It is spring! I spent the afternoon relaxing in the yard amongst a clump of delightfully decadent daffodils!
Spring is in the Air
Category Archives: Nature
Of Burrowers and Butterflies
I went to Reiman Gardens this weekend and enjoyed a lovely tour of the grounds. My favorite part was the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, it was full of delicious flowers and many winged creatures who seemed to like flowers as much as I do.
Look at how this delicate creature enjoys the flower
This handsome devil flashed neon green in the sunlight
This butterfly reminded me of the mighty tiger, eek
While not as brightly colored as the rest, this little guy was still very charming
I kept startling the butterflies as I approached to make friends, they seemed to be very timid
However, once I explained that I would not steal their flowers they warmed up to me
This kind lady shared her secrets of finding the best flowers with me; sadly, I am sworn to secrecy
To end my visit, I sat quietly with this fellow, he seemed rather tired; I was not sure why, but the butterflies seemed to think that was normal for his kind, he must be a special kind of butterfly?
This butterfly reminds me of a might tiger, eek
I kept startling the butterflies as approached to make friends, they seem to be very timid
This kind lady shared her secrets of finding the best flowers with me; sadly, I am sworn to secrecy
To end my visit, I sat quietly with this fellow, he seemed rather tired, I was not sure why, the butterflies seemed to think that was normal for his kind, whatever, that means
However, once I explained that I would not steal their flowers they warmed up to me
This little guy was not as brightly colored as the rest, but he was still charming
Look at how this delicate creature enjoys the flower
Tiny Hippo at the Apple Orchard
September is the perfect time to visit the local apple orchard. The air is crisp and clear putting one in the mood for long walks and tart apples!
So off I went to Wilson’s Apple Orchard, to partake of deliciously fresh apples. Of course, there are many distractions at the orchard, other than apples.
There are several pumpkin patches that are ripe for exploration
While I am not a huge fan of actual pumpkins…
I do love a good pumpkin flower!
Enough with delightfully tasty flowers, at the orchard, apples are my ultimate objective
Getting the best apples is always a bit of a challenge
First, develop a battle plan, you don’t want to get half way to your dream apple only to be foiled at the last-minute by poor planning
I like to use a sturdy rope with knots in it to reach the apples
Now then, once I secure my climbing rope in the tree it is time to climb!
Tiny hippo tree climbing, some would say an extreme sport, is certainly not for the weak of heart
Ah, at last I reach my lovely apple, how crisp it looks!
My apple picked, I put it in my red wagon, it is the perfect size for such things
My hard work has paid off, I can go home with my prize, after I show it to a few friends, of course
A trip to the apple orchard is a great way to spend the afternoon, and there are so many things that you can make with your freshly picked treasures. Check out my spicy apple chutney recipe, or my red rice salad with apricots, and try substituting apples in place of the apricots.
Grackles in the Garden
The grackles in our garden are very mischievous, making themselves the jesters of our tiny backyard jungle.
This grackle enjoys throwing maple seeds into the air while hunting for tasty treats
The less active grackles prefer to stroll through the grass looking for easy snacks.
This leisurely technique may not seem as exciting as the seed tossing method…
However, searching through the grass does yield nom noms such as stale cereal
To freshen up stale cereal, this grackle decides that it would be much better after being dipped in the bird bath
The grackles discover that the bird bath is great for other uses, not just softening up old cereal.
The bird bath is also a great place to take a bath, but be warned, others will want to join in…
One must be very fast about enjoying the bird bath
As soon as this grackle became distracted with his bath another bird decides to sneak into the picture
Still unaware of his rival, this water baby splashes about in pure joy
Splish splash, splish splash
Wait for it…
Then the intruding grackle makes his presence known!
What will the bathing beauty do, will he flee in fear or stand up for his right to enjoy his bath in peace?
While the rival grackle is intimidating is his puffed up stance, our water lover is not trembling in fear
He uses his large wingspan to out puff the interloper
In the end, our water-loving grackle was able to hold on to his prize position at the bird bath!
Kew Palace, The Dutch House
Kew Place is a lovely brick manor house located in the Kew Botanical Gardens, London.
Kew Palace, was once known as the “Dutch House” because of its Dutch gables
The perfectly maintained hedges and topiaries add a key architectural feature to this property
The Queen’s Garden is a formal garden that lies behind Kew Palace
The plants in the Queen’s Garden are those grown in Britain before and during the 17th century.
The symmetrical lines of Kew Palace are mirrored in plantings of the Queen’s Garden
This mallard liked the tranquility offered by this pond in the Queen’s Garden. The statue in the center of the pond is a copy of Verocchio’s ‘Boy with a Dolphine.’
This Venetian well head is a focal-point of the parterre garden
This marble satyr stands guard next to a leafy hallway
Looking west down the leafy hallway in the Queen’s Garden
We found the exterior of Kew Palace and the Queen’s Garden to be a wonderfully tranquil retreat from the rest of the gardens. The Queen’s Garden is one of the more structured outdoor gardens at Kew, making it a great location for traditional photography.
Meanderings Abound 