A Second Chance

As I was walking Bailey yesterday, once again I saw a Swallowtail on the bluebells. Once again, I did what I could with my phone (those pics are at the end.)  Then I took Bailey back in and got my camera.

Marvelous to say, the Swallowtail was still there. 

I

It wasn't the perfect early morning light of a few days ago--

But I'm happy for a second chance.

I think it's an irresistible combination.

And a couple of bees . . .

These below were with the phone-- in addition to the Yellow Swallowtail, there were a Spicebush Swallowtail and a Skipper, some bumblebees and some honeybees. The pic with the Skipper didn't come out, nor did the one with honeybees. But still...

 

Observed

 

Dawgs...and Kittehs

Forget it, Bailey. You'll never be as cool as Otter and me.

We are calm and sophisticated.

Wait a minute! Is there food?

Looks like a false alarm to me. 

Oh, hi. Welcome to the more rational part of the house. The dogs aren't allowed back here during the day which suits us fine. We don't see why they get to sleep back here but The Woman and That Man allow it.

But seeing them, the dogs AND the people, is why we daily thank Bast for letting us be born as cats. Anything else would be too horrible to contemplate.

 

A Perfect Shot--Missed

I was taking Bailey out for a potty break when I was delighted by the sight of a beautiful, fresh-hatched Swallowtail perched on a bluebell. The color contrast was stunning, and I reached for my phone to capture the moment. Alas, a dog on a leash is no help to photography, and my only shots were blurred.

So I took the pup back inside and grabbed my camera, hoping for some luck. 

The butterfly was still there but now was deeply involved wth a patch of bare dirt.

I kept hoping but the obstinate insect merely found another piece of good dirt--the bare patches where the dogs pee.

In the past, I've seen clouds of butterflies on cow poop. Apparently, they are attracted to the nitrogen and sodium, not only in urine, but in other yucky things. See HERE

Oh, well...

 

Sun Shines Through

 

ARRRR! says Josie

Guess what I got for Easter from Meema and Grumpy! A pirate hat and a pirate flag! Just like I needed. I also got some books, and they were easy ones that I can read almost all by myself. (Meema helps with some of the hard words.)

Now that I can read, Mama puts notes for me in my lunch. And now that I can write, I can answer those notes.

                                                                                       

Writing is very useful. A boy at school said a mean thing to me so I wrote him a note. All by myself. Now he will know about my feelings.

 

Random

 

"We Have No Art . . ."

 When a friend on Facebook nominated me for an art challenge, my first response was that I'm no artist. And I remembered a Balinese saying I once read: "We have no art; we do everything the best we can." 

I've always loved that thought and would love to see more folks doing the best they can rather than leaving all the fun to the "real artists." So I post my amateurish* efforts on my blog and on Facebook, hoping others will find joy in creating--whether it be painting, photography, clay, woodworking, fiber arts, or any of a number of creative endeavors.

The challenge was to post a piece each day for ten days and on each day to nominate another to share their work. I nominated two--then quickly realized how very many FB friends I had whose work is worth looking at. Many already share their work. Several work in more than one medium. Some are professional artists, others are amateurs.* And I've undoubtedly inadvertently left some out. But here's the list:

Shawn Miles Bilodeau -- photo manipulation

Jill Harman Smith-- painting, sculpture

Katy Gilmore -- watercolor

Pepper Cory- quilting

Andree Freeman -- photography

Merisi - photography

Yolanda Fundadora-- graphic art

Suzanne DesLauriers-- watercolor and more

Barbara Weitbrecht-- AI manipulation

Jennifer Woodruff --quilting, dyeing, 

Mary Maupin--painting, quilting

John Rayner-- photography

Jean Barden--alcohol ink and more

Barbara Rogers--pottery and sculpture

Rich Burnett Baker--narrative photography

Ida Twining--quilting

Sandra Parshall - photography 

*Amateur--the word amateur comes from the Latin for lover and originally meant one who does a thing for the love of it, rather than for pay. Nowadays it tends to mean one who does a thing clumsily (and without pay.) I am an amateur in all three senses. And that's okay--I'm doing the best I can--and loving it.

                                                    

                                                 

 

White Apple Bloom, Pink Cones, and Bluebells

 

Easter Party 2023--At Last!

Lady Spring smiled on us, and we had a gorgeous sunny day for the Easter Party after a 3 year hiatus.  Lots of folks I hadn't seen in years, lots of kids, and lots of food.

                                                       

                                                                                  

The young uns did a great job with the set up and throughout the day. I sat in the sun and talked to old friends.

What follows is a somewhat random assortment of pictures--the editing feature on Blogger isn't letting me cut and paste as I usually do so the pics are not in order and there are maybe some repeats. 

The egg hunt was a great success . . .

Josie had a basketful of azalea blooms and was offering folks a choice of red, pink, or dark pink.