Early Morning Gems

taken:
day seventy two
08.31.2011

This is more like it! These are the dew drops I was looking for a few weeks ago that I love. They are like polished glass gems clutching onto the bright orange marigold petals. Early in the morning, before they have a chance the evaporate, these dew drops reflect the sunlight, perfectly round, luminescent and shiny. 

Still Bursting

taken:
day seventy one
08.30.2011

Summer is slowly fading. I wish it could last forever. And ever. And ever. And ever. Summer is the best. Thankfully my zinnias are extending summer in the garden, still bursting in shades of red, orange, white and pink. This vibrant pink zinnia beams with beauty and brightness and life.

Savoring Summer

taken:
day seventy
08.29.2011

About the only color radiating in prairie flowers these days is yellow. Sunny golden yellow. It's the goldenrod's turn to shine. This 'painted lady' butterfly dances from one 'stiff goldenrod' blossom to the next. Savoring the end of summers sweet bounty.

Lazy Sunny Sunday

taken:
day sixty nine
08.28.2011 

Equipped with homemade turkey sandwiches, carrot sticks and kettle chips, my husband, my sons and I made our way to a park for a lazy Sunday family picnic. Our destination, a park where the Rum River and the Mississippi River meet. It's a tranquil park surrounded by river waters and huge {HUGE} oak trees. It was our first time visiting that park, a new adventure.

After we ate our picnic lunch, we took a stroll along the nature path. There were many of these pretty yellow 'cut-leaf coneflowers' growing beside the high river shoreline. The bumble bees were buzzing about too while we enjoyed the view, the flowers, the sun and the lazy Sunday.

Still Be Wonderful

taken:
day sixty eight
08.27.2011

I really can't get enough of our cosmos this year. They are so pretty. So much so that I've decided that next year I'm going to plant tons. Rows and rows of them. Bright, happy, pink, white, orange and yellow rows of them. Enough to cut bouquets to bring in the house and enough to leave in the garden for the bees and butterflies to enjoy. It's going to be wonderful...that is if I can remember this plan. And in the case that I forget, I'll probably end up planting my usual small batch of each variety. But that'll still be wonderful.

Soaked from the sprinkler this cosmo, in my older son's garden, droops with water drops and looks groggy after a long day in the sun. 

Amber Bursts

taken:
day sixty seven
08.26.2011

With the sun setting in the sky and the the 'yellow foxtail' at it's peak you'll find bright glowing sparklers atop long thin stems. At the right time of day and the right type of angle this bunch of beaming foxtail, growing across the street along my road, is dazzling with radiant amber bursts flowing in the gentle evening breeze.

If This Tree Could Talk

taken:
day sixty six
08.25.2011

The end of August means the beginning of the Minnesota State Fair. A beloved event for many Minnesotans. It's something I've looked forward to every year of my life. I love the State Fair. The food, the people watching, the walking, the exhibits, the animals, the shows, the everything.

This was the first day of the State Fair. My mom, my sons and I got there early for our nearly 13 hour day of fun. It was a lovely day. Midday we took a relaxing break at a park and bandshell. As we rested under a tree I actually took a nap. It was heaven. Surrounded by music, people and scents of pronto pups, this was my view, a tall and stately tree. If this tree could talk imagine what it would say about all the people that have strolled under it over the years.

Cheerful Perfection

taken:
day sixty five
08.24.2011

There's something so special about a zinnia with it's seemingly flawless petals. The layers of cushiony, cheerful petals are almost irresistible. This zinnia is like a ruffle of pure pink perfection.

Rising Sunflower

taken:
day sixty four
08.23.2011

With summer a little more than half over {officially} the sunflowers are beginning to beam. It's a sure symbol that autumn is in our future and school is about to start.

It won't be long and this rising sunflower will be blooming in all it's golden glory, with rusty hues of autumn, praising the warm late summer sun.

