Majestic!

This is the tallest sunflower in our garden. I bet it's over 7 feet tall.

Sadly, this is what a lot of our tomatoes have looked like this year. We've had some good ones, but there have been too many to count that I've had to throw away.

I got a new wide angle lens this past Saturday. Terry took this shot on Sunday morning using the lens. I'm really enjoying my new toy so far!

Took this shot with my wide angle lens. I know it has nothing to do with nature, but I thought it was pretty cool :0)

Okra flower macro. It's an entirely different little world in the center of that flower!

I didn't realize there was a bee hovering in front of this sunflower until I uploaded the picture to my computer :0)

"Bee to the blossom, moth to the flame; Each to his passion; what's in a name?" ~ Helen Hunt Jackson

Butterfly Macro

Swallowtail butterfly

Sunflower Lunch

Notice the pollen on the bee's legs.

Sunflowers make me smile!

Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men and animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Our curious and crazy cat Bullet has learned how to open the door to our kitchen pantry. Once he gets it open he goes inside and sleeps on top of empty Walmart bags that we have stashed inside. Enjoy!

Sunflower petal macro.

God's Camouflage

I was sweeping the back porch yesterday and saw what I thought was a leaf or a piece of bark. On closer inspection I found out that it was a moth. I've never seen a moth that looks like this before. Talk about camouflage!

Summer Colors

Sunset 8:17pm July 16th

Psalm 19:1

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Sunflower opening.

Swallowtail butterfly feasting one one of our hanging flower baskets.

Timing Is Everything!

I love having a lot of flowers in the garden because they attract bees. In turn the bees reward us by pollinating our garden veggies. It's a win win situation :0) Thought I would update everyone on the baby sparrow that was in a nest in one of our hanging flower baskets. Timing is everything. I happened to be watering our hanging baskets when I noticed our cat, Libby, stalking something in the yard. I immediately knew what she was after. Turns out the baby sparrow had left the nest and was hopping on the ground. I dropped the hose and ran to Libby. I grabbed her up and locked her up in the garage until I could get the baby bird to a safe place. I just hope the mamma sparrow finds him or her. I knew it was a matter of time before the baby left the nest. He or she was way too big for the nest.

Baby sparrow in a nest in one of our hanging flower baskets. So sweet! There were two, but I think one of them died not long after they hatched.

Clouds

I took these pictures this afternoon. The clouds were really pretty today!

Garden Oddities

It's weird how things grow sometimes.

Bullet looking scary. I love those big yellow eyes!

This picture was taken on July 3rd. This little rabbit was looking for something to munch on in our dried up back yard. Luckily he found the patch of green grass beneath our Yoshino Cherry tree. We had been watering our trees because it's been so dry lately. I'm glad he found something to eat!

The first sunflower of the summer :0)

Another first is the rain we got last night and this morning. This is the first measurable rainfall we've had in a long time. Thank you Lord!

Water Macro

 Water stream from my little indoor fountain.

Tulip Poplar macro.

Hickman highway in Smith county. March, 2012.

I took these pictures on June 14th of our tree swallows coming around for one last visit before migrating.

Hope to see them next year!

Bullet doing what he does best...look pretty :0)

Hard to believe my baby brother would've turned 49 today! Miss you Rob and wish you were here!

Drought

One of the only green patches of grass in our yard this summer is under our willow tree because we've been watering it.

The other green patch is under our Yoshino cherry tree.

Our back yard is dead. Middle Tennessee is 7" below normal in rainfall this year. I thought we might get a little shower last night, but that rain was to the east of us.

My sunflower patch is wilted under the morning sun. At 10:34am, it's already 91 degrees!