Sunday, July 14, 2019

Sunday Chatter

Happy end of the weekend everyone. Here we are having hot weather, and I am in lazy mode this morning since last week was fun but quite busy. (If you are curious from my last post, my single kidney function was at a healthy level and now I am done going into Boston and my regular doctor can just monitor it-hurrah for no more medical trip to Boston. I hope we don't need any more forever-or at least for a very long time.)
 I slept in until 9 today, which is really late for me. I guess I needed it.
So today I want to begin with a tag for Tag Tuesday, which I think I am just squeezing in at the end of the Here Comes the Sun challenge.
 I've had a little bit of time to start working on my Dakota trip journal, and I made this tag for one of the pages. When we were driving across North Dakota I noticed so many birds from the passenger seat of the car; everything from swans, white pelicans, yellow headed blackbirds, red winged blackbirds and a whole lot more. As it was impossible to take photos (or get my husband to pull over either), I am using images from an old bird book I have.  Those images are probably better than my photos would be anyhow.
The tag is a part of the page and I included it in the photo there and not by itself because it makes more sense on the page.
  I went to clean the filter on my washer the other day and it was stuck, plus the machine wasn't draining 100%, so the handy hubby took it apart on Friday evening. Today it is going back together so keep your fingers crossed that it works 100% when I go to try it out.
 And when I couldn't clean the washer I started cleaning this basement overflow closet. I haven't finished but already took 2 bags to a local charity place. I hope this upcoming week I can finish that project. Right now my basement is a disaster.
And my garden is a busy place.
 I went out this morning and was taking photos of this Canadian Swallowtail butterfly on the milkweed flowers in my garden.
 And while I photographing the swallowtail look what came flying over.
This monarch butterfly. exactly why I kept the milkweeds in my garden.

And flowers are blooming.
 Coreopsis and daisies. I think the cool wet spring really made the gardens go into overtime bloom this summer.
 My grade plant is growing out of control. I have no idea if I will get grapes or if I can get them to fruit as I have no idea about growing fruit plants.

 And this week one of my hydrangeas started to blossom. One is not looking good because of the deer who keep eating it, and one died last winter and I just replaced it with a small new plant.
 And there are still a fair amount of roses.

 This dragonfly was the most luscious shade of green, although this is not a good photo.
 Hummingbirds are sucking down lots of food.
 And besides my shadow, can you notice all those brown specks? For some reason we have all these ants on the sidewalk.
As you can see, my little piece of nature is just bustling with activity. 
Hope all is well with you, and thanks so much for stopping by to visit.

11 comments:

Divers and Sundry said...

Congrats on your healthy kidney report :)

You look like you have quite the nature haven. I love how you've planted for butterflies. Such lovelies!

Valerie-Jael said...

Your nature reserve/garden looks fabulous.Glad you got a clean bill of health from the doc. Love the journal pages and thanks so much for linking your beautiful tag to Tag Tuesday, much appreciated. I slept till 8 a.m. today, it made me happy. Hugs, Valerie

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I'm enjoying your Dakota travel journal and the tag you made to go with it. I've never known any birds except cardinals, bluejays, and robins. Any thing else and I'm lost. I guess I would recognize a pheasant, but those are game birds, like quail. All hunters know what THEY look like. I'm delighted to see you know birds quite well.

Your garden is amazing. You have SO much going on. I am growing mosquitoes, and you are growing real beauties. Lovely photos and wonderful art today, dear Erika.

Barbara said...

Beautiful photos! You must have a “ green thumb”. ��

Birgit said...

So glad you are doing so well! I am glad you no longer have to go to Boston and I know you are 3 times as glad:). I love your page and that you placed a tag right on the page which has a fun sun on it too. I just made a card for my friend with a smiling sun. Your tag gave me an idea to do something like this for the scrapbook I a, making for my friend. Your pictures of your garden is beautiful and we, too, have milkweed plants that now have aphids...damn bugs but we have a monarch caterpillar who is happily chomping down. I wonder if the ants are migrating??

CJ Kennedy said...

Hurray on a clean bill of health! With the hot weather forecasted this week, you'll have more time to spend on your trip journal. I like the tag you created with the bird and bandana trim. My basement is a disaster, too. Your garden is gorgeous! The butterflies! I've seen one in my yard. I'll have to go sit near the milkweed to see if they are loving the flowers. Stay cool!

Gibby Frogett said...

Oh thats fantastic news about your kidney Erika I am so pleased to hear that :)
Your journal page is cool - sounds like a great trip too.
Thanks for the lovely comments you left... your garden looks so much more colourful than mine your flowers are gorgeous and so are those lovely butterlies... and I always love seeing your humming bird photos - you really are lucky to have such wonderful wildlife in your garden.
Have a great week... Gill x

Anne (cornucopia) said...

I'm glad to hear the kidney test went well. Your tag on the travel journal page looks lovely. My whole house is a disaster of needing to be decluttered, but right now it's too hot to try to do that. I applaud you for taking on your overflow closet. Beautiful butterflies in your garden. All of your flowers look great. I think the grape vines will take care of themselves, and you'll end up with grapes on them before the Fall. (Maybe the bees pollinate them. We had wild grapes growing in our yard when I was young, and they got grapes every year, without us having to do anything.) I especially liked seeing your roses. Your Hummingbirds are stunning. Maybe I should try getting a feeder, and see if any show up in my yard.

Meggymay said...

Good news about your checkup visit.
The photos of your garden looked lovely. The butterflies are a lovely coloued.
I hope all went well with the washing machine.
Yvonne xx

Michele said...

your tag makes my heart sing! so beautiful. thanks for linking to tag tuesday. xo

Lowcarb team member said...

Good news about your kidney Erika :)

I enjoyed seeing the pretty flowers and butterflies, great pictures.

All the best Jan