Insectomania!

No bugs here - I just like it.

So, as I started going through the photos I took last Friday at the Dallas Arboretum in more detail, I realized I had captured quite a few of our insect friends in the shots. Even more than were in yesterday's post. A veritable insectomania!

Here's a dusty miller moth, I believe, hanging out.

No insects - I just like this one.

Check out these with the bee...

I like the bee and the yellow flower very much.

No insect. Just liked it.

Bee, meet cone flower. Perhaps you've met before.

No insect. I like it. I must post it.

Another mothy variety...

No bug. Just, well, you know, liked it.

Just a sneak peak at the pumpkins.
More about that later.

No insects...just really liked this yard art.

Shrimp flower, sans insect.

Um, and, another one I had to just throw in.
It's a sickness, my friend.

And I absolutely adore this one.
Psychedelic!

OK, finally, here - another insect.
Butterfly? Moth?

No moth.

Moth?

Butterfly?

Not sure.
I'm a little fuzzy on what makes a moth a moth.
And vice versa.

And, another bee.

Buzzzzzzz.

Beautiful hibiscus, no?
And tall. She was tall...

So, there you have it. Some more insects - who knew there were so many - and some more flowers I had to share. Compulsively. Forgive me.

Today my dad and Torchy are heading back to Indiana. We sure had a nice time while they were here. I hope they enjoyed their stay. And, I hope they have safe travels home. They will be on my mind today as they travel. Also today - my department at work will take in our "team building" day at the fair - last year, our team building day yielded this. So, I have high expectations. It'll be fun no matter what, of course! Thanks to all of my friends who have been stopping by to keep the duckies company. We'll check in on them again while we are there, of course!

Enjoy your Tuesday. See you tomorrow.

Cool Bugs

We had a weekend chock FULL of activities, with Dad and Torchy in town. We had a great time, and I've barely had a chance to digest it all, let alone the photos. Oh, I have lots to share with you here!

Dad and Torchy at the Arboretum

Last Friday afternoon, we went over to the Dallas Arboretum. It was an absolutely gorgeous fall day, so it was a perfect time to check out the gardens. I took my camera along and have lots of interesting shots of gourds, pumpkins, mums, water features, etc. But, today, I have two very interesting sets of bug photos that I caught while there. Some of the best bug shots I think I've ever captured, actually. They were both pretty amazing coincidences that allowed me to get the shots.

First up - cool bug encounter numero uno - a dragonfly that waited for a lens change.



We walked over to look over the side of a walking bridge because people were talking about the active koi fish in the pond below. They were numerous and active, for sure.

Look very carefully for the red dragonfly...

But then, a red dragonfly buzzed up. I did not have on my telephoto lens, so I snapped that photo up there. I said to Torchy, "Oh, I wish I had on the telephoto lens - I bet that bug won't stay put long enough for me to get it out..." Then, I proceeded to change lenses to the telephoto - unzip the backpack, drag out the lens, change out the covers, un-attach and re-attach the new lens, put the old lens away, zip the backpack up, refocus - and that bug proceeded to stay put! Like he was just posing for little ol' me. As if he had nothing better to do.

And I got this amazing shot!


And this one too!

Then, as if that wasn't enough -
the dragonfly waiting for the girl to change her lens -
his buddy joined him!


Here's a good look at the other photogenic dragonfly.

And a couple of the two of them together.

Cool bug encounter number two - a butterfly that couldn't wait to get in the frame.

We were walking around the garden a little bit later, and Torchy commented on a series of beautiful hot pink zinnias and how intense the color was. I agreed, and set my lens upon one of them to capture the color.

Just then, an orange butterfly swooped in.
I have tried to identify the butterfly (or moth?) but haven't done so yet.

She allowed me to get this great contrast of the orange butterfly and the pink flower.

Beautiful. Love it.

So, there you have it - my close encounters with the insect world that seemed destined to want to help me take a good photo. More later this week from our whirlwind weekend. Best wishes for a great start to your week. Thanks for stopping by. See you tomorrow!

