Showing posts with label Hummingbird moth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hummingbird moth. Show all posts

Sunday, September 1, 2024

A Little of This and That

Happy September, friends!  I really do believe time is passing at warp speed.  My favorite season will be here soon.  Today is not as hot, but is quite humid.  In Virginia we will probably continue to experience warm weather throughout the new month though little changes are happening.  Our Black Gum trees have been dropping colorful leaves for a while now.  We also have a White Oak that drops its leaves when we experience dry weather.  Thankfully we received over three inches of rain this week.  Though it all came down rather quickly and we lost some to run off, it was good to get some moisture.


We are so fortunate to have butterflies visit us frequently!  The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) thrills us particularly.  


The Hummingbird Moth loves to visit our Buddleia as well.

Our old patio umbrella needed updating and we were able to find a cover for this one for half price at World Market.


The old one had a wonderful wooden skeleton that we could keep and just place the new cover on it.  Works well and I'm pleased with it.  Samuel said he liked the new Zebra umbrella when he first saw it! 


The vinca has filled in nicely in the patio planter.  


The rudbeckia has taken over the perennial bed in the back.  I must speak to the gardener (me) about removing some of it as it seeds profusely!

My friend Cheryl at https://thinking-about-home.blogspot.com has the most lovely home decorating ideas along with her sweet wisdom.  She recently posted about making a silhouette and also about one she had bought at an antique shop.  She got me thinking about the silhouettes that I have of our two children.  I told her I needed to go find them and bring them out into the light of day again. So eventually I found them in a mountain of framed photos of our children.


Grayden hung them beside the China cabinet in the living room.  I'm so happy with them.  Seeing their little profiles makes this Mama very happy!

The one of Noel was taken in Disneyland before her brother was born.  They had an artist on Main Street USA that would do these if you could get your child to sit long enough!



  Noel's is in a larger frame so we placed her on the bottom.  We love seeing this as she loved to wear her hair in this fashion!  He even included her eyelashes.


As you can see Grady's was done in Walt Disney World.  I'm not sure of the date, but he is three years younger than Noel.  I love seeing his profile as well and those eyelashes!


Did you ever get silhouettes done by these artists?  I truly treasure them.  Thank you Cheryl for reminding me of these precious times! 

Thank you for reading a little of this and that, my friends!  Have a happy week ahead.



   

Monday, August 16, 2021

August in the Garden

 Rainy days in August is quite unusual for us here in Virginia.  Our family beach week proved that to be untrue.  Though rain and the beach don't often go together, we still enjoyed time spent with our children, our grands and our nephew and his family.   

Thunderstorms have been abundant since we returned home.  Many large limbs have been pruned by the wind and heavy weight that rain brings.  Last week found us cleaning up the garden.  I noticed another large limb has fallen in the back and will need to be taken care of soon. 

Between raindrops I've gathered rudbekia blooms for the dining table.  


Looking outdoors there is much to observe.


The Hummingbird moth enjoys time gathering nectar at the buddleia.  They are members of the Spinx Moth family (Sphingidae).  


The buddleia is such a wonderful shrub to have close to a window to attract the wonders of nature.


The vinca on the patio is also attracting butterflies.  Just when I thought we wouldn't be seeing many, they have come in abundance. 


 The Black Swallowtails are quite busy gathering nectar on the patio.


 

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail made his appearance as well.


He is also the Virginia state insect (Papilio glaucus).


I love all butterflies, but I'm always honored when the Monarch visits my garden!



Please indulge me while I click away with my camera.





"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."  Maya Angelou