First Hummingbird!

We've lived up here, on the hill, for three years (four summers), now. This is the first year that I've had a garden. I had to wait for the stone wall to be built and the soil to be prepared and, finally, had a chance to move plants in, last autumn. It has made this year seem like the year of the magic garden. All of the flowers that I'd put in a "day and an age ago"...well, really, one long winter ago, have been seemingly appearing from nowhere. It's definitely been a joyous journey of discovery.

Along with the flowers has come a return of bees, butterflies and the occasional hummingbird. I have one million photos of butterflies to share with you and, when, I can figure out my very, very favorites, I'll share some with you. The hummingbirds, however, have been much harder to 'catch'. They zoom in and out so quickly!

Well, finally, I met a friendly one. It must be a young hummingbird that's never learned to mistrust people. ;-) He was so friendly. He knew that I was there clicking away and stopped a few times to hover a yard away from me and look me in the eye. I was talking to him and everything. Such a sweet guy!

sigh!

Now, I can die happy!

Thanks for listening and sharing my happy little experience with me.

Goodbye Summer!

"When the sun rises, do you not see a round disk of fire somewhat like a guinea? O no, no! I see an innumerable company of the heavenly host crying 'Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty.'"

~ William Blake



I love the sight from a poet's heart!

Sometimes my sight is so dull, though.

but, sometimes, it's not! =)

Goodbye, Golden summer!

Hello, lustrous Fall!

Amen!

It was a lovely foggy morning (I love fog, don't you?) and I grabbed my camera. I'm not sure where I rambled off to but, as the fog had mostly burned off, I found myself by the pond, across the way from us. There, I saw a very curious sight. After all of the rain we've had, this summer (think, Hurricane Irene, etc.), I found dried up Queen Anne's Lace. It must be like this every year but, honestly, I don't remember having ever seen this phenomenon before (before the hard frost, that is.) How could I have missed it? Very curious, indeed.

What else is a bit curious is that I was starting to think that I had 'burnt out' on Queen Anne's Lace. Between last year and this, I'll bet that I have over a thousand pictures of it. (You think that I'm kidding, don't you? heh, heh.) I was worried that I was addicted but, then, suddenly couldn't look at another - er, except casually, of course.

However,

I had a lot of fun with them, on this day! Several of them looked like small bird's nests. Then, Mary, at "In a Soft Light" (a more serious QAL addict than I am) said this in her latest post:

"What do you call the little green leaves at the bottom of a blossom? The sepals? On queen anne's lace they are so delicate, especially for something that is supposed to protect the bud from harm... I have to say that I find them very beautiful, perhaps more so than the flowers themselves......Can I get an "amen" for sun flare and sepals? ;)"

Why, thank you, Mary, for saying it perfectly for me! =]

and,

AMEN!

Let Beauty awake in the morn from beautiful dreams,

Beauty awake from rest!

Let Beauty awake

For Beauty's sake

In the hour when the birds awake in the brake

And the stars are bright in the west!

Let Beauty awake in the eve from the slumber of day,

Awake in the crimson eve!

In the day's dusk end

When the shades ascend,

Let her wake to the kiss of a tender friend,

To render again and receive!

~Known from Raiph Vaughan Williams "Songs of Travel"

Poem by Robert Louis Stevenson~

This bouquet is made from flowers picked from my garden that I just knew wouldn't survive Hurricane Irene.

(We're all fine, btw.=])

Happily, there were more buds that I staked and left and hoped and everything is renewing and fading and beautiful, still!

Happy weekend, dear friends!

Katy