This summer has been extra hot and dry in Wisconsin. It’s been kind of a bummer for outside activities. As I looked down at our yard from the window above, I admired the extra dry grass sprinkled with the hearty weeds. And I noticed a bunch of crows on our birdbath. The heat and dry weather have made everything thirsty. I wondered if they were chatting about the weather at the water cooler, telling jokes, and laughing, or was it something else that drew them there? Then I realized it was a family.
I watched the young crow who was looking up waiting for mom or dad to return to the ground. Or perhaps it was unsure as to where to land on the rim above. It was looking crowded up there.
I chuckled to myself. Wow, I hadn’t considered my own bias when it comes to birds. It’s more fun to look at baby birds when they’re a smaller species like the finches. But crows are birds too and they still have to teach their young how to get food and water. They make a serious mess in the birdbath though. It’s been a daily routine for me to dump out the dirty water and refill it so they can do it all over again the next day. It’s still reassuring to see the circle of the bird’s life as it unfolds year after year.
Seeing the crows inspired me to grab my camera and go outside to check out my wild garden beds. I’ve been faithfully watering them on a daily basis. There are two tiger lilies struggling their way to survive amongst the Black-eyed Susan, catchfly, and weeds.
The daisies are just starting to open up too. It sure seems late to me, but I’m always happy when they start to bloom.
Life is full of ups and downs. One needs to stay positive in life, no matter what.
Shilpa Shinde
The bright pink colors of the catchfly are predominant now. I scanned each flower bed as I made my way across the yard. The weeds have temporarily taken over. I know that as soon as we get some rain, I’ll weed them out.
My half-off-priced geraniums are gorgeous and surviving. I love this color. Sometimes it looks red and other times bright pink.
Man, oh, man, even in the shade it was hot. So I made my way back toward the house. I stopped when I saw a visitor land on the catchfly. I smiled as I remembered my oldest used to call it a flutterby instead of a butterfly as she’d chase it around the yard trying to catch it. An empty-nester mom’s mind sure can wander back to the past in a flash.
I always think these fluttering creatures are Monarchs, but it’s a Viceroy. Do you agree? Check out this link.
It was a quick and very short visit by the Viceroy. I clicked my camera as fast as I could. Trying to get close enough as it flashed its wings up and down. It was brief, just like the memories that flashed in my mind. I smiled as I headed back inside.
And there you have it, be it a human, a bird, or a viceroy, down by the ground – a quick visit to the garden is always a pick-me-up kind of thing.
Post Inspiration – Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “up/down.” Use one, use them both, but try to put one in your first sentence. Bonus points if you use the other in your last sentence. Have fun!
PS – Do you agree that the catchfly is properly named? Do you think that was a viceroy or a monarch? What’s happening in your neck of the woods? Have you ever seen a hummingbird nest? What is your favorite garden flower?
I’m not good with names of things. I routinely refer to “birdie birds” as we’re walking. In any case, despite the heat, you managed to get some wonderful photos. I hope it cools off for you soon and you get some rain for that grass.
I’m smiling – birdie birds is a delightful name! Thank you – nature tends to provide for opportunities to get some photos. You do well at finding photo ops (flowers, Maddie, baseballs, marigolds, bunnies…!) to highlight! YAY – I see your marigolds are in bloom!
We have had several days of rain in a row now, so the weeds in the grass are standing tall. 🤣🤣
I like weeds. They always figure out a way to thrive.
That’s awesome, I thought I was the only one who like to encourage the wild weeds growing!
Nope. It’s why we have so many bunnies. The neighbors with the fertilized and pesticides lawns are bunny free.
Oh, dear, that must be my problem too. I’m so impressed that Maddie doesn’t chase them!
It looks like a Monarch but I’m no expert. In any case it’s a beauty! I’ve never seen your guys’ lawn look like that, so parched! I hope the recent rain will perk your lawn back up. Happy Sunday!
Thanks for the vote on the monarch. I think as a kid we’d see them and always assume a monarch. There’s a subtle difference in the wings and the patterns that make it a viceroy.
