August-All the World A Garden

 

Recently, just over 6 1/2 inches of rain fell in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It happened very quickly and took everyone by surprise.  There was a video of a woman being rescued from her car on I-24. (It was a young man who worked for a power company, and he was able to break the window and pull her to safety.) I hope you can see the video that I have for you above. This brought tears to my eyes. What a hero! (One of his co-workers handed him that heavy tool from their truck, he said afterward he will always carry a hammer in his vehicle now just for this purpose!)

If anyone remembers, our son and daughter-in-law live in Chattanooga and they are fine, but you know I always watch the news very carefully for that area!

The news of the floods and wildfires and now, an impending hurricane...there is always so much to watch out for! 

It has been so incredibly hot that it has been hard to think.  We try to get out as early as we can before the sun heats everything to the boiling point. (My brain included.) Still, it's good for the butterflies!

The first photo is on my zinnias which are in pots at my house and the second photo are of two butterflies on a butterfly bush at the Monastery. You know Richard took the Monastery one!

The Monastery gets so many visitors they are building a new block of restrooms. The thought and design behind this building is much appreciated. When we saw they were clearing trees, we asked what was coming, so that is how we know. If you don't know, ask! 

This isn't finished yet, but I just know it will be lovely and will look as if it has always been there. I love the arched doorways and the copper gutters and downspouts.  Can you tell that I am interested in architecture? It's true, I am! I am not that knowledgeable about it; I am never sure what things are called but I just know what I like. 

We just took care of a zebra finch for a dear friend. We just decided to bring the caged bird to our house to make it easier since we had her for almost two weeks. I called her "Beepy". If you have ever heard a zebra finch, you will know why! We love birds and we have put out fresh water for our wild birds so much, we told this caged bird that she was welcome at our "bird spa"! We have a bird clock that has bird calls on the hour and this little finch liked the 7 o'clock hour, that is the Carolina wren song. Maybe it was the loudest? Not sure, only that she responded the most to that one.

I think I have told you before that if you see a lot of blue at the bottom of the wing of the tiger swallowtail butterfly, it is a female. So- looking good, girl! 

We go for years without seeing any blooms on our night blooming cereus cactus, but this summer, we had a total of four flowers! As the name tells you, they only bloom at night, opening in full at about midnight and they begin to close as soon as the sun rises.  My Aunt Leona gave us this plant in 1994. Richard lugs it into the garage every single winter. (St. Richard!) 

As you can see, we haven't been away very much.  Still, I enjoy the adventures of others through my blog!  In my dreams, I have been to Yorkshire with Meike...From My Mental Library: Ripon 2025 - Day 8

And thanks to Bob, I am thinking and learning more of Scotland!  Alex and Bob`s Blue Sky Scotland: Levengrove Park and The Havoc Grasslands Walk.

And can you believe it, BOTH of these bloggers made a reference to "The Secret Garden", one of my favorite books.  I hope you love it as much as I do.  If you have not read it, do so, right away. You're welcome. 

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden".

There Will Be Butterflies (And Beatles and Bee Gees!)

 

Happy August to all my friends! 

I hope you are able to see the video that I have above for you! It is a clip of The Bee Gees from a TV show called "The Midnight Special" that used to come on very late at night (or early hours of the morning, technically.) This was from 1973.  The Bee Gees had had a bit of a slump in their career, so they decided to perform these songs by the Beatles. Of course, they are wonderful!  Enjoy.

Red Admiral Butterfly!   (Vanessa Atalanta)

 It is a medium sized butterfly with black wings, red bands and white spots. The first time that we saw this butterfly, Richard identified it immediately. It is also in England! Why is it called "Admiral"?  The word just became that over the years; it was really called the Red "Admirable"! Language is interesting that way. Now, whenever you meet up with this butterfly, you should look at it and think, you certainly are deserving of admiration.  (Hard to get a photo of it, it was a very fast flier.)

Viceroy Butterfly (Limenitis Archippus). 

It is a North American butterfly, and it is a mimic of the Monarch butterfly.  Many say that it is hard to tell them apart, but I will tell you how to do so.  The Viceroy is about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches in size and the Monarch is 3 1/2 to 5 inches.  So, the Monarch is much bigger! Now, if the butterfly opens its wings, look for that black line across the bottom of the wings. See it in the photo above? That is certainly a Viceroy! (The Monarch does not have this.)

