Cooper's Hawk

Cooper's Hawk helps to keep the balance.

I am always awed by him.

The drought continues on the Tallgrass Prairie.

Shooting Star Party

The Pokeberries are drying up.
I shall put raisins out for Catbird.
He seemed disappointed when he couldn't find
 any plump Pokeberries.

I am keeping the bird baths and seed trays full.
I am watching all the berries dry up.
It may be a tough winter for the birds.

I send my prayers today 

to Nagasaki.

I pray I can live

a non-violent life.

We are making weekend plans!

The Perseid Meteor Shower will be at optimum viewing
Saturday night, weather permitting.

We have plans to go to a dark sky site for the event.
I will pack a picnic supper.

The drought continues. We did have a brief shower
at sunset last night. Only one tenth of an inch of rain.
The double rainbow was pretty with lighting flashes as exclamation points.

I continue to water every morning.
I have a ritual now.
I accept the drought. It is what is.
I am grateful I can keep the zinnias alive and the fennel.
The Black Swallowtail laid eggs today.

The butterflies are depending on gardeners to keep host
and nectar plant alive. A call has gone out to help the Monarchs.
Migration begins the first of September. There is concern once the Monarchs come into the Great Plains there will be no food for them. Their host plants too are burning up. I am watering the milkweed and the butterfly bushes.

It is the best I know to do.

A wee bit of rain

I awoke this morning to the sound of thunder.

The deck was wet.

A fine mist was falling.

I took my coffee outside.
I wanted to spend time with the birds.

I wanted to be outside in the mist.
We only received .2".
I treasure every drop!

Black Swallowtail in the Zinnias

The zinnias are blooming.
I moved two pots to the deck.
 Black Swallowtail found them.

I have kept the seedlings alive by watering every day.

We have food for the butterflies.

I awoke at 3am this morning to the sounds of thunder.
 It was lovely to fall back asleep to the sound
of glorious rain.

The morning was cool enough I was able to have coffee
on the deck with the birds.
Mother nature had watered the seedlings.

We are in transition. My world is changing.
I am grateful for each drop of rain we received.
I am happy we have food for the butterflies.

Drought on the Prairie

Each morning I carry water to the seedlings.

I make sure the birds and the bugs have plenty of water too.

It has been too hot for me to do Pond Watch.
I have not seen Dragonflies for six weeks.
I miss them so very much.

When I saw a male Twelve-spotted Skimmer land
on the kite sculpture I almost cried. A female flew in and the two of them began their Dragonfly dance. I put my watering can down
and watched.

A gift from Nature.
A thank you note for all the watering.

A Granddaddy Groundhog came up onto the deck.
He was looking for food and water.

We have been trapping his family and relocating.
This guy is so big I am not sure he will fit in the trap.

I potted Miss Curry Tree into her long tom pot.
 I hope she likes her growing spot behind the
kitchen sink.
She smells delicious!

Clouds

I watched a Monarch

while I listened to thunder.

A Praying Mantis seemed to be listening too.

A few drops of rain is all we received.
Maybe tomorrow.

106.7 degrees

We watched the temperatures rise this afternoon.

We stayed inside and made pineapple sorbet.

I have found a new love.

The attachment to the Kitchen Aid worked great.

I hope to learn how to make ice cream too.

The squash leaves found a way to stay cool.

The Tiger Lilies are beginning to bloom.
They seem to like the high heat!
I am staying cool.
Sorbet is my new favorite food.

Tall Grass Prairie

I love the Tall Grass Prairie.

I worry about the future of the wildflowers.
I worry about the butterflies.

Our planet needs the biodiversity of the Tall Grass Prairie.

When the water runs out the farmers will only
 have the wind to farm.

We need the grasses.
We need the sunflowers.

My husband built a bamboo trellis for the gourds.
We have given our garlic patch over to the gourds.
The garlic is drying and will be ready to braid soon.

The gourds will cure on the vines over the winter.
We will take the trellis down next spring.

The green beans are sprouting.

A Fig Beetle was splattered with mud.
When I walk the gardens I think about the flora and fauna that live here in my backyard. I think about my relationship
to the Tall Grass Prairie I call home.
I think I will grow Bird's Foot Violets.
They are the host plant for the Regal Fritillary. I could grow them
as border plants in the gourd garden. I could grow them around the beans. There is room for the wild and the cultivated in my gardens.
There is room for food for the butterflies and the people.
Maybe I could poke in some grasses around the sunflowers.

Where the Deer and the Butterflies play

A young deer is coming for salad.

The lettuces have bolted

but she doesn't seem to mind.

We have an understanding.

I will save some sweet spinach for her

if she will leave some for me.

We will have to fence seedlings from now on.

The wind came up and she trotted off.

I turned my attention to the cone flowers.
I am grateful the deer have left them alone.

The Tiger Swallowtail looked so elegant
perched on top the seed head.

It is here in the gardens I work and play.
I am a gardener.