Yeah, it’s been since 2009 that we’ve had such a dry yard. The weeds are super happy that we’ve had a few days of rain. We’ll have to get the mower out to cut them down so Copper can make it through the jungle that’s about his height now.
Copper is such a sweet old fella!
Yes, he is. He sleeps more and more each day, but still surprises me by his spunky and youthful spurts.
Happy Sunday – happy Monday too! I clicked send before I ended my comment properly!
It’s OK! 😎
A bird family! I love it. And photographing butterflies is a challenge in and of itself (nicely done!). I would have thought it was a Monarch, but whatever it is…it’s beautiful. I enjoyed this trip around your gardens. 🙂
Thanks, Andrea, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I’m thankful to hear from you – hugs to you and your family as you work through the challenges you’ve felt recently. I hope you get to see your new granddaughter in person soon. She’s beautiful! xoxo
You’re most welcome. I am glad to be visiting my WP friends again. It’s been a tough month. One day at a time….
I did get to see my new granddaughter (and her big brother too!) a couple of weeks ago – pure joy!
Yes, one day at a time is the best approach. YAY – glad to hear you got to see the grandkids. They know how to take life one moment at a time. 💕❤💖
Yes, they sure do. Pure examples of living in the moment. 😊
💕💕💕
Great photos 😊
Thank you! 💕💕
Such beautiful flowers! I hope they survive the heat so you can enjoy their color for a good long time.
Thank you, Janis. I hope they do too! PS – I enjoyed your photos too – what a gorgeous trip you had, I still feel relaxed after viewing the photos. Such beauty you captured!
A walk in the garden is always nice. This year I only have planters (well, except for the professional landscaping that I’m not responsible for…), and they have taken a bit of a beating in the past week. We have had crazy rain – like roads closed for flooding rain. They’re hanging in the there, but some of the flowers have been beaten to death. More buds coming up, though. I love your garden pics!
Also, the rain has brought back the insane bullfrog chorus in the wetlands near us. Today I heard them loud and clear at 5:30AM. Thank god they’re seasonal. Ha!
Hi Laurel!! I’m glad you enjoyed the garden stroll. The flowers have been slow to arrive and to survive here. But since I wrote about the drought, it has been raining, nice steady rains. So it’ll be interesting to see how well they take off now.
Aw, that’s a bummer that you’ve had such crazy rain. Flooding is scary. We haven’t had that in our area for at least 6 years.
I’m glad to hear there are buds reappearing in your planters. That’ll make the rest of the summer and into fall a joy to appreciate.
LOL – bullfrogs serenading you to get up and enjoy the day. I don’t think I’d enjoy that either, they can be incredibly loud.
I hope you get some sunshine soon! It’s great to hear from you!
Beautiful photos despite it being dry where you are. We have the opposite here. So wet that some plants are looking bedraggled. I don’t have favorite summer flowers but I do enjoy seeing daisies and sunflowers around. And petunias. I do like a bright pink petunia. But really, if it grows, then I like it.
Thank you, Ally. We have gotten several days of rain since I wrote the post. I may be looking at bedraggled flowers next time I take a stroll through the weeds that have since revived in the yard.
We think alike, I love daisies and sunflowers too. And pink petunias. We’re true Pinto Beans.
PS – loved your thought-provoking post! I’m sharing it here, as I know many of us have felt that way. https://thespectacledbean.com/2021/06/22/jottings-about-the-opposite-of-purple-prose-a-question-about-endings/
Shelley, thanks for linking to my post. We Pinto Beans have to stick together. The sogginess is gone, but it’s hot and humid here now. I have no motivation to be outside at all. The flowers are going to have to take care of themselves.
You’re welcome! Yes, that mugginess is no fun, we’ve had that here too. Good things flowers know how to be flowers without human interaction. I make myself go outside, to remind myself that Christmas weather is less than 200 days away… 😉
Hi Shelley
I would have thought monarch
And love the flutterby memory
It really is nice to have the smallest of memories come our way
The nest might be empty of their physical presence but very full with essence and moments to cherish –
Oh and the garden is a nice pick me up – I have some yellow and white petunias that are from a few years ago and one of the clusters really found it’s happy sport this year and has flourished – I love my geraniums – vinca – rose of Sharon and mandeville and zinnia more
But these yellow petunias are my flower of the month
Hi Yvette – thanks for sharing your thoughts. I agree, those small memories popping up are nice indeed.
