Nature – Page 28 – Wandering Dawgs

Lens-Artists #93: Morning

April 23, 2020Posted in Nature, PhotographyTagged Lens-Artists, Morning, Photo Challenge40 Comments

This week’s challenge from Ann-Christine is morning.

I’ve always been a morning person and for many years I’ve been the first one up in our house. I start each day by going downstairs to the kitchen to put the kettle on for my morning tea. Next comes quiet time, either in my living room where I can look out the windows, or out in my backyard butterfly garden under the arbor.

20200422-chrysalis-day-13-(1) — Tea in the garden

20200419-monarch-and-chrysalis-day-10-(2) — Nature surrounds me in my garden

Hisbiscus

Mexican Sunflower

Sunflower

After my tea I often go for a walk in the neighborhood.

20200422-chrysalis-day-13-(6) — Beautiful morning for a walk

20200418-chrysalis-day-9-and-morning-walk-(2) — It’s nice to see some feathered friends in the morning

Some mornings I’ll do some baking.

20200419-monarch-and-chrysalis-day-10-(11) — Homemade buttermilk biscuits for Sunday breakfast

Wishing you a very good morning!

Many thanks to Ann-Christine for this weeks Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Morning

Monarch Caterpillar Update

April 11, 2020Posted in Daily Prompt, Nature, PhotographyTagged bite, Discover Prompts, monarch caterpillar, monarch chrysalis16 Comments

Just two days after I posted about the Monarch caterpillars in my butterfly garden the caterpillars are continuing to devour every leaf on several of my milkweed plants. One bite at a time, they chew up a leaf and move on to the next. In just a few days they have stripped some of the plants until there is nothing left but bare stems.

Yesterday morning I counted about 10 caterpillars. One had attached itself in the hose reel on the edge of the flower bed. It was preparing to transform into a chrysalis.

20200410-caterpillars-and-chrysalis-(6) — Monarch Caterpillar preparing to make chrysalis

A little while later I settled down in my chair under the arbor to read a book. I was facing the hose reel but was so engrossed in the book I didn’t look up for about 30 minutes. When I finally glanced over at the caterpillar I saw that while I was reading it had become a chrysalis.

20200410-caterpillars-and-chrysalis-(11) — Monarch chrysalis day 1

Today there are more caterpillars and less milkweed leaves. They will continue taking their bites until they are full grown and ready to transform into a chrysalis.

Meanwhile, there are still Monarch butterflies flying around in pairs doing their mating dance. I’ve had a hard time getting a picture but I managed to catch this one drinking nectar on a Mexican Sunflower.

20200411-caterpillars-(1) — Monarch butterfly feeding on Mexican Sunflower

I’ll be keeping my eye on the chrysalis and hope to see a butterfly emerge in about 7 to 10 days.

This post was inspired by Discover Prompts Day 9 -Bite.

Pairs of Monarch Caterpillars

April 9, 2020April 9, 2020Posted in Daily Prompt, Nature, PhotographyTagged blogging, Discover Prompts, monarch caterpillar, pairs16 Comments

We are in the middle of the butterfly breeding season. I’ve seen pairs of Monarch butterflies flying around our yard recently and the females have been laying their eggs on milkweed leaves in my small backyard butterfly garden.

This morning I counted seven caterpillars on the milkweed including two different pairs munching on the leaves.

20200409-monarch-caterpillars-(20) — Pair of Monarch Caterpillars on Milkweed

20200409-monarch-caterpillars-(1) — Pair of monarch caterpillars on milkweed

After about two weeks of eating, the caterpillar will be full grown and will make it’s crysalis. Approximately 10 days later the monarch butterfly will emerge.

This post was inspired by Discover Prompts Day 9 -Pairs.

First Day of Spring 2020

March 19, 2020March 20, 2020Posted in Butterflies, Flowers, Georgia, NatureTagged Bee, First Day of Spring, Georgia garden, Monarch on Milkweed, Spring, Spring blooms, Spring Flowers26 Comments

These days we are social distancing by staying home except to go to the store for supplies.

I grabbed my camera today to go outside in my yard in the glorious warm, sunny weather and capture a few of our first spring blooms. Enjoy!

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WordPress just reminded me that today is the 7th anniversary of the Wandering Dawgs blog. Thanks to all of you it’s been an amazing seven years.

I would not still be blogging if it wasn’t for you. I appreciate every one of you who follows the blog, reads the posts, likes a post, or leaves comments. You make it worth while to keep the blog going.

Thank you all! Happy First Day of Spring!

Camellias make me happy

February 5, 2020Posted in Flowers, Georgia, NatureTagged Camellias, Coastal Georgia garden, garden, Gardening, Georgia garden, weekly smile, White Camellia, Winter Blooms12 Comments

I fell in love with Camellias last year when I saw them blooming during my Adventure in Bonaventure.

I have an old Camellia in my yard that my next door neighbor passed on to me many years ago. I didn’t know what I was doing and just stuck it in the ground and hoped for the best. For years I would only get a few flowers each year. A few years ago it was covered with the white blooms in January and February. Seeing those blooms always make me smile.

White Camellia Bloom February 2020

New bloom

White Camellia

When the Camellia is blooming I like to have flowers all around the house.

I enjoy those winter blooms so much that I decided to plant some more Camellias. Last Friday I drove across town to visit a nursery that specializes in Camellias. I spent about an hour with the owner as he told me everything I needed to know about how to plant and care for them. He helped me select three bushes that should do well in my yard – a pink High Fragrance, a gorgeous white Sea Foam, and a red and white variegated Bobbie Fain.

It took me two days to decide exactly where I wanted to put them. Sunday afternoon before the Super Bowl I dug three holes and followed the instructions on how to plant my new plants. There are buds on each of them.