Yard Color

I have not posted very many of my flowers this summer and summer is almost gone. We have had lots of rain this year which helps in some areas and hinders in others. But nature is still my favorite way to relax.

A favorite hardy flower is Portulaca, most commonly know as Moss Roses, as they do look like a small rose. While the blooms are small, their colors are amazing – multiple colors from the same plant.

A new plant for me this year is an Ice Plant. Quite interesting as it totally closes up at night and reopens the next morning. I guess he understands the power of a good night’s sleep.

This last flower for today I don’t know the name of but it is an interesting tiny flower on a mound of greenery. It has three larger petals and two smaller ones giving it a unique shape. The only purple left in my yard.

As summer begins to wind down, let us not forget the beauty we enjoyed and welcome in the fall colors of yellow and orange. Have a great week and always remember the simple beauty of kindness.

It’s Lily Time

While my daylilies have not opened yet, my other lilies have and I thought I would send those out into the blog world. Maybe Cee will see them from Rehab and they will help her smile.

We have to start with the classic white Easter lily. It remained beautiful through most of May but has now been planted to hopefully come back next year.

My favorite lily was planted two years ago by accident. I had the flower pot in the yard to plant, promptly forgot about it, but the dog turned it over for me and it grew. I covered it good last year and was rewarded this year with three stalks about 3 feet tall and multiple blooms on each stalk.

This rich maroon red lily was planted three years ago and this year had three separate stalks as well. This is a much shorter plant but still as beautiful.

This next lily warms my heart, not because of the lily but because of what it means. If you have read any of my stories or books, then you know how important my dogs are to me. This lily was placed where I put the ashes for Mimi, when I lost her four years ago. So I call this flower Mimi’s Lily. Its petals are ruffled and tinged with red.

Now that the community garden is growing well, I will start sharing the many flowers I have in my yard. For such a small yard, it is quite colorful. And as always, I remind you of the power and beauty of kindness. It is such a powerful tool, that even animals understand its purpose.

Always Be Kind!!

Morning by the Feeder

I did finally get a reprieve from the sparrow swarm at my feeders. I put the platform feeder, their choice type of feeder, on the opposite side of the house out of my view from the couch. While they still visit the hanging-style feeders some, the other birds now have a better chance to enjoy treats. But I do miss the Mourning Doves. They also prefer the platform feeders.

The Downy woodpeckers have returned and are such a cute small bird.

The house finches were having fun this morning.

The Nuthatch is always fun bird to watch and really loves the whole peanuts.

Hopefully, by the end of summer, I will have my new windows which will allow me to birdwatch easier, and maybe I will get clearer pictures. But for now I will enjoy them the best I can.

Remember to enjoy nature that surrounds you. You might be surprised at the little things that may you smile. And as always, remember to be kind.

Giving In

Giving in is not the same as giving up. Giving up says you can’t win so quit trying. But giving in says you will accept the outcome even though it was not what you hoped for. My neighbor had enjoyed watching my bird as they fed so she put up a feeder as well…on the fence between our houses. She gets the basic birdseed which draws the sparrows…by the millions. Don’t get me wrong, sparrows are cute but they are hogs and they take over the feeder pushing out the other birds.

I changed the food per the “experts” advice to saffron seeds but these critters are very adaptable. Then I separated the feeders putting the platform feeder out towards the fence and leaving the tube feeders with the stripped sunflowers that they don’t like near the house. You can see from the picture, that they didn’t read the same report.

But at least the peanut and suet feeders are drawing in the two types of woodpecker we have here and the nuthatch. The cardinals can usually fend for themselves and the platform feeder does draw in the mourning doves. So, fine. It is what it is. In a few more weeks I will put out my hummingbird feeder and begin the war with the ants. Never a dull moment when you enjoy your yard. Maybe I will try cayenne pepper at the base of the hummingbird pole. It worked in keeping the squirrels out of my potato beds last year. Welcome to the joy of spring and summer. Enjoy these pictures. They are not real clear but at least they may help you smile. First is the nuthatch.

Then the red-bellied woodpecker. A really pretty bird.

The smaller downy woodpecker is striking with the red stripe on the back of his head.