We have some nasty beetles that LOVE anything white. So my impatiens that are white are being attacked, along with the daisies. Living out in the country next to a field that’s been treated with chemicals causes the bugs to migrate to our yard. I call any of my flowers that survive BEAUTIFUL. 🙂
I’m so happy to read of the joy your flowers bring to you!
I am not sure which kind of beetles they are but I know a few folks that use those “trap bags” and heard they work well
And you are right – any flowers that survive are even more appreciated 🌺🌸🌺🌸🌺🌸🤍🤍🤍
Oh, yes, thanks for the reminder of that trick.
They’re Asian beetles and, yes, those traps work. They’ll also fall into a white bucket of water and drown. We have 40 acres surrounding us where they grow and hatch, so, it’s not a winning game 😒🤷♀️🤔
yes – and for some reason in our area we cannot grow zucchini or squash – the leaves get eaten up too quickly by some pest – but that pest leaves other plants alone – so we just worked with what our area offered (so to speak)
The bugs change things up around here depending upon what the farmer plants in the field. I suspect the fertilizer makes a difference 😒
Love your garden even in the heat of Summer Shelley. Great photos of birds, flowers and butterflies 😀😀
Thank you, Brian, I appreciate you stopping by to share your thoughts! 😃
Your garden is beautiful, thriving despite this wicked heat wave. I think it is a viceroy butterfly too and I can never tell if I see it “live” but on the screen I find it easier to tell and am prone, like you, to going to a site for comparison. The geranium – is it “Strawberry Sizzle”? I used to buy that for my pots back in the day and it had that same two-tone pink hue. When I’ve bought it in the past, there was a portion of the price went to Susan Komen for breast cancer research as I recall. A fellow blogger in Portland has a backyard paradise filled with perennials, birds, butterflies and hummingbirds, all fried by their record-breaking heat, despite watering faithfully just like you.
Linda – I’m sorry, for some reason, that I can’t figure out, your comment was sent to my trash bin by WP?! I don’t know what kind of geranium it is? Gardening this year has been interesting. I have enjoyed seeing what survives. xoxo
Gardening is a crapshoot to be sure this year! I wonder why WP deemed it “trash” not “SPAM” – hmm.
It’s a mystery to me too!
Those catchfly are so pretty and vibrant! I think, according to your link, that it is a Monarch. It doesn’t have the line across the back wings like the article says a Viceroy has. Plus there are the white specks on the body the Monarch has. I learned a lot today! I didn’t realize there were Monarch look-alikes! I think I might’ve had some black swallowtail caterpillars on my plants before too! Thanks for that link. 🙂
Thank you – glad you liked the post and the link. And, Mr. pointed out that I was wrong, it is a Monarch too. Silly me. That Monarch keeps coming back. I didn’t know the catchfly would be such a draw. I’ll have to look up the black swallowtail caterpillars…! Nature is so fun, I’m glad you enjoyed the link too!
Well, Shelley, since you published this post, we did have rain and cooler weather, but now it’s back to the heat again. I hope your garden survives and you stay cool for a couple more days. Enjoy your Fourth and the week to come.
Yes, you’re right, we did finally get some much needed rain. The garden was VERY happy to see it so was the field of soy beans. And, yes, we’re back to the heat again. I hope you’ve been enjoying the bike trails and cool spots to stop to refresh! I hope you have a wonderful 4th too. It must feel weird to not have to worry about what day it falls on and what day you’ll have off from work? 😉
Oh yes, some days feel weird, especially when I have to think about what day of the week it is. Is it Tuesdsy or Friday? The 😏😁
LOL – I work from home and feel the same way some days. I think I have today off for the 4th?! 🤔🤣😃 Enjoy your week – and your cookies!