Does time seem to be racing by for you? August is coming to a close and September will be greeting us soon. I've always heard the older we get the faster time passes. It surely seems true to me.
We have been blessed with many family times this summer. Our youngest grand has celebrated his 13th birthday. It was fun to be with him and join in the excitement of becoming a teenangel. My cousin just introduced me to that term and I do love it. Maybe it's a little corny, but I like it.
The one and only gift Miles has wanted for a long time is a phone. He says he's the only one of his friends that doesn't have one. Have you ever heard that one? His parents very wisely, I think, waited for his 13th birthday.
The one and only gift Miles has wanted for a long time is a phone. He says he's the only one of his friends that doesn't have one. Have you ever heard that one? His parents very wisely, I think, waited for his 13th birthday.
Our summer has been a hot and humid one and I'll have to say I'll be glad when the days are a little bit cooler. I am looking forward to my favorite season--glorious Autumn. Cozy sweaters, candles, soups, pumpkins, afghans, hot chocolate, hot tea, easy days in the garden. I can feel Autumn knocking at the door. The evenings are much cooler, the occasional leaf falls to the ground, the days are growing shorter, the crickets are chirping. Yes, Autumn is getting ready to visit us.
I've mentioned the decline of butterflies this year in my garden. I'm happy to say we have had a few to come recently.
Have you seen the signs that promote getting rid of mosquitoes in your yard? It disturbs me as a gardener that we need to spray our yards with pesticides. We have mosquitoes but try to keep their population down by emptying any standing water that we have around. Every two days we empty the bird baths so mosquito larva doesn't form. I worry when pesticides affect the balance of our beneficial insects and birds. Realizing that West Nile and Zika fever can be an issue in some areas I understand, but to just spray our yards randomly seems foolish. I remember growing up and seeing planes fog areas to kill the mosquitoes. I wince when I think of this. What in the world were we inhaling?
This sweet little garden in Colonial Williamsburg is maintained without the help of pesticides. If they can do it so can we.
The goldfinch have returned to my garden and are enjoying the seed heads of the rudbeckia. Can you see him?
Enjoy these last few days of summer, my friends. ♥
I've mentioned the decline of butterflies this year in my garden. I'm happy to say we have had a few to come recently.
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| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail |
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| White stripped longtail |
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| Black form swallowtail |
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| Fritillary |
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| Skippers on the zinnias |
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| Monarch |
Have you seen the signs that promote getting rid of mosquitoes in your yard? It disturbs me as a gardener that we need to spray our yards with pesticides. We have mosquitoes but try to keep their population down by emptying any standing water that we have around. Every two days we empty the bird baths so mosquito larva doesn't form. I worry when pesticides affect the balance of our beneficial insects and birds. Realizing that West Nile and Zika fever can be an issue in some areas I understand, but to just spray our yards randomly seems foolish. I remember growing up and seeing planes fog areas to kill the mosquitoes. I wince when I think of this. What in the world were we inhaling?
This sweet little garden in Colonial Williamsburg is maintained without the help of pesticides. If they can do it so can we.
The goldfinch have returned to my garden and are enjoying the seed heads of the rudbeckia. Can you see him?
Enjoy these last few days of summer, my friends. ♥
I am looking forward to September and autumn for the very same reasons you wrote about, my friend!
ReplyDeleteAnd you know, my dear father always said the same thing...He would say to me, "Don't be in a hurry to grow up, Little Buddy. The older you get, the faster it goes!"
My, was he right!!!
And butterflies?
Yes!
And again...when I see one...I think my dad is visiting me!
Thank you for the lovely thoughts this cozy evening. : )
I love how you say when the butterflies visit it's your dad visiting you, Billie Jo. What a lovely reminder of your dear one. Have a wonderful weekend. ♥
DeleteI'm so glad Miles got a phone for his birthday, and Yes, his parents are wise to have waited. The anticipation of opening his presents is on his face. Oh Martha Ellen, these butterfly pics are beautiful. And I'm glad you got to see a few of them this summer. It's so hard to take a picture of these fellows, isn't it? And I see the goldfinch in the middle of all those pretty flowers. That is such a cool picture because the flowers and bird are both yellow. Happy Birthday to Miles - 13 is quite a special one. : ) I sincerely love your posts, Martha Ellen.
