Considering the Flowers...

Sometimes, you just have to stop and smell the roses...

And admire the colors,

And the beauty of petals unfurling. 

Then there's the smile-inducing oxeye daisy, 

Along with its cousins that were blooming in great profusion. 

The purple coneflowers were in full display mode beside my sister's stairway,  

And a marsh mallow voluntarily adorned the boat launch where Piper likes to get a drink or take a dip for a break to cool off on our walks. 

Yarrow blossomed along the trail, 

And St. John's Wort spread a little sunshine through the fields where Piper likes to romp.

The flowers of the field are, indeed, something marvelous to consider. 

Little Things with Wings

Bees, butterflies, dragonflies and other little winged wonders can be real day brighteners. 

I don't know what kind of pollinator is on the black-eyed Susan above, but it was an earnest little fuzz buzzer that caught my eye.  

I've been cheering for mosquito-eating dragonflies since I was a small child. They not only have the most delicate and intricate wings, they're the most amazing aerial acrobats. They hover, fly backward, forward, dart, dive and actually eat their prey while hanging in the air. 

I love the way sunlight makes the wings glitter and the veins are like stained glass leading around the colorful panes of transparent wing. 

Piper and I saw this newly emerged monarch butterfly as we were finishing up an afternoon walk. It was so vibrant in its new colors and completely undamaged by any encounters with the world. I'm sure it will be well traveled by the time it finishes its migration flight, but no less majestic for that. 

We took a Jeep ride (old 1966 vintage), complete with windshield down and no doors, of course, on the family property to celebrate my brother's birthday. We stopped to admire some giant swallowtail butterflies in the thistle patch. 

They hardly ever stop fluttering and it's really hard to get a good picture.  I did manage to get a couple clear shots out of the dozens I took - most were blurry to one degree or another. The patterns on these butterflies are beautiful. The tiny teardrops on the ends of the tails and the colorful orange and blue markings at the base of its abdomen are striking details in an already intricate series of wing markings. 
 

Mushrooms on Monday

There hasn't been a post for my fungus fancying friends lately, so I thought it was about time to address the situation. 

Of course, I have absolutely none of my reference books, so I haven't looked any of them up, although I did think the ones above looked like inverted hooped skirts. Perhaps mushrooms a la Marilyn Monroe's billowing dress. :)

These impressive specimens had forced their way through the leaves and pine needles, looking like freshly made canopies to shelter wee folk. I'm pretty sure Piper and I disturbed the end of the night's dancing and reveling. 

 They definitely looked enchanted. And enchanting. 

This brilliant scarlet beauty fairly glowed against the backdrop of browns and greens. It was the only one of its kind, which seemed fitting for one so striking. 

Sail Away

I thought this was pretty cool. It sailed by as I was returning from my morning walk with Piper and it's not something a person sees very often.

I believe it's one of the Maritime Academy's training ships. So, the crew is learning the ropes (literally) of sailing a tall ship. Just an interesting Saturday morning sight. 

Trail Cam Thursday

I posted a bunch of trail camera captures of whitetail deer families earlier. So, I thought it might be fun to show who else has been caught roaming around in the woods. 

We have some bears. Above is a fairly large boar and I'd rather not meet him while out walking Piper! They usually only wander by the cameras at night, so we get pictures of glowing eyes and silhouettes, but sometimes they're ambling back home in the early morning sun. 

This younger, adolescent age black bear passed the same tree its larger relation walked by in the earlier picture. It's a popular critter crossing (which is why we put the camera there). A small pond sits just beyond the bear and it drains into a little creek that runs through a culvert under the two track trail, so lots of beasties come by for a drink, or use the road to keep their feet dry. 
  

There are also some beautiful bobcats roaming about the woods as well. We sometimes get an early morning picture, but this is the more typical capture. 

This is my personal favorite of this batch, though. This sandhill crane walked past this same camera in the same direction almost every single day to have his portrait taken. We started laughing every time he showed up in the camera roll. :)
 

Can You See It?

It's not really a mystery post, but it's a little hard to spot. If he hadn't moved, I probably would have missed seeing him altogether. He took a step and gave away his location. 

Who is he?  He's an American Woodcock, also known in my area as a timberdoodle. 

Everybody piled into the jeep (old 1966 vintage model with the windshield down and no doors) and took a ride on the family property for my brother's birthday and got lucky enough to see another woodcock. I was able to get better pictures of this one. 

Having green grass as a backdrop, instead of more dry leaves really helps with the contrast and visibility. 

Watching these guys bob along as they walk is such a treat (that's how I know he is a male). Also, if you ever have the chance to go out on a spring night and watch their spiral mating flights, it's an experience not to be missed! You can sneak up closer and closer when they're high in the sky and then watch them do their courtship dance in the dusk after they land. As I said, if you have the chance, do it! :)

Magnificent Milkweed

I was out helping my brother with some chores on the family property when I noticed this milkweed plant in full flower. 

Honeybees were humming around it, collecting pollen and I was trying to get some decent pictures, since it was such a lovely little vignette. 

I managed to capture a few good shots of the flowers with the bees actually in focus. 

I particularly liked the photo I took of this bee from the side as it gathered goodies for the hive, while still showcasing the beautiful, waxy flowers. 

A little while later, I was sitting on the tailgate of the truck, resting for a minute when that very same milkweed flower attracted this handsome fellow. I was delighted both to see him and to manage a picture - also in focus, for a change on those fast-moving subjects! 

I hope you're as delighted as I was.