And so... it's goodbye for now

Because it's meant so much, and because your being here has been such a blessing, I find it only deserving to be honest enough to say that after just over 5 1/2 years, I find I am no longer drawn to create posts here. Back in March, I started to examine what role this blog played in my life, and decided the healthy thing to do was to take a break for two months. I had no idea I'd eventually find that the passion for it was gone. I've struggled with it, week by week. Once I was no longer posting on any sort of schedule, the desire to post seemed to simply dissipate. It was what I needed it to be in my life for the time I was posting regularly, and now, I feel I am done for the time being.

I want everyone who has followed this journey to know that I so appreciate the friendships I've made, the love and support that was offered to me here, and the grace with which you let me be a part of your lives as well. I feel it would be disingenuous of me to pretend I'm still here and to simply never post, or post and check in very sporadically. So, for now, I'll just bid you all many warm hugs, and smiles to light your days. Who knows where this life journey will lead me... maybe even back here at some point. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, love those who mean the most to you, live your life with joy and without regret. And again, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

My view

One of the most wonderful things about the way this house is situated is that when I walk out onto my deck, I have the most breathtaking views of the sunrise coming up over an adjacent ridge. And, the trees are situated as to make a perfectly framed photo. I never tire of the view, and feel blessed to gaze upon it, especially on mornings when the entire sky is on fire. Yesterday, it was already 83 degrees with 85% humidity when I shot this image of the hazy, hot day to come.

Wonderful White

I've never photographed a Cabbage White before, though I've seen them fleeting around here in the past. With my new and improved butterfly/hummer garden however, I am beginning to see more and more visitors just waiting for me to snap their photos! I love how much contrast there is between this white beauty and the purple May Knight Salvia.

What Swallowtail?

The butterfly activity is just starting to pick up in the garden, and I ran down with my camera yesterday when I saw a lumbering large black butterfly on the Butterfly Bush. What would it be? Black, Pipevine, Spicebush?? Uh.... hmmm.... for starters, it was fairly bedraggled and even missing most of it's tail. Early in the season to see one so beaten up, but who knows what it might have been caught in on it's journey to Chickadee. I looked and looked and got several photos of wingspan open and from the side. Still really had no clue. Didn't fit any of the black ones I knew I'd seen before. I sent the photos to my sissy (the butterfly whisperer) and she called to say, "Yep, it's a confusing one!" Turns out it's the black morph female Eastern Tiger! I'd never seen one! All the Tiger Swallowtails I've seen are the classic yellow and black striped forms. Well now, what a neat visitor to the garden!

Busy times

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are really in a feeding frenzy now, with six to eight jockeying for the feeder. I was able to capture this pretty lady perched on the feeder before she was rudely dive bombed by a competitor for her perch. Time to get out a second feeder to keep peace on the porch!

Seeing Double

When my sissy and I were picking out plants for the garden, we came upon what was labeled a "Double Bloom Coneflower" and added it to the mix for the garden. I waited and waited to see what it might look like, but the very first two blooms or so looked just like all the other Coneflower. Hmmmm... was it mislabeled at the nursery? But, lo and behold, I walked down to the garden last night and saw this... a bloom on top of a bloom! Seeing double is sometimes lovely.

Moonglow

I was sitting here at the computer last night when I looked up and out the window to see this gorgeous moon. I picked up my camera and aimed it to the sky. I watched as clouds would float in front of it, obscuring bits and pieces, and then they would move by to reveal this half globe of light once again. I googled to find that this is the Waxing Gibbous (59% of full) phase of the moon. Seems like you could reach out and touch it, doesn't it?

Garden Update

We've been fortunate to have a couple of weeks where we have had afternoon showers with the building of the heat at the end of the day. The garden is flourishing! Everything is so happy and lush. The delicate Larkspur below has been blooming its little head off.

And the Tropical Milkweed is tall and full of blooms as well... a feast for hungry Monarch cats at the end of the season.

The Coneflower blooms have been so proliferative, I've had to stake it to keep it from tumbling over!

And, at the end of each day, I catch a glimpse of this little visitor... always listening with those big ears as he nibbles the grass.

Impressive Indigo

Last week, I looked out to see a coveted visitor to my feeders. This male Indigo Bunting was resplendent in his bright blue plumage. I tried to sneak open the door to get some shots of him, but he spooked easily and immediately flew away. The next day he came back, and I decided not to press my luck, so took some shots through the kitchen window of this lovely birdie. The first spring we were here on Chickadee, I would have four at a time at my feeders, but since that time, I've only seen them sporadically. That indigo color is so vivid and beautiful!