Back Home in Indiana

Hark, is that a Jim Nabors' song I hear?

But yes,

it is nice to be back in Indiana.

If you think that capturing lightning is easy,

just try it some time.

I dare ya.

Okay, so I got lucky twice in one year.

I doubt I'd ever get that lucky again.

Only in WalMart would this sign be deemed necessary

in an aisle full of fireworks..

A bit of background information:

this entire county is smoke-free.

Tobacco-loving people beware.

So why were these signs deemed necessary?

Oookay,

back to the pretty sunsets.

My husband wanted me to sit outside with him the other night.

Ooh, pretty.

Very pretty.

What? We don't need any better words than that.

Skipping ahead...

these are the blooms of the blackberry lily.

In our neck of the woods they act as annuals,

but I hear that they are perennials further south.

Lucky you people.

Of course,

here we get to be surprised when we find where these delightful plants

have decided to pop up each year.

This elusive creature is the hummingbird moth.

It is often mistaken for a hummingbird.

This is a portulaca bloom.

It is an annual.

It is also known as a moss rose.

As one might guess from looking at the plant,

it is a succulent,

meaning that it can hold on to water for a while.

Moss roses only bloom in bright sunlight.

They don't seem to find the need to bloom on cloudy days.

I can relate to that.

A bumblebee on an echinacea bloom.

Nature loves symmetry.

All right, we have a problem.

These beautiful creatures just don't want to sit still long enough

so that we mere humans can get a clear picture of them.

This may or may not be a black swallowtail butterfly.

It's hard to say as I haven't been able to get one of

these fine creatures to sit still for a portrait.

Is it or isn't it?

A Greater Fritillary with a Tiger Swallowtail.

It's a good day to be out on the deck.

And yes,

one should always take a fan out on the deck.

Why not?

It's a good evening to be out on the deck, too.



I like the impetuousness of the cloud peeking over the trees.

Oh, heck.

I just like life in general.

So sue me.*

*Or not.

Really, I'd prefer that you didn't.

All I can offer you is a good home cooked meal and a nice bed time story.