Opening the sliding glass
door to the deck and the garden beyond, the music of a few katydids’ give’s
purpose to my empty mind this early morning.
I have missed the rush hour, and the lull in traffic gives me pause for
thought.
I’m happy in parts , but unhappy
with the whole of living. Selfish seems
to trump goodness quite often, and we all know good intentions are no
intentions at all. Such a disappointment;
gives me reason to love my two cats even more.
I have yet to meet a cat who has lied to me.
I’ve noticed my “About Me”
part of my blog introduction still lists my interests as Cats, Dogs, Wildlife Gardening, Scrapbooking,
Artist, Cooking, Hiking, Art, Museums, Theater, Music, Book Stores. Nowadays
they are mostly unpracticed interests due to different health issues.
Cats are an active interest, as I have two, but
if I’m not present at a veterinarian appointment, my husband will give me a different version of what the cat docter said every time I ask. Whaaaaaaaaat?
I am the head gardener of my wildlife garden
with one volunteer who is a self-declared hater of gardening… ha-ha-ha. Let’s move on.
Cooking – well, yes if my prep guy preps and
leaves me only with the cooking to do.
Sometimes I feel as if I’ve descended into hell after I am finished, but
hey, it’s always worth the try.
Nothing else happens if I have to stand more
than a few minutes or bend my neck for any length of time. That pretty much wipes everything else off
the list unless I have a bent elbow to hang onto. Sometimes that bent elbow walks off without me :'(
My wildlife garden only
came about when the person who promised to teach me how to shoot effectively in
competition matches reneged, leaving me high and dry.
Wildlife gardening was the
only choice I thought I could teach myself and pull it off on my own. It was riddled with unrealistic expectations
and arguments, and a hardscape of whatever I could find at construction
sites.
Was it worth it?
I would like to say yes,
but it feels like no one cares. A lack of compassion for
all living organisms seems to be a flaw in our evolution of smarts.
So here I sit, empty as I
began, in my writing room, trying to think of something more worthwhile to
write.
Horace's Duskywing Butterfly, Erynnis horatius
on Joe Pye Weed going to seed.
About three feet away this looked like a tiny dark oblong mass.
Since I did not disturb the top bug from eating the lower insect,
I can only speculate that the top insect is a shield bug nymph.
sucking the innards from something
that looks a little like a spotted cucumber Beetle.
Whatever...
Clematis viorna
Flower Fly - Syrphid Fly - Hover Fly
Clasping Aster
First aster to bloom here in early fall.
Leaf base is attached to the stem without having a stalk or peduncle,
so it appears to clasp the stem.
Large Carpenter Bee, male, with its white face patch;
on pink turtlehead plant.
The sun was still shining but the wind smelled of rain: he loved that promise of wetness mixed with the autumn reek of leaves and molder, ripe apples and completed earth. The Equinox always roused him and gave him a sense of fulfillment at the same time: he felt as tired and contented as the ground and yet as wild with storm as the changing sky.
~Frances Frost, Uncle Snowball, 1940
Polistes fuscatus, Northern Paper Wasp, I think.
They mimic so many different looks.
It will drink from the side of birdbath as the one above is doing,
but will also land on the water and float while drinking.
Drosophila melanogaster, Fruit Fly
Carex plantaginea, Seersucker Sedge edging pathway.
Wild Petunia, Ruellia humilis
A nice groundcover when happy.
Oncopeltus fasciatus, known as the large milkweed bug
Milkweed nymphs go through a process called molting, where they shed their exoskeleton to grow larger. The time between each molt is called an instar.
On Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa, seed pod which they feed on.
They reach adult stage after four instars, and live for about a month.
That time of year, you know, when the summer, beginning to sadden,
Full-mooned and silver-misted, glides from the heart of September,
Mourned by disconsolate crickets, and iterant grasshoppers, crying
All the still nights long, from the ripened abundance of gardens;
Then, ere the boughs of the maples are mantled with earliest autumn,
But the wind of autumn breathes from the orchards at nightfall,
Full of winy perfume and mystical yearning and languor;
And in the noonday woods you hear the foraging squirrels,
And the long, crashing fall of the half-eaten nut from the tree-top;
When the robins are mute, and the yellow-birds, haunting the thistles,
Cheep, and twitter, and flit through the dusty lanes and the loppings,
When the pheasant booms from your stealthy foot in the cornfield,
And the wild-pigeons feed, few and shy, in the scoke-berry bushes;
When the weary land lies hushed, like a seer in a vision,
And your life seems but the dream of a dream which you cannot remember...
Full-mooned and silver-misted, glides from the heart of September,
Mourned by disconsolate crickets, and iterant grasshoppers, crying
All the still nights long, from the ripened abundance of gardens;
Then, ere the boughs of the maples are mantled with earliest autumn,
But the wind of autumn breathes from the orchards at nightfall,
Full of winy perfume and mystical yearning and languor;
And in the noonday woods you hear the foraging squirrels,
And the long, crashing fall of the half-eaten nut from the tree-top;
When the robins are mute, and the yellow-birds, haunting the thistles,
Cheep, and twitter, and flit through the dusty lanes and the loppings,
When the pheasant booms from your stealthy foot in the cornfield,
And the wild-pigeons feed, few and shy, in the scoke-berry bushes;
When the weary land lies hushed, like a seer in a vision,
And your life seems but the dream of a dream which you cannot remember...