The above small brown butterfly might not seem very colorful or exciting, but we were so pleased to see it! We had never seen it before, and it took a while to identify it. (Richard did so from our book, "Butterflies of North America".  We do a lot of searches on our computer but sometimes, it is just good to thumb through a book.) It is a Northern Pearly Eye butterfly! (Lethe Anthedon) Pearly eyes are grouped under "Pearly-eyes and Browns".  All pearly eyes and browns are brown, medium sized butterflies.  Pearly eyes have the hindwing spots surrounded as a group with white. Browns have a white circle around EACH eye-spot.  Okay, got that now?  Tee hee, you do not want to know how long I studied Richard's photo and the photos in my book and online.  Really, you don't! The pearly eye caterpillar feeds on canes and other grasses and I was pleased to recognize the river cane under the bridge on the trail, very close to this butterfly! (Thank you, Phil who told us about river cane on a hike at Panola Mountain State Park one time.  I ♥ park rangers!)

We also saw a Red Spotted Purple butterfly on this trail. 

(Limenitis Arthemis)

Just to confuse us, it has beautiful blue wings with orange spots!  

All of these butterflies are unlikely to be in your garden. All pictured here were in a wetlands area, near a little stream on the trail at Johnson Park, here in Rockdale County, Georgia.   This particular part of the trail is next to a big stand of trees.  They do not feed on nectar from flowers but rather from tree sap, rotting fruit and even animal dung. 

I was going to end my post just there but how can I end it on "animal dung"?  No, I will tell you about the butterflies that visit us that do eat the nectar from flowers but that will have to wait until another post.  All the flower loving butterflies like the Gulf Fritillary above have really enjoyed the zinnias in our garden. I am so very happy to tell you that I planted them from seed! I want to tell the world, "plant zinnia seeds!".  There, let me say again, "plant zinnia seeds" and the butterflies will come, I promise. 

Butterflies  = happiness!

McDonough Meteorite

 

Remember me telling you about the meteorite in June that crashed into the roof of a house in Henry County, Georgia?  Here is a link to more information about it....

https://www.11alive.com/article/tech/science/mcdonough-meteorite-explains-georgia-bolide/85-7283d194-c93b-4a73-8ed7-f2e523fdce5d

Meteorite!

I found this very interesting! Just imagine the speed that this was going when it crashed into the house. The owner said they are still picking dust out of the furniture from it!  One thing and I know that in the scheme of things, no one else will really care but if they do end up calling this meteorite, the McDonough meteorite, I do hope that they will say the town name correctly.  On the news, it is pronounced "MICK- dunna".  The locals have always said "Mick-donna".  Just a slight difference perhaps but it hurts my ears to hear it incorrectly! 

No meteorites in Rockdale County but we do have butterflies! If only they would be still long enough for me to take a few photos for you.

Richard should have some good photos for you! Look out for another post soon!  

Sailing/Luna Moth

 Hello, my friends. How are you all doing? Sailing along through the summer? Well, Wimbledon is over, and I can't help but feel sad.  I enjoy the tennis (what I had time to watch) but honestly, it was the brief glimpses they would give us of London that would make me sit up and pause the TV and admire whatever scene they chose to give us. Sometimes, it was Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth Tower, Tower Bridge, or the view of the Thames with all the new modern buildings. What a city! 

Just before Wimbledon, the Brits had the Glastonbury Festival.  It is a musical festival that has taken place since 1970 on 900 acres in Somerset, which is in Southwest England. This year it was from June 25 through June 29.  Reading some of the reviews, it seemed that many criticized Sir Rod Stewart. Say what?  What is wrong with people? Don't you know a good entertainer when you see one? I really liked the video of him singing the song "Sailing". 

"Sailing" was written by Gavin and Iain Sutherland, two brothers from Scotland. In the words of Gavin... " The song has nothing to do with romance or ships. It's an account of mankind's spiritual odyssey through life on his way to freedom and fulfillment with the Supreme Being.".  There, isn't songwriting fascinating?  You all know I think so.

