On any given day here in the gardens, I see cabbage moths and the occasional butterfly. (No Monarchs yet.) However, once that Butterfly Bush starts blooming, I see them all the time. The other day, I saw two Eastern Swallowtails on the same bloom. By the time I got my camera (the older one, as it was nearest to the door) they had moved, but I managed to grab a quick shot of them at the top of the bush.
From that point on, I just kept snapping pictures whenever one of them landed on a flower.
I saw a black swallowtail as I was pulling out of the driveway yesterday. He was dining on the phlox.
We are in the midst of August now. I see fewer birds in the birdbath and fewer critters, though I did see a bunny this morning. I can’t help it, I love my little friends, so I feel a sadness when their visits start to be few and far between. These little and not-so-little changes are heralds of the upcoming seasonal change.
Do not like.
I have to get the oil changed in my car this morning – I know, how exciting can my life be? And I’ll run some errands while I’m in that area – an area that has a Target, Home Depot, Barnes & Noble, and Michael’s. By the way, the last time I was in Barnes & Noble, a few weeks back, I was stunned at how few books there were. The toys and educational items and games are literally taking over the store. Perhaps the new name should be Barnes & Noble Toys, Games, DVDs and Children’s Books. Because there sure aren’t many books for adults.
The winner of the Bedrooms Coloring Book is Lorinda! Congratulations, Lorinda. I’ve sent you an email. Please send me your mailing address and I will forward it on to my friend Donna – she’ll be sending you your very own copy.
Happy Tuesday.
Sadly, our Barnes and Noble book stores all closed a few years ago. The only chain book store we have now is Books A Million. We do have a good used book store. I order most of my books from Amazon. I love browsing through a good book store!
I do, too, Sharon. Nothing better!
I’ve noticed that about B&N, too. Just like Joann’s fabrics is mostly a craft and home decorating store now. So little fabric:( But our town has an incredible used book store, so I’m happy to give them my business. If they don’t have it, I go to the library or wait a couple months and eventually the store has it in stock.
Wonderful pictures of the butterflies, Claudia!
It’s good that you have a great used book store, Karen! Thanks!
You took some wonderful pics of the butterflies….such detail! I haven’t been in a B&N in well over a year…guess I’m not missing much! ;).
No, I don’t think you are, Donnamae!
Love those butterflies. We have them, too, although I don’t know which plants they like here. Don’t have a butterfly bush, but they seem to like something about our yard.
They love coneflowers and phlox and lots of other flowers, Shanna.
I love the butterfly pictures!!! Beautiful!
Thank you, Mamey!
I had gone ahead and bought the coloring book; I liked it so much after you showed it here. Congrats to the winner!
So long since I’ve been in a Barnes & Noble…I guess as a customer I haven’t helped them much since, more often than not, as part of the problem, I do the easy thing and turn to Amazon. I have nothing near me in my small town. I have to go OUT of town to any of these types of stores, which is simply inconvenient. You have my curiosity piqued. There’s a Michael’s near my most-‘local’ B&N so I’m thinking next week to hit both of them and go see for myself…how can it be a bookstore with no books? Dear me, what have we come to…
Your butterfly photos are wonderful! I can remember a lot of butterflies in the yard when I was a kid but I rarely see them now. We’ve planted, in the past couple of years, many colorful plants which are supposed to attract the birds, bees and butterflies but the butterflies are almost non-existent. When I see one, I stop everything, motionless; it’s such a treat…but it’s never the big ones and instead only small, weak-looking things; so fragile, like a wisp, fleeting, tiny puff of air and gone…little ghosts. I live in an agricultural area and I’ve wondered if pesticides kill them off.
There are books, but far, far less than there used to be, Vicki. Big children’s book section, lots of toys and games and educational material for kids, lots of games for families and adults. Magazines, of course, Nooks, DVD and vinyl section – and sandwiched between all of that? Some books for adults.
Thank you so much! I was so surprised to see I had won the coloring book (and delighted). I did send you my address. Thanks again……and thank you for the wonderful pictures. I love the butterflies.
Congratulations, Lorinda!
I’m back from a week at the beach and catching up on your posts. I’ll hang on to the last days of summery with everything I have – I also do not like. It is my favorite season and it sails by in a flash.
It’s mine, too, and I guard it will all my might!
Congrats to Lorinda – she’s going to have a lot of fun with her coloring book. And don’t get me started on bookstores – or stores in general. I just learned a few weeks ago that apparently everyone in my family buys practically everything from Amazon now – they don’t even look to see if XX is available at a brick-and-mortar store. And if they can’t get it on Amazon, they can get it on some other platform such as iTunes. And they’re shocked that I’M shocked about this. I don’t know, it must be me – but I’ve never been someone that immediately jumps on board with every latest thing. I’m too traditional, I like the past too much, I like history too much – whatever it is, that’s how it is for me. First off, I don’t think it’s a good idea for the country in general to have a single retailer become so big and powerful [see Walmart] but also, I tend to like the old, tested ways better, at least at first. And I’m not knocking computers, or the digital age, or technology. But does it have to invade each and every aspect of life? Bill Maher did a piece on “Real Time” a few months ago about how the effortless availability of pornography online now is actually changing people’s sex lives. Studies are showing that a majority of men PREFER pornography to actually being with their partners – the people they’re supposed to love! Ordinarily I’d never mention such a thing but this just completely floored me & I think it shows the extent to which online culture has taken over. I couldn’t believe this – yikes.
