Every Day is a Gift!
Patti has challenged us to focus on telling a story with our images.
My story is the life cycle of a Monarch butterfly. I haven’t been able to capture Monarch’s in my garden this year so these images are all from my archives.
Many thanks to Patti for the challenge Lens-Artists Challenge #255 – Telling a Story
For this challenge Donna asks the question “What’s Bugging You?” Insects rarely want to cooperate when I am trying to take their photo. I spent some time in my garden following bees around this week but none of of them wanted their picture taken. Here are a few favorite bug images from my archives.
Giant Swallowtail Caterpillar
Unknown moth caterpillar in Dominica
Swallowtails on Thistle in the Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia
Tiger Swallowtail
Lynx Spider
Wasp on Milkweed
Cicada Skeleton
Many thanks to Donna at Wind Kisses for her challenge Lens-Artists Challenge #252 – What’s Bugging You
I am grateful that in 2021 we were able to take a few road trips and get together with friends and family more than we could in 2020. The header photo is my favorite because we had such a fun day celebrating my birthday at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom.
January and February found me experimenting with closeups in my back yard, taking early morning walks on the beach, and enjoying the camellias in my garden.
In March we enjoyed a short road trip to Florida and a visit to Flannary O’Connor’s home Andalusia in Milledgeville, Georgia. A Brown Pelican in Cedar Key and a Peacock at Andalusia were my favorite images from those trips.
Spring flowers were spectacular in April.
May was a special month with a Mother’s Day weekend trip to visit our daughter’s family for the first time in over a year. I enjoyed her backyard garden and the wildflowers on a Mother’s Day walk beside a peaceful pond.
In June we made another road trip to Orlando to celebrate my birthday. A birthday lunch with a view of animals at Walt Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom Lodge was the highlight of the week.
In July and August the flowers in the garden attracted butterflies and bees and a Roseate Spoonbill made several appearances in the creek.
The rest of the year was filled with sunflowers, ospreys, beautiful mornings and spectacular sunsets.
There were also a few non photo worthy events in 2021. Among other things we survived a major remodel of a 1980’s bathroom, enjoyed a visit from my brother and his wife, celebrated a family Thanksgiving at home, cheered on one of our granddaughters at several sporting events, and enjoyed spending time with friends again.
Many thanks to Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine and Amy for another year of Lens-Artists Challenges. In 2022 we welcome three new hosts Sofia, Anne and John. I’m looking to forward to finding out what challenges they come up with this year.
Our challenge from guest host I.J. Khanewala of Don’t Hold your Breath is to show ordinary objects. I chose a few images from my back yard that show ordinary sights around my October garden.
In the image above, the pink plumes of the Muhly Grass is an ordinary sign of fall where I live.
Every October, when most of the flowers in my butterfly garden are gone, the bright orange Mexican Sunflowers are still attracting butterflies. Gulf Fritillaries, Skippers, and Monarch butterflies are ordinary visitors feasting on the last of the nectar.
Many thanks to our guest host I.J. Khanewala for challenging us with Lens-Artists Photo Challenge #169: The Ordinary
Thanks also to Terri’s Sunday Stills Challenge: Burnt or Blood Orange
My butterfly garden is filled with overgrown Mexican Sunflowers and zinnias going wild this time of year. The weather is too hot and humid for me to keep up with all the weeds. But the butterflies and other pollinators love it!
Many thanks to Natalie for this challenge. Be sure to visit her original post at Sunday Stills: In the Garden
Wandering Dawgs 