~William Dean Howells
Hairy Sunflower, Helianthus hirsutus
Snout Butterfly
Eastern Gray Squirrel on
Carpinus caroliniana, American Hornbeam
Liatris aspera, Tall Blazing Star
Below is one that stands out from the rest
with its dark red.
The stem can get 6' tall, but in my containers they grow horizontally
sometimes, curling and snaking about.
Large Carpenter Bee
Often called gentle giants.
I had a pair of them fly into me today when they changed direction,
and they just went on about business as usual.
Northern Mockingbird
Mother and Fledging
Austin
Always thinking of you ...
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Thank you for your post. Great serie of photos.
ReplyDeleteYour wildlife garden is wonderful, and I'm glad you've found so much joy in it.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteYour garden is wonderful, I can imagine it brings you much joy.
Lovely captures of the flowers, plants and insects.
The clematis and the Tall Blazing Star are my favorites.
Great photos of the Mockingbird, I have not seen my local Mockingbird lately.
Your Austin is a sweetie, cute photo.
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
Milkweed nymphs are something so special to see. The yellow is so punchy
ReplyDeleteYour marvelous garden and photography always tell such a tale of nature and beauty, thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Yvonne, beautiful photos of the flowers, insects, butterflies, squirrel. Have a nice weekend !
ReplyDelete...my tired garden is being refreshed this morning with a much needed gentle rain. Take care and be well.
ReplyDeleteI think anything you find joy in is worthwhile. We all enjoy seeing photos of your flowers. Take care!
ReplyDeleteYour reflections offer a poignant glimpse into the balance of joys and challenges you face. It’s touching to see how your love for your cats and your dedication to your wildlife garden remain strong despite the obstacles. It’s also clear that you’re navigating your health issues with a sense of humor and resilience, which is admirable. The way you weave these experiences into your blog gives readers a genuine and relatable perspective.
ReplyDeleteHi, wishing you a happy weekend. I just shared a new post please read: https://www.melodyjacob.com/2024/09/how-to-style-prepreworks-stretchy-slim-round-neck-knit-vest.html.
Beautiful collection of photos Yvonne! Happy September 😊
ReplyDeleteLovely critter captures!
ReplyDeleteHello Yvonne,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing the beauty in your garden. I love gardening. I have never seen Liatris aspera before. I have Liatris spicata in my garden, and I can see that they are from the same family. I love cats too.
Have a great new week!
It is always very agreeable to see the way you carefully name everything. Congratulations! Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteLovely post Yvonne. Beautiful photos of all your visitors, excellent photography. Have a wonderful week.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your lovely words and detailed knowledge with us paupers. I focus so much on birds that I neglect almost every other branch of wildlife. I agree about the selfishness of today's world, it is very saddening.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a milkwood nymph. That is so interesting. Your photos, as always, tell the story of a garden that thrives. I appreciate the thought you put into your writing and sharing of your story in this post. It reflects much that I have recently been grappling with. My profile is still pretty accurate but it is getting more challenging to do many of those things that I love. Even our upcoming trip -- which I am greatly anticipating -- brings with it far more anxiety than ever before, worries about "keeping up" and staying healthy. I know it will probably be my last abroad -- I want to max it out. The cooking, too. My kitchen is very small for a stool, but I'm thinking of getting a tall stool so that I can hang in there more easily. Like you, I worry about selfish trumping good these days. That adds to anxiety too. I hope you can find some ways to enjoy museums (online). It reminds me of when I was in England in 2018 and I had to break down and use a wheelchair for the museums. The first time I felt so embarrassed. I looked normal but pain isn't always visible. After the first time, I was the one to say to Rick "Can you please get me a wheelchair?" It's worth a shot!
ReplyDeleteAustin is sooo handsome ~ and what awesome nature photos you have taken ~ Wow! ~ hugs,
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
clm ~ A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
I love how you are tune with all the critters, even the smallest ones.
ReplyDeletewhat an amazing set of critters...and you are brave to get so close to some of those "bugs"!! i enjoyed both the flowers and the tiny little critters!! "Milkweed nymphs go through a process called molting, where they shed their exoskeleton to grow larger. The time between each molt is called an instar". this was so cool and what great pictures you shared!!
ReplyDeleteYour post captures the early autumn atmosphere so vividly—I can almost hear the katydids and feel the change in the air. I love how you reflect on life’s complexities and the unwavering companionship of your cats. Your dedication to wildlife gardening, even amidst challenges, is inspiring, and your detailed observations of each creature and plant bring the garden to life. Thank you for sharing such beautiful moments!
ReplyDeleteHappy Thursday, Yvonne!
I love the mood in autumn in the garden. The light is special in this time. Your post describe some similiar on plants and animals we have here too. I enjoyed very much.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Such a lovely post, with wonderful photographs.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy September and the Autumn/Fall season.
All the best Jan
Lovely post
ReplyDeleteAll your guests in the garden are the best arguments for having a wildlife garden. It's so much joy to watch all the insects and of course to take beautiful photos.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the autumn!