ABC Wednesday - C for Clouds!

A recent 9-mile drive home resulted in the following cloud "documentary!"  I thought the clouds were amazing... and even more amazing was the fact that the whole episode lasted 19 minutes!

Clouds:
Cirrus and ???  Can you have a Line of Cumulus?

and/or Cumulonimbus

Looking across....

Looking back, a little...

Looking ahead again

Whew!  A return to Cumulus!

SG

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ABC Wednesday - B is for Butterflies!!

Well!  The usual wealth of Butterflies has not been the norm this year... however, there were QUITE a number of Giant Butterflies awhile back.  :-)

This is almost all of what I have seen this year.

Giant Butterfly

Giant Butterfly on Butterfly Milkweed

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

Eastern-tailed Blue Butterfly

Northern Checkerspot Butterfly

 White Cabbage Butterfly

Because I have a large number of food-source nectar flowers for all Butterflies - Monarchs included, and a quite a good number of Butterfly and commong milkweed plants (larval food), I am Bummed that I'm not seeing Monarchs in my yard... and I've only seen TWO Monarchs this spring/summer!

Before I go, perhaps you can tell me if you are seeing Monarch Butterflies??

Thanks!
SG

Mr. Shady's Beautiful Prairie; As It Looks Today!

I believe we've had this piece of ground for at least 20 years.  And over the years, he has worked on the prairie side planting grasses, forb seeds (forb is a word that stands for herbaceous plants other than grasses, sedges, etc.) and food plots for wild animals (deer, wild turkey, quail, pheasant, etc.) which makes for good habitat for songbirds as well as other wild animals.

We took a little trip out there today.  Here are some of my favorite photos!

The area below primarily contained gray-headed cone flower.

Here we have the gray-headed cone flower with Tick Trefoil

A close-up of Iron Weed.

And a closer look at Iron Weed flower brachts.

A beautiful sunny day... looking "up!"

Isn't this pretty?

 Gray headed Coneflower with Monarda and a few Purple Coneflower

Cream Gentian

 Partridge Pea

 Purple Cone flower with Pearl Crescent butterfly

Bzz!

Eastern-tailed Blue butterfly

a Load of Partridge Pea!

Bumble Bee on Purple Cone flower with Daisy Fleabane in the background

 Northern Checkerspot on Queen Anne's Lace (non native)

Tall Bellflower - Capanula americana

A nice day was had by "all!"  (Beautiful day, very humid with a wonderful breeze!)

Have a great week!
SG

Follow the Leader!

Rain Lilies -  Zephyranthes

 Here, Rain Lilies are treated as annuals.  They are considered perennials in zones 8-10.  The bulbs can be planted directly into the soil, necessitating digging before frost in the fall.

I plant them in somewhat shallow pots, overwinter indoors.  I allow them to go dormant in our basement storage area.  I usually do not water them in the spring, when I bring the pot outdoors.  But if it doesn't rain before too long, I water them.

This year it took quite awhile for these lilies to begin growing.  I am sure I need to divide the bulbs this fall!  They are very crowded.  Last week, one bud began to lead the way.

(I apologize for the dirty birdbath!)

 I enjoyed watching the bud open. (Clean birdbath!)

 I took a photo about every 15 - 20 minutes.

 (Birdbaths don't remain clean for long!)

 Down there in the pot... the rest of the buds seem to have taken notice!

 Yep!  Here they come!!

We just had an inch of rain... flower #one seems "exhausted!"  (Follow the Leader, continues!)

Looky here!  Success!

Yes, they're beautiful!

 Aren't they?

I admit to watering from time-to-time... but rainwater is preferable!!  They are very easy to grow!

You might enjoy owning a few of these!

Have a great day!

SG