And LIVE AID was on July 13, 1985! So, gee whiz, that was 40 years ago now.  The most memorable thing for me was Freddie Mercury with Queen, what a performance, don't you agree?

Oh, and those scenes from London? I forgot to mention St. Paul's Cathedral!  This is NOT from the TV screen, it is a photo that Richard took one year that we were there. The area around St. Paul's has changed so very much! 

On a walk recently at Panola Mountain State Park, Richard spotted this moth beside the trail resting on a tree.  He did very well to see this, it was well camouflaged.  It is a Luna moth and it is very special to see one.  The Luna Moth only lives from 7-10 days and it does not eat. It has no mouth or digestive system, living off whatever was eaten in the pupal stage. The Luna Moth is nocturnal and since they are attracted by lights, you are more likely to see it in a parking lot or on a tennis court, for example. (Which is the only other time that we saw one. Christopher was about ten years old taking tennis lessons. He was astonished that hardly anyone else noticed this bright green moth, with a 4 inch wingspan!)

Male Luna moths have bushy antennae while the female have much thinner antennae. So, is the one we saw male or female?  Looking at photos, I can't tell.  Anybody want to guess? And you have to look very closely but it is missing the long bits hanging down...what do you call them?  Those bits must have been taken off by a predator. You all must be mightily impressed by my scientific wording, "those bits", but if you understand what I mean, well, that's what it's all about isn't it? 

Trying to walk every day in this heat is tricky. We have to be out very early and even then, it is hot. Very!  Wish us luck, we just keep sailing along.

 

Rod Stewart at The Royal Albert Hall from 2004! Enjoy!

Wouldn't It Be Nice/Wimbledon

 

While I was watching the Capitol 4th on PBS, I was pleased to hear the Beach Boys as the final act! Just to hear those opening notes of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" brought me joy but THEN, the lead singer had such a great, strong vocal.  (I wonder if that might have been Christian Love, Mike Love's son? Does anyone know?) Anyway, I thought it sounded wonderful. I have the video for you above! Enjoy!

The Championships, Wimbledon!  Hasn't it been interesting? I really loved the story of Carlos Alcaraz taking a water bottle from his own bag to someone in the stands who had a medical problem. Isn't he just the nicest guy? And a pretty darn good tennis player too, I know but honestly, I appreciate his kindness.  Have you noticed the members of the British military in the background at Wimbledon? I guessed they must be used for security reasons. I looked it up and that is correct. (They also help people to their seats, make sure mobile phones are switched off and help with any medical emergency.) When the Championships were resumed in 1946 after World War II, they had military personnel direct people to their seats around the bomb damage! (Wimbledon had been heavily bombed.) Since that time, the servicemen and women have been unpaid volunteers. This year, there are just over 450 military personnel. So, now you know! 

Also, there is a song that they keep playing on our TV coverage here during Wimbledon. Did anyone else pay attention to that?

It is "Take Me Out" by Franz Ferdinand.  Here is a video.... if you can't view my video, you can look it up yourself! You know you want to!

Wimbledon is still going on and no one knows for sure who will be "taken out", that is what makes it so much fun! You can predict all you like but in sports, you just never know....

Hope you all remembered to say "peace and love" at noon on July 7th.  Ringo Starr always asks this for his birthday. He turned 85 yesterday. Bless him! Richard and I got to see him in concert in Nashville with our son and daughter-in-law in 2023. Best anniversary gift ever, Christopher and Sarah! Thank you!

Zinnias from seeds that I planted! Took FOREVER for them to come up and they are tiny flowers but hey, the butterflies don't mind!

Happy 4th/ Meteorite News/ Peace & Love

 

Happy 4th of July to everyone! 

 Of course, you might not have it as a holiday in your part of the world, but it is still the 4th of July!  Properly, it is "Independence Day" but how many use that phrase in the USA? Hardly anyone, we simply say it is the "4th of July"! 

In Georgia, it was once against the law to have fireworks.  One had to drive over to Alabama and bring them back across the state line. Therefore, back in the day, there were only a few fireworks going off in backyards. Now?  It will sound like WW3 tonight! On the news I see that there have been several instances of fireworks going off in garages and causing severe injuries and even deaths. Common sense tells me that laws need to change with the use of fireworks. Still, common sense seems to have gone up in smoke....