Bubbly Blurry Dewdrops

taken:
day sixty three
08.22.2011

Just a bit of bubbly blurry dewdrops, bright and early, glistening in the morning sunlight. You can almost hear twinkling as the dreamy world is awoken at daybreak, cleansed with dew and highlighted by the new sun. 

Pretty Pink Accents

taken:
day sixty two
08.21.2011

While at a park with my sons and on the lookout for something pretty I came across these bundles of teeny tiny pink blooms. They are called 'swamp smartweed'. Not a very pretty name. Not a pretty name at all. 

But these pink blooms ARE pretty and they gleamed in the afternoon sunlight, accenting the edge of a marshy stretch on the outskirts of the park.

Weeds and Wishes

taken:
day sixty one
08.20.2011

Sometimes we see weeds, sometimes we see wishes.

Have you ever gently plucked one of these fluffy seed heads from the ground and helped reseed it by blowing it's feathery seeds into the air and making a wish?


These are called 'yellow goat's beard' wild flowers. They first emerge with a soft yellow dandeline-type flower on a tall stem. After the flower fades a seed head like this is left behind.


Sometimes they show in places we don't want weeds, like our yards, gardens and landscaping. In which we usually pick them and discard them before the seeds have a chance to fly away. Sometimes we'll come across them along the road or on a nature walk and it's hard to resist the chance to help reseed them and make a wish. Isn't it?

One Must Have Sunshine

taken:
day sixty
08.19.2011

"Just living is not enough," said the butterfly, 

"one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower."  

~Hans Christian Anderson

This lucky swallowtail butterfly has all three, the hot summer sunshine, the freedom to flutter and these enticing little butterfly weed flowers.

All on it's Own

taken:
day fifty nine
08.18.2011

I love green. All shades. It's my favorite color. It's so alive and fresh and rejuvenating.

These are the brilliant green leaves of a sumac tree that started growing in my garden this spring all on it's own. It's growing tall and fast, at about 4 feet high already. I love sumac for it's tropical and exotic appearance. I'm happy this one decided to make my garden it's home and excited to see how tall it will grow by summers end.

A Bit of Dew Will Have to Do

taken:
day fifty eight
08.17.2011

I stepped out in my garden in the morning in search of dew drops. The kind of dew drops that cling to the edges of wavy marigold petals like strands of gleaming droplet jewels. But I was a little late. All that were left was a few dew drops resting on the petal tops.

So this cheery marigold sprinkled with a bit of lingering morning dew will have to do. And although vivid and happy it's not exactly what I hoped for. Maybe I'll catch the extra early morning dew strands another day and share a photo of them then. I hope!

One Day Only

taken:
day fifty seven
08.16.2011

It blooms for one day. One day only. The daylily. Cherish the ripple, the ruffle, the frill, the curve, of a fleeting daylily petal. For one single solitary day it graces, brightens and plumes. Just when it's saying {hello} it's saying {goodbye}.

Just Because

taken:
day fifty six
08.15.2011

Just some wild grasses. Just some wind. Just some sun. Just some whimsy. Just some blur. Just some golden green. Just an ordinary day. Just some golden green. Just some blur. Just some whimsy. Just some sun. Just some wind. Just some wild grasses.

Dreamy Morning

taken:
day fifty five
08.14.2011

A dreamy shot of a fuzzy bumble bee in the morning light on a showy lavender 'obedient plant'. This bumble bee was almost getting lost in these sweet flowers. It would climb so deep into each blossom that all I could see was the tippy tail of it's rear end and the tips of it's back legs. So funny! 

Like Springtime

taken:
day fifty four
08.13.2011

You might never guess that these tiny white blossoms with their tight winding vines are 'wild cucumbers'. Yep, those annoying vines that like to drape themselves in trees, on shrubs and practically EVERYWHERE this time of year. 

As I took a closer look at these bursting flower clusters I discovered they are very fragrant. They smell like springtime. Fresh and sweet. Soon the flowers will fade, making way for the weird round spiky fruits that will appear later in the season.