ReplyDelete~Sheri
Butterflies are difficult to photograph, Sheri. We had a black swallowtail on our patio this evening and he was all over the place. I do enjoy trying to capture them when it's possible. I enjoy your visits here, my friend. ♥
Deletethe older we get the faster time passes is very true.. still I cannot believe my son is in grade 4.. I feel like I just came back yesterday from hospital clutching him in my arm..:)
ReplyDeleteThat's so true, Krishna. As mothers we mark our time with our children as the days go by so quickly. I hope your son enjoys forth grade. It wasn't too long ago that I remember my own children in that grade. Enjoy every moment, Krishna. ♥
Deletehappy 13th birthday to your grandson! Your photos are beautiful, Autumn is my favorite season too, with Christmas being my favorite holiday!
ReplyDeleteSue
Thank you, Sue. I appreciate you stopping for a visit. Autumn will be here before we know it. ♥
DeleteHappy 13th birthday to Miles, your new "teenangel." How exciting for him to be having his first phone. (I agree that his parents were wise to wait.)
ReplyDeleteI am waiting for our next season right along with you. Yes, I am filling these last days of summer as much as I can, but I am eager for fall!
Glad that some of the butterflies and skippers decided to visit your home!
I'm so happy to have a few windows open this morning, Cheryl. Fall is teasing us, but summer will be around for a while. Enjoy every moment. ♥
DeleteHappy birthday to your grandchild ,may he see many more with health and happiness .
ReplyDeleteglorious garden and amazing photos of butterfly
Thank you Baili for visiting. ♥
DeleteHappiest of Birthday Days to Miles!
ReplyDeleteMartha Ellen, I love, really LOVE that picture of the garden in Colonial Williamsburg! The woven skeps make my heart go pitter patter! I agree, what were we inhaling? I remember the trucks coming around our little courtyard in Virginia Beach with their nasty chemicals. One tip I was given for my open water barrels was to put a thin film of cheap cooking oil on top! Stops all the bugs from getting in. I know someone who keeps a goldfish in his barrels during the summer!
Your little goldfinch is very well camouflaged indeed.
~~~Until next time~~~Deb in Wales xoxo
Deb, I love the idea of the fish in the rain barrels--brilliant. We have been quite lucky with an abundance of rain this summer, but an abundance of mosquitoes as well. The gardener at this garden in Colonial Williamsburg told us all the butterflies come to visit frequently. They use no chemicals in their garden and I do love that! They had beautiful flowers and many squash. I always visit this little spot when we go there. I love it as well. Have a lovely day, my friend. ♥
DeleteSummer seems to have raced by. We are experiencing a touch of fall with lower evening temps (44 deg. this morning). That's so cute that Miles only wanted a phone but at the price of some of them I can understand . When our kids reached high school level we got them phones but back then they didn't have internet access so it was real basic. I appreciated being able to have communication from them especially once they started driving. You have some wonderful pictures of butterflies. I find it hard to capture pictures of them- they move off so quickly! Mosquitos are such a pain- I remember getting bitten by them as a kid to the point of being driven inside. I am looking forward to autumn for the fantastic colors. I just wish it would last a lot longer! I'm enjoying the rudbeckia too- I should split mine up and plant more so I can see it from more areas! Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteSince Miles' older brother had a phone before him, I think the intensity of desire was great for him. Those phones are ridiculously expensive. His Daddy told him he really needs to take care of it! He has the gorilla glass over it and a case, so hopefully he will do as well as his brother has with his.
DeleteThose butterflies are so elusive as they go darting around the garden. I take my camera to the patio and wait patiently for them to land. Sometimes it works.