Tell your family that bookstores need their business to survive – and there’s nothing better than holding the book in your hands, browsing, and exploring. You cannot do that online.
Those are some great pictures of butterflies..I saw one of the black and blue colored butterflies here and couple of days ago…they are so pretty but I don’t know their name…I have never been to a B&N so I wouldn’t know the difference…Congratulations to Lorinda!
They are swallowtails, Nancy, but I can’t remember their exact name. I have somewhere here on the blog, I’ll look for it.
I have noticed the very same thing about the amount of birds and other little creatures visiting. Although we do have a new batch of very tiny baby bunnies we have seen over the last couple of days. Bunnies who choose to make their home in the yard of 2 Greyhounds still amaze me. I think my flowers are tired, too. The heat seems to wear them out the same as it does me.
I don’t truly enjoy shopping all that much so I admit that I do use Amazon quite a bit. One click to buy and 2 days later it is here! I can’t remember the last time I was actually in a Mall. Still do a Target run and enjoy a trip to Costco, Michael’s or Home Goods, but if I know exactly what I want or need, I really do rely on Amazon if it means not having to shop for hours. I guess I hardly even think much about it anymore. Our world has changed in so many ways due to technology ~ both for the good and not so good!
Oh, I won’t go to a mall unless I have to, but I will go to brick and mortar bookstores. They absolutely need our business! Amazon is good, and I use it occasionally, but browsing, and holding the book in your hand, reading the inside flap of the dust cover, exploring to see what’s new? Can’t do that on Amazon. I’m not a shopper either, but I will stop for a bookstore. Every time!
Love your butterfly photos, Claudia. I have cabbage moths in my garden and though I do like the way they look, I don’t like the eggs they lay in our brassicas! We regularly have to squish cabbage moth eggs in order to have enough vegetables to harvest to eat.
I don’t buy books from big chain stores. I don’t buy many books at all, having such a great public library in town. I figure the library can store books for me. I usually take notes of the books at Costco that I like, and then look for them at the library. I figure Costco always stocks the most popular books, so I can keep up with current reading. Having said I don’t buy books, I have to modify that and say I do still buy crafting books…quilting, knitting, needlework. I love used book stores, hardware stores, and independent quilting, knitting, and needlework stores. I’m lucky to live in a relatively small town half an hour from the big city, so I get the best of both worlds.
No Costco near us. So that’s out! Some books I’ll get from the library. But others? I want them here in my hands and in my library. I’m just about to donate a whole slew of decorating and craft books to our local library for their annual sale. I really don’t use them anymore and they’re taking up valuable book real estate here!
Yesterday, which was the birthday of my late mother Louise, I was looking for a sign for her. As I emerged from the subway, the most beautiful Monarch butterfly landed on my chest on a red seed necklace I had on. It stayed there for about the 15 minutes it took to get to my office. I was so entranced I didn’t see a pothole and took a full header onto the pavement. As I lay there facedown, several workmen asked me if I was okay. No, I replied, I’m just taking a nap. Both knees were banged up badly and I spent the day at office with ice packs on both knees. What was my mother trying to tell me?
Oh my goodness, Tina! That is incredible! Not getting banged up, of course, that was terrible. But the monarch on your necklace? Definitely a message from your mom, my friend.
My mother loved butterflies. A few years ago my husband took his mom to her sister’s memorial service. Just after they left a solid white dove flew into our yard and walked back in forth on our lawn for the longest time. Just before they got home the dove flew away. My mother in law took great comfort from that. It was a blessing to me too. Bad weather coming into our area now.
That’s a beautiful story, Janie. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Oh, congratulations to Lorinda! I will be watching for her address! We are living parallel lives, Claudia. I had a doctor’s appt. today and after that I stopped at Target to return a few shirts I bought (but didn’t take the time to try on when I was there last week). Then it was off to my mechanic so he could check out an oil leak I’ve developed (based on the horrendous stains in our driveway right where I park When you drive a 2001 car, these things are expected!). Thank you again for offering Amanda’s BEDROOMS Coloring Book as a giveaway on your beautiful blog! I so enjoyed reading everyone’s comments!
Big hugs,
Donna
One of our cars is a 2001 car, as well. We understand! I’ll be sending you Lorinda’s address shortly, Donna. Thank you so much!
I love all the butterfly photos. I can snap away when they are on my flowers. I’ve got a few little birds still coming to my feeder, it has made me so happy this year to have the feeder and bird bath! I had a great time with Tiger yesterday and can’t wait to hear how his first day of Kindergarten went today.
hugs,
Linda
I just saw a dove on my birdbath which gives me a little bit of hope they’re still hanging around!