Curl of a Leaf

taken:
day fifty three
08.12.2011

We are growing indian corn this year and I was excited to see that the tassles were growing from the tops of some of the stalks. As I took a closer look at the tassles I peeked in and came face to face with this adroable little treefrog tucked away neatly in the curl of a leaf. This little guy was nestled perfectly cozy, hiding from the midmorning sun.

Crepe Paper Petals

taken:
day fifty two
08.11.2011

Brimming with exotic crepe paper pink petals, this hardy hibiscus is a symbol of midsummer. It seems a shame that these stunning blossoms only last a day or so. Their life is short lived yet they dazzle in the garden while they are here.

Stripes of Light

taken:
day fifty one

08.10.2011

I love looking for bits of light. Bits and pieces of light that dance and sway and beam. These bright green pine needles captured stripes of light in the afternoon sun.

Joyful Beacons of Brightness

taken:
day fifty
08.09.2011

Here's another beauty in my mother-in-law's garden. She has some of the most unique flowers. I believe this one is called a 'helenium'. 

I love the ruffly yellow and orange speckled petals. Each and every flower is different from the next. Some glow more orange, some glow more yellow. They are joyful beacons of brightness even when the sun isn't shining.

Vision to Behold

taken:
day forty nine
08.08.2011

Caught in mid-flutter, this 'eastern tiger swallowtail' butterfly is a vision to behold. They are common this time of year, yet such an exquisite butterfly and so delightful to watch while wandering through the garden.

Modern and Classic

taken:
day forty eight
08.07.2011

According to my littlest son, this is a 'modern' butterfly. Funny little guy forgets that this classic butterfly is called a 'monarch' instead. These 'monarchs' are a frequent sight this time of year in Minnesota.

They are definitely out in full flutter these days. All butterflies are. And they seem much more docile this month than they were last month. Every butterfly I encountered last month was too fast to snap photos of. They were swift and unsettled and seemed too busy to stay in one place for too long. 

Now they are subdued as they drift from flower to flower. Where they pause almost dazed by the summer heat and sweet nectar.

Meandering

taken:
day forty seven
08.06.2011

Following a fleeting afternoon downpour the clouds drifted and the sun came out again. Which meant it was the perfect time for me to grab my camera and meander outside. One of my favorite times to snap photos just so happens to be right after a rain shower as the sun shines, making the lingering droplets glisten.

We were out at my parent's place celebrating my dad's birthday. So I walked along my parent’s yard and as I did, I found this red dragonfly meandering among the grasses and raindrops.

Eye Catcher

taken:
day forty six
08.05.2011

This honeysuckle vine is an eye catcher. It blooms from spring to fall and sometimes beyond. Bright coral colored blooms with touches of yellow drip from the vines for nearly 3 seasons out of the year. I love the vivid happy color that they bring to the garden.

Peekaboo

taken:
day forty five
08.04.2011

Isn't this just the cutest little grasshopper you've ever seen? It was hanging out in my mom's garden in this fluffy dahlia bloom, playing peekaboo from between the pale pink petals. 

Bitten

taken:
day forty four
08.03.2011

Another pretty moss rose from my container gardens. I didn't notice until after I took the photo that the tips of petals are bitten down. A little bug or caterpillar must have thought it was a tasty treat. 

Buzzing Around

taken:
day forty three
08.02.2011

Ever see one of these creatures buzzing around? You may have thought it was a hummingbird at first glimpse. But, in fact, it's not. It's a moth! A 'hummingbird clearwing moth'. As well as resembling a hummingbird, they also remind me {a bit} of a shrimp with a fuzzy body and wings. Kinda funny!

I watched this one zip from blossom to blossom on my mother-in-law's pink garden phlox. It moved so fast but didn't seem phased by me and my camera. It was too busy slurping up sweet nectar with is super long straw-like tongue.

Hello Tiger

taken:
day forty two
08.01.2011

Hello August. Hello bright and happy tiger lily. 

My tiger lilies erupted just in time to welcome the month of August. These lilies are tall. Taller than me. They tower over the garden with stature and elegance.