Now, in my last post I told you about the meteorite that came down in the next county over, in Henry County.  A meteorite chaser (who knew there was such a thing?) visited that area and FOUND a piece of the actual meteorite!  There is a Science Museum in Cartersville, Georgia and they now have a piece of it! Look, let's see if I can show you a video....

There, isn't that something?  Also, there was an image of something called a "sprite" that was taken by NASA early this morning....

Once again - amazing!  I find this kind of natural phenomenon more interesting than fireworks any day of the week.

If you are looking for a film to watch, I would suggest one of my FAVORITES: "Yankee Doodle Dandy" with Jimmy Cagney.  It is so good!  You know I sing along with every song! If only I could dance like Jimmy Cagney too! Live long and prosper everyone.  (You know I can do my hand like Spock's!) OH! And please don't forget to say.... 

       "PEACE AND LOVE"

on July 7th at 12 noon in your part of the world! It is Ringo Starr's birthday, and he wants everyone in the world to do this. I will!

Male and female Eastern bluebirds. (Male is bright blue, of course.) Richard took this photo. One doesn't often see a bluebird from the back, isn't it lovely?

The Sky is Falling (Spoiler: It's Not!)

The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

Is it a meteor or a meteorite?  Why, it is a meteor in the sky, of course! When it hits our good old Earth, it is a meteorite! (When it is floating in space before it comes into the Earth's atmosphere, it is a meteoroid.)  At first, we were told of a "fireball" in the sky at around noon yesterday. We had been walking with friends, and we didn't see it. There were photos online of people taking videos in South Carolina. When I get home, I see on the news that the meteor was in the sky over Newton County, Georgia! (Newton County is the next county to the east of us!) AND pieces of it fell through a roof on a house in Henry County, which is the county to the southwest of us! Gee whiz, all of this is just a bit too close to home for me.  On top of that, this past Saturday, Richard and I were walking at a local park. We were on a sidewalk, which is just beside the parking lot with the softball fields on the OTHER side of the sidewalk. Suddenly, I hear Richard say, "WATCH OUT!".  I quickly ducked and covered my head!  The softball whizzed past me and landed HARD on one car and then, bounced off and hit another one.  I am just glad it wasn't my head! (Or arm or elbow, you get the idea.)

You must all remember that story of Chicken Little. When I was a kid, I always felt sorry for her. I mean, I just remember thinking, "she's just a little chicken, what does she know?"  If she alarmed everyone, well, shouldn't someone else have known better? See, I started early trying to take up for the little guys!

It is just too hot for June!  I am sure you all must have heard of the record-breaking heat in the USA.  Sadly, it has caused deaths. On a happy note, the young man that I told you about that was torn from his house by a tornado has been released from the Shepherd Spinal Center and has gone home! And he is walking!  Good news is always welcome. And what about that woman in Florida who had her home flipped on its side, and then, it fell back HARD, right side up? And she survived! She called it her "Wizard of Oz" moment, and it truly looked so much like it.  I was amazed. (The video of it was on a door camera from next door.)

The Atlanta Braves just finished a series against the New York Mets. Before the beginning of each game, the TV camera would linger for a few moments on different scenes of New York City.  One of the shots was of a bridge with a tram running alongside of it.  (Richard reminded me that it had to be the one used in a Spiderman film!) I looked it up, it is officially called the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, but I think everyone must still call it the 59th Street Bridge. Hey! Isn't there a song called that? You bet there is! 

 Hope you are feeling groovy, my friends! (Look up 59th Street song by Simon & Garfunkel, in case you can't see my video.)

Oh! And I did want to show you some of Richard's photos....

     Remember the starry rosinweed that is a wildflower that blooms in our yard? Richard propped it up with some bits of a tomato cage!

A dragonfly is supposed to eat one hundred mosquitoes a day. Welcome to our yard, you gorgeous creature, eat them all!

Finally, I want to share a photo of ...you will laugh.. it is of Richard's TROUSERS!  Honestly, it doesn't take much to tickle us, we don't get out much! There, is it funny or scary?  I don't want to ALARM anyone!