"Wolf Spider"

This one caught my eye as I walked by the patio chair. It was casually resting on the arm and was not bothered by the camera lens in it's face.

These are common around here but this one was larger than most.

Good Morning

An early morning shot of a green bee coming out of a Malva flower.

These are the last real flowers in my garden. Every thing else has been killed by frost.

"Grape Hyacinth"

My 'worms eye' view of this small Spring bulb.
Now is the time to plant these beauties for a nice show next May.

"Yellow Swallowtail" butterfly

Sometimes I get lucky and find a cooperative butterfly. This one was an old tattered one enjoying the nectar and pollen on some Candy Lilies.

Balloon Flower

A true blue early summer bloomer. This variety is the dwarf "Sentimental Blue", about 8 to 10 inches tall, heat and drought tolerant. A long lived perennial that's easy to start from seed.

Bug on my laptop

When the weather is pleasant I like to sit on the patio with the laptop.
One day I had a surprise visitor. A small Robber fly.
It's a nasty looking thing but a beneficial predator that eats lots of 'bad' bugs.

Hibiscus "Disco Bell"

One of my favorite perennials that I started from seed.
This was taken in the morning through dappled light after a shower.

Shadow Darner 2

I almost walked into this big beauty yesterday.
It patiently allowed me to snap a dozen shots before the wings started to vibrate. Two seconds later, it was gone.

Green Squash Bug

A nasty little insect that's often called a Stink bug because if you squish it, it stinks. Even the Praying Mantis don't like them.

This may give you an idea of it's size.

That's Sidekick Sarah in the background. You'll meet her later.

Single Malva 'Zebrina'

This colorful gem is about an inch and a half wide, sprouting from the main stem and not always easy to see behind the leaves. The plant is a half-hardy Hollyhock that reseeds itself a bit too well. Plant it once and you will have it for ever.
I enjoy it for the late season color, it can take temps down to 27 degrees F.

Volunteer Petunia

I never know what will come up through the cracks in the driveway. This season, among other things, this little petunia sprouted and bloomed. Today I've added another link, 'Nature Journal'. There are some interesting pics there, as well as links to even more bug, flower and wildlife images. Worth a look.

I hope my blog keeps you interested and you will visit often. Comments are now open to everyone, if you are not a blogger please sign your comments. Each and every one is appreciated.

Keep a positive attitude, it will brighten your day.
Andy P

New Beta Format

I have 'upgraded' to Beta, I hope this works.
I've inserted a small image at the top, here it is full size.
The dragonfly was on the clothes line which afforded me a unique angle, I could look up at it.

Dahlias

I love my Dahlias this time of year. When most other flowers have passed, these beauties keep going right up until frost.
Many gardeners think they are too much trouble because they have to be dug up in the Fall. I always have a few dozen planted around the house. The digging, and storing process takes about an hour on a nice Autumn day. For that I get about 4 months of blooms the next season for free. I like free.
Some gardeners buy them in 6 packs in Spring and use them as annuals. That's OK but they don't reach their full potential until the second season.
They are very easy, relatively pest free and Butterflies love them.

Leaf-footed Bugs

That's what they are called.
The first two are nymphs, note the immature wings.
The last is an adult of a different species.

Another Daffodil

What happened to yesterdays pics? They don't show at full size when I click on them.


I don't have time to re-do the entire blog so I'll add another Daffodil today. Hope this one works.

It's Spring Bulb Planting Time

Everyone anticipates the early colors of Spring bulbs. Now is the time to plant them. They are easy and rewarding. Get digging.
Some extra early Honey Cream Crocus. Small flowers often come up through the snow.

My favorite blue Spring flowers, Chionodoxa, Glory in the Snow. They spread nicely in a few years.

I'll post an interesting 'Life Cycle' series on these later.

Daffodils make a big splash, they also multiply well. The easiest large flowered Spring bulb.Then come the Tulips and Grape Hyacinths.

I hope these few images inspire you to plant some Spring bulbs. They are well worth the small effort.

Wet Plants

Misty mornings offer an opportunity for interesting shots.

The first is a Gladiola leaf.
Second is a Hens & Chicks.
Last is a Sedum leaf.

Mating Mantis

Shortly after posting yesterday I found these two getting acquainted. Little did I know that that Monarch butterfly was her pre-coital meal.
This sequence took place over 3 hours, on and in a large Butterfly bush. Not an easy location to photograph.

Mantis V Monarch

This female Mantis has claimed a Butterfly Bush as her own.
This is at least the second Monarch she has captured. I found telltale wings a few days ago, yesterday I caught her in the act.
I wish she would eat nasty grasshoppers rather than these lovelies.
On a previous posting, I showed another Mantis on the pink Sedum flowers. There were a few Bee carcasses there.
They will eat almost anything.
This second pic shows how big she is getting, about 4 ½ inches long now.
Mating season is near.
















Today I added a link to the best Photography web site I know. PhotographyCorner. My images pale in comparison to most published there but I learned so much from the members that I feel compelled to spread the word. If you want to learn more about photography than you ever thought you could, visit, register and participate.

Todays Monarchs

It's a sunny Autumn day, warm and breezy. The Monarchs are fluttering around in a feeding frenzy, bulking up for the long flight south.


Monarchs feed with their wings closed. I had all but given up on getting an open wing shot, today I lucked out.


They are pretty with the wings closed but I wanted them both ways.
I'm greedy that way.