know if you don't climb the fence.

 

 

The tail end of today's story.

See more at



Saturday Critters with Eileen

and

The Bird D'pot with Anni

Pleasant Surprise

Finding this bouquet on the kitchen table

was a pleasant surprise this morning.

Helianthus or sunflowers (from the Greek: ήλιος, Hēlios, "sun" and ανθός, anthos, "flower") L. /ˌhiːliˈænθəs/ is a genus of plants comprising about 70 species in the family Asteraceae, all of which are native to North America except three species in South America. The common name, "sunflower," also applies to the popular annual species Helianthus annuus, the common sunflower.

 

Joining:

Floral Friday



BW 081915

Even in Black & White

the twinkle in its eye remains.

 

and the fur exudes soft and fluffy.

 

 

Joining Adrienne for:

Black & White Wednesday 

Been Awhile

Haven't seen these cuties since winter.

 

Master & Miss Tufted Titmouse

 Whose that over there?

 

 So that's how it gets in there.

 

Flying on over to join Stewart at

Wildbird Wednesday

Catching Light 081715

I'm looking forward to this Meme,

Capturing Light

 

Capturing light, texture etc.

is one of the things I love about photography.

Such as how the white siding and the shadow

emphasizes the vivid color of the geranium.

 

And

 

to discover the beauty of illumination.

Linking with Monica at

Capturing Light

Hummingbird at Rest

Was surprised to find her sitting for so long.

Then I learned they are very territorial

and often perch to guard the area.

In this case it was a large juicy RED Gladolia.

 

The ruby-throated are the only hummingbird

east of the Great Plains in the U.S.

Except for the Rufous which sometimes appears

in the Gulf and South Atlantic States.

 

Be sure to visit Judith at

Mosaic Monday

A Collection of Barns

Here and there about the county.

 

Really like the combo of sky, field & trees.

 

In this one it's the sun and shadows.

 

Not a favorite but it has all the elements of our area;

lightening rods, brick silo, unfinished siding.

 

Bonus;

not a barn but a great old farm outbuilding.

 

Linking with Tom at

The Barn Collectible

Morning Shots

Lucy and I took a quick trip to the State Park this morning

 

Monarch Butterfly puddling



 

Dragonfly pausing

 

 Great Blue Heron Peeking



I never tire of these guys.

 

 

Joining Eileen for

Saturday Critters

and

Anni for

The Bird D-pot

Color Guard

Zinnias in formation guarding the vegetable garden

 

Zinnias are popular garden flowers because they come in a wide range of flower colors and shapes, and they can withstand hot summer temperatures, and are easy to grow from seeds.

They are grown in fertile, humus-rich, and well-drained soil, in an area with full sun.

They will reseed themselves each year.

 

Zinnia peruviana was introduced to Europe in the early 1700s.

Around 1790 Z. elegans (Zinnia violacea) was introduced and those plants had a single row of ray florets which were violet. In 1829, scarlet flowering plants were available under the name 'Coccinea'. Double flowering types were available in 1858, coming from India,

and they were in a range of colors including shades of

reds, rose, purple, orange, buff, and rose stripped

 

Linking with Nick at:

Floral Friday

For Everything a Purpose

I mentioned in an earlier post

that sometimes the RG has trouble pulling up anything that grows.

Unless its a noxious weed.

 

These corn stocks appeared here and there this spring.

 

 He says the chipmunks were busy last fall  spring burying kernels

There was 'discussion' early in the season about leaving them.

As time went by, I was reminded of my favorite verse;

Grow where your planted.

His winning argument is;

free corn for the birds this winter.

No fair appealing to my 'fiscal' side Mr. RG.

and

no new fence photo this week so

will share this post since it includes the fence atMuldoon

  

 

Linking with Susan at:

Outdoor Wednesday
and with Tex at:
Good Fences