Seeing Green

For today, I have some photos of the pretty leaves at the Garfield Park Conservatory. They were just too pretty to leave on the computer hard drive. I have a few of the orchids too that I'll post one day. But, today, I'm going green. Enjoy.

Green with a little orange.

When you touch these leaves, they close up immediately and don't open again for 24 hours.

OK not totally a leaf, but leaf shaped!

My dad and Torchy are slated to arrive around noon today. And we have a fun weekend planned, I think. We're going to Fort Worth tomorrow and then to the fair on Sunday. We might be at the fair in the rain...but we're going! S has promised to make some homemade pizza, because he's never made that for them before, and who knows what other sorts of mischief we'll dream up. Best wishes you to for a lovely weekend. See you Monday.

The State Bird of Indiana

This is one of Torchy's geraniums

Today, early this morning, perhaps before I even got this post to "post" my dad and his wife Torchy will be in their car on their way to my house. To go to the Great State Fair of Texas for a look see at my prize winning photograph. In case you haven't heard about that already.

This is one of dad and Torchy's bird feeders.

So, I thought it would be fitting to do a post about their backyard today, since they are on my mind as they travel on down to Texas. I hope they are being safe drivers, and more importantly, that all the other yahoos on the road are being safe drivers around them.

When I was in Indiana, now last month - welcome to October - I spent a coupla mornings in their backyard. You might remember this backyard from previous visits to Indy - it's full of birds and other pretty things. This time was no different. One particular resident, however, was especially photogenic.

Of course, there were all sorts of creatures again - like this spider.

And the squirrels.

Even a mourning dove.

And a gaggle of sparrows.

The obviously dead tree that both the mourning dove and the sparrows are perched upon - that is a "bird sanctuary" in my dad's yard. Yep, that's what it is. Now, by seeing birds perched there, you might not argue this one bit. But, here's the story behind it...forgive me if you've heard it. It's a good one, though...

This tree - it actually sits just behind my dad's property, on the city easement. So, when the tree had clearly gone on to the great forest in the sky, my dad called the city to see if they would come out to cut down the tree. His motivation for doing so was to clear the dead wood from an area that could possibly either a) hit the nearby power lines, thus losing power to his and nearby neighbors houses for an unknown period of time or b) hit his house.

The great city government of the Indianapolis informed my father that they indeed could not take the tree down, because, by city ordinance, the moment a tree dies on city property, it becomes a bird sanctuary. Yes, that's right folks. The city has legislated itself out of having to go to the expense of cutting down dead trees. Nice work, bureaucrats. Well done.

The good thing is, as you can clearly see, it does serve its intended purpose. Amen. Back to the yard...

The sparrows also visited this feeder.


And finches grazed on the other (udder) feeder.

This guy, though, he really captured my eye.
The Cardinal is the state bird of Indiana.

And this one exuded confidence and panache.


While his lady friend watched nearby.
At least, I think the faded red and brown on the back would be his lady friend.
Maybe it's just his "flying buddy." Heh heh.

He did his signature state proud on this autumn morning.

Bite after bite he enjoyed the feeder all by his lonesome.

And wondered what the heck I was lookin' at.

So, there you go. Another little glimpse of the goings on in dad and Torchy's backyard. I'm wishing them safe travels and look forward to seeing them when they arrive on our doorstep tomorrow.

I'm really enjoying the generally fall-like weather we're getting in Dallas these days - some falls don't really afford us many autumnal days. Today it's supposed to be a little warmer, but then cool down again. I'll take it. I love it. The summer heat is gone, and that is wonderful.

Thank you to Valerie and Cheryl for signing up for a cooking post in their kitchen, in addition to yesterday's guinea pigs - I think that gives me a good place to start. We'll start there and then the rest of you will be clamoring for a spot. Yep. You will. Just wait. You're gonna wish you signed up early.

Happy Pre-Friday! See you tomorrow.