I've been thinking of you and Dan at this time, my friend. Take care. ♥
It took me awhile to find the Goldfinch! They visit our Coneflowers, which are purple, so you can see them immediately. I never seem to have my camera handy, though. We have little round disks we add to our pond to kill mosquitos--but we also have half a dozen frogs living in our pond. Our bird bath is small enough to dry out after a couple days--I'm constantly refilling it--but I do have to check the sandbox cover that seems to collect rain.
ReplyDeleteCathy it's interesting how many spots collect water. I have some shells that I have collected through the years that are in some of my flower beds. They get turned over by little critters sometime and will get water in them. It only takes a small amount of water for those pesky mosquitoes to lay their eggs. We have some frogs here as well that do love a good snack every now and then. ♥
DeleteThat's a good idea about your birdbath. Mosquitoes love me so I don't go out on the grass much at night. Yes fall is very welcome here too and it's so promising when we start to see signs of it here as you describe. Right now we're in the mid 80s with lower humidity--great weather! I remember tank trucks used to go through our neighborhoods once a summer--with clouds of spray behind them--I suppose they were spraying for mossies.
ReplyDeleteToday is beautiful here as well. We are enjoying our Autumn preview. I've never heard mosquitoes called mossies-cute name for those little rascals. I shudder to think about those spray trucks and plane foggers, Dotsie. We just emptied our bird baths again this afternoon. There was larva in there already. Hope you have a great weekend. ♥
DeleteI just saw goldfinches yesterday and got excited, they are so pretty. I need to get to colonial williamsburg and take a look around now. Sweet grandson you have and I bet your grandson wouldn't have appreciated a phone as much as he does now by waiting for it. Good idea for the parents to wait. Nothing corny about what you call your grandchildren. They are sweet little angels forever to us.
ReplyDeleteHappy Week end
betsy
Thanks Betsy! Our grandchildren are sweet little angels! I hope you can take a ride down to Colonial Williamsburg soon. The temperatures today would have been perfect! The gardens are really in their full glory now. Have a great evening. ♥
DeleteWe've had tons of Goldfinches too this year...first they loved the Coreopsis, then the Rudbeckia and now the Black-eyed Susan. August did go by way too fast, but it's been so hot, I'm actually looking forward to some cooler weather! Happy weekend to you my friend, XOXO
ReplyDeleteSusan I hope you are receiving some of the pretty "fall preview" weather we've had. It's been much cooler--windows open with a nice breeze this morning. The goldfinches are such a happy sight in the garden. Sending you hopes for cool breezes, my friend. XOXO ♥
DeleteA 13th birthday is special, happy birthday wishes for your grandson.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see your butterflies, they do seem to be on the decline, which is worrying.
This year is simply flying past and our evenings are drawing in. Autumn (The Fall) is one of my favourite seasons, I love seeing the trees and flowers turn such wonderful colours.
Enjoy the remainder of this month, my good wishes.
All the best Jan
I'm so happy to see the butterflies, Jan. I'm now see a good variety, but not the usual numbers. It's worrisome that you have the same in England. I hope you enjoy the last days of summmer, dear Jan. ♥
DeleteWhen I worked it seemed that the weekends would never get here but since being retired (yr in July), time has flew by. It seems like the weekends are here before I know it. But...I have to say that I love that summer is coming to an end even though it has not been a hot one, it's been fairly nice. Need I say I love FALL! I love the feel in the air, the colors and the smell.....glad you had such a great summer.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of us hot summer weather gals will be happy to have Fall upon us. Of course, my friends to the north don't feel the same. I hope you have a nice week ahead.♥
DeleteTime is certainly flying by. I loved the photos of your visitors, the butterflies were a delight. Belated Birthday wishes to your Grandson.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Time is certainly flying these days. Our oldest grand is back in school and next week the younger ones will follow. Have a great week. ♥
DeleteYou took such beautiful butterfly photos. We've had the most we've ever had this year because of the Pentas...the butterflies love them. And what a pretty little goldfinch! I remember the 'mosquito truck' spraying our neighborhood when we were kids. Eeeeee!!! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteDiane, I'm so happy you've had many butterflies on your pentas. We've had more as August has progressed. They had a slow start this year. I have a couple butterfly bushes that they adore. Have a great week. ♥
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