Now that spring is just around the corner here in the US, try to get out and see its beauty. And remember kindness is a beautiful gift to not only share with fellow man but also to nature.

FOTD, 3/12 Spring Rebirth

Cee’s Flower of the Day is always a wonderful reminder of the beauty of this earth. Spring is a time of rebirth of many bulbs, trees, and sometimes even us humans. Last fall I moved stuff around in yard and covered up one of my daffodil bulbs without realizing it. This morning as I was moving things again, I moved that block and was sad that I had coved a bulb and shocked at its determination to survive.

Without the sun, no chlorophyl was made but still the plant pushed through. By this afternoon, it was beginning to stand tall reaching for the sun, broken but alive. Other bulbs coming up in my tard are the crocus as well as other daffodils.

And my lilac bushes are budding. Can’t wait for their fragrance to fill the air with their beautiful and delicate blooms.

Other Daffodils and crocus flowers…

While pollen and I are not friends…I still love the beauty of spring. May you all have a wonderful and colorful spring. And remember the beauty of kindness and may you share it often.

Still Fall

We have been blessed with a true fall this year. Coming back from vacation last week I expected all the leaves to be gone. But some of the bright reds and yellows are still with us.

Compared to years past, we usually have no leaves left by this time, and even though we had that spit of snow and 30-degree temps, we got visited by a beautiful Indian Summer.

But this yellow…I just had to pull over and look at it.

The picture is not as beautiful as the real tree but still amazing. If we don’t look around our world during all of its seasons, this is what we can miss. The trees sharing their final gift of beauty before going to sleep for the winter.

Let’s learn a lesson from nature around us. Regardless of the season we are currently living in with our lives, we can still share the beauty in us by sharing a smile or a kind word. There is always kindness that can be given, so give it freely.

FOTD, October 19, The Bat Cave

Well, it’s not really a bat cave but this section of road, my daughter and I call the Bat Cave because it reminds us of the road to the Bat Cave in the Batman movies. And now that the leaves are just starting to change color, it’s beauty is really beginning to shine. Cee reminds us that leaves are acceptable for Flower of the Day as well.

This road cuts through the edge of Black Hawk Forest and you can see the entrance to where the trees fully overlap the road which we call the Bat cave.

When the colors get full and it is a pretty day. I will shoot out further pictures. For now enjoy the beauty of fall as it surrounds your area.

And remember to be kind as the season of plants prepares for winter naps, and we as people, prepare for the holidays or in my case, more football games.

Day is Done

The day is done, which once begun

We watch the sinking sun

Our life is spun, with webs that run

With hopes we all are one.

Anita Neal

If we watch closely, nature will speak to us, proving that indeed we are all one. Each day is a gift with beauty to see, even when chaos is swirling around us. Stop for 2 seconds and see the beauty that could be around you.

My prayer goes out to all war torn countries, especially Israel. May you see a glimmer of hope of God’s blessed peace.

FOTD, October 10, Many Faces

Cee’s Flower of the Day is always inspiring regardless of the season. I still have flowers that refuse to give up, even though the weather has cooled way down. So, I am honoring them today with all their many faces.

This is a flower planted by the birds in my area. I started to mow it down but decided to wait and see what it would be…and it’s quite lovely. I think it is in the Coreopsis family of flowers. The plant is in various levels of blooming, so I shall share the different faces of this plant.

While the fall flowers are still trying to smile at us, it’s a reminder for us to smile as well. Smiling is a great and easy way to share kindness.

FOTD, October 5, Sunflower Tree

Cee reminds us with her Flower of the Day challenge that flowers are indeed worth having their own challenge as they challenge each day with their beauty and grace.

While I have shared my sunflowers several times, the early morning sun shining through the trees and this particular sunflower “tree”, it seemed that it needed to be shared again.

It really is a single stalk and it is now in full bloom where some of the older blooms are dying and going to seed, but still, it remains eye-catching. I have neighbors who come by on their walks to stand there for a few moments to look at it.

Nature is amazing even in bad weather but this morning is beautiful with the first feeling of this year’s cool autumn air. It will get warm again but at least this is a start. In all that you do, remember to always be kind. It can warm a much-needed heart on a cool autumn day.