Favorite pics from the weekend

Last weekend we all worked hard on home chores, and this weekend we took more time to enjoy life. Saturday morn we woke early and our youngest went with us on a nature hike to a park we had not been. Abby had a meltdown halfway up a hill because she hadn't brought her snack bag of Cheerios - since she had eaten some on the way to Pope Farm Park her mom thought she would rather carry the small camera and play photographer like mom. Wrong! Jesse was a saint and walked back to the car so I could keep on walking and taking pics. Bluebirds were everywhere!

When they caught up to me, just as I reached the top of the hill, our daughter exclaimed, "wow! it's beautiful up here!!" The view was amazing, and I think she was "getting" why Jesse and I like to do this. I took 400+ photos this weekend, and have hardly begun to go through them all. Abby did take some pictures too, including some landscape shots of the scene she was so excited about above. Haven't looked yet, to see how steady her hand was, but she was excited, and that is what matters.


Wild animals are supposed to scurry the other way when humans approach, right? Not this little bunny! I was still walking by myself when I spotted a rabbit at the edge of the meadow. Slowly I approached a little nearer, propped open the tripod and began taking pictures. I fully expected the rabbit to dart intot he meadow instantly. Instead, he headed right for me! As it neared I could tell it was a young cottontail, and obviously he had not been instructed to avoid humans. He kept coming closer and closer - curious of my camera perhaps? When he got three feet from my tripod he was too close to angle my tripod down - geesh! I did shoo him away so he would hopefully develop some fear, lest I worry he won't be long for this earth.


Saturday evening we attended the second "sweetcorn is ripe - come help us eat it! party" of the week. Our friends have horses as well, and several of the little girls present asked for rides. Abby wanted to join in, too, and although I thought the size of the horse might scare her, she had a grin from ear to ear as she was placed in the saddle.

BTW - I had watermelon salsa for the first time ever at this party, and the stuff was amazing! Have you ever had it?


Two monarchs hatched this weekend. The first Saturday morning. After our hike we waited and waited for it to hatch - not leaving to make breakfast, get groceries, or get breakfast. I was using the self timer to photograph the crysalis from inside the habitat (caterpillars seem to know how much you want to take pictures and make their green, jewel pouch in a non- photographable spot. As I was checking a photo, the butterfly finally emerged. So as we all waited, we in essence, missed the moment. Urgh! We finally had brunch about 11- basically went right to lunch. We were hungry!

I knew crysalis #2 was going to hatch pretty early Sunday. I had not seen a crysalis turn to black late in the day before, but they always hatch in the morning - Mother Nature's way of giving them time to dry their wings before taking flight to find shelter from the night. I missed it's emergence by what must have been 30 seconds, as I checked as soon as I got out of bed, and its wings were all crumpled and there was a sway to it, typical of a fresh hatch. We released this one in between rain shows early Sunday afternoon. This butterfly, a male, was ready to go and I barely got the camera set before he took off from Kyle's hands. Can you see the butterfly taking off in this photo? Wish we had sky vs. a grassy hillside behind us, but what is a person to do...?


The last photo is one from Pope Farm Park. The assignment for my photography group this month is "end of summer" - and sunflowers always make me think of summer's end. For this shot I was holding my digital Nikon low and aiming up at the sunflower head. Didn't feel like getting on the ground and getting my knees damp, so I guessed at my positioning. And although I hoped for a good shot of the bee, I actually like how it turned out!

I have a new layout to share - a rare two pager! - which will post Monday morning. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend, happy creating!