Hiatus

WELL looks like we have to use the new interface like it or not I don't do well with change especially when its not my idea.  HA!!.

Wanted to give y'all  a heads up that Im on hiatus from blogging for a while,  having a time crunch lately..
 and its not fair that I don't have time to come by and visit your blogs so I best just keep my mouth shut for a WHILE!   Actually my Mom returned home and so its a lifestyle change for me and my sister is also visiting for a month..So the time I used to spend blogging is now spent visiting with my family..

WE did a hike last week and enjoyed this great waterfall so here's some photos from that, hope y'all don't forget me!! Ill be back soon!

Annie

floss

Jim

PEACE

GLORY DAYS

ALL last week I was sporting 2 black eyes and fire ant bites on my left foot!! Course the 2 black eyes were not on my left foot they were on my face! AND still are but not as bad this week....I called it the week from Hell..the grass bagger fell on me while I tried unsuccessfully to slide it on top of the tool shed...and while I was engrossed in photographing some butterflies I stood in a fire ant hill...they let me know right away I was NOT welcome there and since its the south and summer flip flops are the favored footwear...SO OUCH!!

BUT NOW...FOR the first time in a LONG time the windows are open! Finally a  beautiful cool day; sunny and breezy - just perfect.  Had a great girls night out last evening with my best girlfriend at Outback, blooming onion and garlic mashed potatoes, and all the beer I could guzzle and still drive home... yeah I had some  amazingly bad breath this morning...lol

and then I did some birding today...YES Sondra,  there is a Santa Claus!

IN the trees of the pasture I spotted this pair of what looks like immature pine warblers, but it turns out this is a yellow throated vireo...

Prairie Warbler, 

Upside down and gorgeous was the brownheaded nuthatch..

More nuthatches feeding high up in the canopy...

I heard summer tanagers, hairy and red bellied woodpeckers, chickadees every where, and white eyed vireos but too quick for photos...did manage a shot of this busy northern cardinal with a turn at the feeder..

A tufted timouse scolded me for a while then went on his way..

AND WTHECK is this thing? Found it devouring one of my potted plants...had to get my butterfly n moth book to look it up...

 LOOKS like graphic art.....Its called a saddleback caterpillar, and it turns into a rather dull brown moth...amazing, book says its a STINGING caterpillar ouch..I did move it but it didnt sting me, also had some black swallowtail larve eating the devil outta my parsley!

Flossie was showing off her beautiful tail in the breeze, she moved just as I pulled the trigger on this one but her coat was so pretty I let it slide...SHE's a tough keep cause of this heavy long coat its a grooming nightmare!

ANNIE was around but not in the mood for picture posing...see this house finch (below)....well I walked right up and grabbed her off this feeder, she is almost blind! So now she's in infirmary and receiving treatment for conjunctivitis...she should be fine a few days..

                                                              Good as new in a few days

Here she is in the treatment cage its small but I'll need to be able to catch her everyday and treat her eyes so smaller is better in this case I can catch her without a big "chase".

 

THE star of the weekend bird watch was a pair of Red Breasted Nuthatches that are hanging out in the yard !! ITS been fun to watch them...and thats NEW to my yard list! Usually see them a bit farther north, but they DONT know that....LOL..

NEXT weekend my MOM finally returns from Colorado! She went to stay a month and stayed a Year...lol  my sister will be driving her back and she will be with us for a month...and MY sisters and I  plan to do at least one waterfall hike...3 of us are having birthdays too..

One of us will be 56, one of us will be 59, one of us is 63, and one of us will be 88...

YA'll can figure out who is how old 'iffin you want to.

Im enjoying good times while I can! Hope you're doing the same where ever you are!

PEACE

on the Butterfly Trail

It's nice to have labor day off...it has been a partly stormy day; earlier it was hot and muggy so this rain may help.  First thing this morning I took the dogs for a walk around the block and spotted a few butterflies and late summer flowers (early fall?) some of the ones I look forward to all year long..so after I settled the dogs back in the yard I took off with my camera to get a few shots before the rain...

               

Like this butterfly Pea...I never see butterflies on this  i think the name implies the shape; it resembles a butterfly...

This painted lady is enjoying the blooming red sedum

I would rename this butterfly the orange admiral...here is the underside of the wing...the difference of the top side and underside of this Red Admiral is amazing.

This flower I love, its called the dotted monarda, its not satisfied to have one layer of showy flower, it has 3!  IF I had gotten a better close up you could see those dots on the yellow hanging flower petals, its barely visible here.

The Gulf Fritillaries are everywhere right now...it is one of my very favorite butterflies...the brilliant orange is amazing..here's the top side,

Another  favorite butterfly  is the Buckeye! Always makes me think of Ohio...the Buckeye State, but I think thats due to all the Buckeye trees there!

AND although the chances are 50/50 that Im wrong this could be the caterpillar of the buckeye.

Lots of sulphurs around but they wouldnt sit for a photo!

Good to have the day off and now only a 4 day work week...thats something to smile about

HA! had to toss in one of my food faces!!
That was part of my dinner last night....have a great week!!!

PEACE