Winged Wonders and Other Mysteries

Butterflies. I've heard that this is the next phase of addiction to all things winged. When the birds are hiding among the leaves, hard to see,  and taking flight just when you raise the binoculars, along comes a wee butterfly, and lands on your foot so you can take a good, long look. How accommodating! How cute. I love you and I don't even know your name.

 Haven't a clue...yet. But the fact that I was out in the yard, trying to catch a glimpse of the Palm Warbler who had been singing non-stop for about half an hour from an impossibly high branch somewhere in the neck hurts stratosphere, made this little guy  absolutely lovable. " Look at me! Here I am, right here, attached to your foot, a living tattoo!"

So I told the Palm Warbler that I was no longer interested in playing hide'n'seek, and walked over to the lilac bush...awash with flutters. Albeit, a very windy day didn't help with the posing, however, these little winged jewels are absolutely beautiful.

The wind was blustery, and they were having a tough time hanging on to the flowers -just as I was having a tough time trying to focus.  It's a terrible shot, but I've included it to show the colours of the black butterfly, with the blue spots. He's distinctly different from the first one with the yellow spots. Both to be identified.  

If you can identify any of these, please feel free. 

Also! Still trying to figure out what the heck this fleshy, marble sized fruit ball is...

 Totally flummoxed here. No one seems to know. So here's what  I do know:

it's about the size of a large marble, round, firm but pliant, with a stem and small leaf attached. We have oak trees, birch, poplar, and a few varieties of pine in our yard. Nothing exotic, no fruit trees. This just appeared in the garden. There was another, smaller one a few yards away. I've googled it but  haven't found an answer yet, so the mystery remains for you, gentle reader, to solve! 

I look forward to hearing from you.

Coming or Going?

Is he working his way out of the berry? His little feet gripping the branch and pulling steadfastly away? Or is he nibbling his way in, pushing with intent to devour?

It's not always clear in nature. And it's not always clear in life.

Are the berries better when they're plump, filled with juice, and ripe with promise? Or when they suddenly burst from their tight skins, forming tiny perfect florets that will last all winter, reminding us of autumn's promise.

Bitter. Sweet.

Both.

Bawh! Hmmmm, Bug!

Today in the Ottawa Valley, you couldn't help but be outside, enjoying the spectacular weather...sunny, clear blue skies, with just a wee hint of fall in the air so that a cotton sweater felt okay.
And off into the world we went to see what we could see....
Crap! First up, a sulphur yellow and black spider, sittin', waitin'....I'm not a spider lover, but I do appreciate them as long as I'm in control of where they are.In this case, just hanging around on the stair railing of a friend's deck. I can look, and he (perhaps she?) can't touch. So we're good.






I continued on my merry little way, and lord knows how I ever happened to notice this fuzzy little critter...again, suphur yellow, with black and white horns, about 1 1/2 inches long and cute as a bug's, er, ear!














It's a bit fuzzy (the picture I mean) but perhaps it's a swallowtail? Time for me to go back to grade 5 I think. I used to teach it for a year or two..now I can't remember anything, and so, no, I'm not smarter than a fifth grader! I do remember pupa, chrysalis, caterpillar, and butterfly stages, but isn't it a little late in the year (September 13th) to be turning into a butterfly or chrsyalis or anything?





While pondering this deep thought, I looked down on my leg -because the two women I was wandering around with were screaming "Oh, my god! Look! I haven't seen one of these in ages and ages!" Look at your leg! So I did...Speechless ( for about a minute) because I hadn't see a Praying Mantis for about 10 years, and never, ever have I had one crawling up my leg to say "Hello, I think I'll eat you!"









So, we moved her off my leg, and introduced her to a teeny martini before letting her loose to meet her sole mate...















Final bug of the blog today was this bee dahlia, just chowing down, barely moving, and humming a happy song...as were we!

I really should have paid a lot more attention in grade five..both taking it and teaching it.