Pretty Butterfly at the beach..........

We went out for the day with Tristen, taking him for a hike and to the beach. I will show more about that in another post. Meanwhile one of the beauties I found was a yellow butterfly. There were several flitting about. Mating I believe. Hmmmmmm. Well this one was a Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly.


They do not seem to be as frightened of people as most do. They certainly got on with business and let me get some close ups.



They will often land on you if you stand still. Most that I have tried to photograph will just fly off when I try to get close. Although I must say the little ones we have had around the garden lately have been kind enough to pose.



A couple of views from Empire beach. It was a hazy day, it often is when it's hot. This is Sleeping Bear Dune


Here is the other direction, Empire Bluffs.


A wonderful place for kids to play, that's for sure. Tristen loves throwing rocks into the water. I am sure all little boys do.



Anyway we all had a pleasant day and I will show more in my Bluebell Woods blog.

It's getting warmer..................

So the cats hanging out waiting waiting waiting for the chipmunk but the chipmunk will not play the game. This is where Chippy lives. The window of our bssement. He has raised several families there and is not falling for it.



she is watchful and patient to a point. She is a cat though and easily distracted.



She goes off for a drink, she tried the pond but was afraid of falling in so here she is trying the bird bath.



Have to show some pretty flowers



The hedges are full of flowers...Spirea.



The lilac is smelling so sweet



In spots with less colour its nice to put something glass that glows. Gazing Balls fit the bill. I love glass and they just add to the beauty.



The Finches love the fountain.



The Snowball bush is beginning to bloom



Some other sun lovers



I moved the Poppy last year and it has settled in well, she is now ready to bloom.



I got the little gnome for Mother's Day from my ex son in law and his family



More pretty glass balls to add to the interest.




The pink/peach Azalea is almost fully out now. Very soon it will be full of colour.




The garden is filling in but still somewhat sporadic. Some of the leaves have not shown up yet, the vines and the grapevine has still to foliate.
Its fun to see day by day how things progress.

More pretty May flowers..............

Pansies are always perfect and will last until the hot weather comes. I will try moving the potted ones into the shade once it warms up. They do come back in the Fall if its cool enough. This year I must get Icicle pansies so I have them in the early Spring next year.



The Forget me Not is really doing well, it is also spreading and coming up in the grass. I wont be cutting the grass until they are done blooming.



This pretty is a wild geranium



The Japanese Quince that is out back in a secluded spot is thriving but slow growing due to the shade at the moment. Is very pretty this year.



Boots the cat is enjoying the sunshine on the deck. She is sitting under the bird feeders but the Chickadee don't seem to care.



The dandelion has gone to seed. I love the little clocks......so delicate and pretty up close. I love Dandelions. The greens are great in a salad or especially in mashed potato so they are welcome in my garden.

Cool day in May........

I am getting more butterfly's this year already. There are several of this type hanging around. I think all the blossoms have brought them in again. I have not seen Monarch's yet. So far three different types, but only got a picture of this one so far. I like how it has posed for me though. Looks like a ribbon in the angels hair.


Here with St Francis she sat on his hand with the little stone bird. How cute if that.



Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are waking me up with their noisy brood, looking for food at 4am. Can't she keep her kids in bed a bit later than that.



Such a beautiful bird, but soooooooo noisy.



In the front garden my Azalia is blooming. The white is beautiful, so etherial. The peach is pretty too. I must get a few more now I know they will thrive. Mine are still very small but are getting stronger.

Backyard Squirrel.............

Hello I am your ordinary back yard squirrel...............





Squirrels gather nuts in May
They're at my bird feeder every day.
Agile climber, acrobat
Runs up the tree to avoid the cat
JKS 2012





Thanks for giving me a cool shelter so I can eat in the rain.....

Lilac..................

The Lilac is about to bloom. The smell is divine. I have white lilac and also pink. Not really great bushes but enough to give me a taste of it. I can not have it in the house because its overwhelming but love the smell in the garden.
This is the pink from a distance.



The white is not quite popped out yet. The pink is a bigger bush than the white ones. They are not that strong just yet. I prune them back each year in the hope of reviving them. It seems to be working somewhat.



There seem to be a lot of blossoms this year. I would like to see them thicken up though.
I love the way you see lilac out in the countryside. Where ever there were old farms even if they are long gone, you see huge lilac bushes. My dad had one in his garden and it was nice and thick. Those are old bushes when they are like that and a wonderful place for birds to nest.






A Song of the Lilac

Above the wall that's broken,
And from the coppice thinned,
So sacred and so sweet
The lilac in the wind!
And when by night the May wind blows
The lilac-blooms apart,
The memory of his first love
Is shaken on his heart.

In tears it long was buried,
And trances wrapt it round;
O how they wake it now,
The fragrance and the sound!
For when by night the May wind blows
The lilac-blooms apart,
The memory of his first love
Is shaken on his heart.

Louise Imogen Guiney 1861 - 1920

Rain stops play.....

I had really wanted to get outside today and plant the things I had bought. I want it finished. Well, sometimes things just do not go as planned. That's OK we got my Shepherds Hooks and I got the bird feeders sorted out so they are close to the deck. That way I can get pictures of birds up close. I did pick up some pretty small pansies at Meijers. I seldom get out of a garden place without something.



I love Pansies and Violets. Such happy little faces.





The berries will be thick on the Mountain Ash, look at the blooms. The bees are buzzing around the blossoms. I tried to get pictures of the bumble bees but they would not stay still long enough. I LOVE Bumbles.



The Lilac is almost out in my garden. The smell is already divine.




Meanwhile.....while we worked on the sandbox, Brea the little trouble maker made herself a hiding place among the shrubs. Not sure what that was all about. I think she wanted to watch us without having Tristen chasing her around.



She had been busy eating some of my ornamental grass. Isn't she cute?

Blossoms..................

I have been fascinated by the blossoms on my Crab apple tree this year. If anyone thinks bee's are on the way out will be reassured by the number busy on my blossoms. The butterfly's are back too. All good news. Last year I saw none. The blossoms have been really beautiful. Both sides of the tree are blooming together. The natural tree is white blossom. The grafted on Crab Apple is pink. So its looking really pretty right now.


The pink is so vibrant. Its been raining this week so these will probably be the last pictures of the blossom for this year but I did take a lot of them.



The white is so ethereal



I get this amazing feeling standing under the tree with all those busy little workers collecting the pollen and humming and buzzing around my head. They wont hurt me, I know that and trust them. I just adore the bigger fuzzy Bumble Bee's and imagine fairies riding around on their backs.



The tree looks amazing from the road but I have not taken a picture of that where both sides show. This one is pretty though