Lots of indoor and outdoor activities are keeping me away from the keyboard. It’s about halfway through the 2024 Poetry Postcard Festival, where I’m writing 33+ poems and mailing them out to the folks on my list, plus sending more out to blogmates. I try to write one every morning with first cuppajoe. Some days there are 2 or 3 and some days none. I’m also experimenting with turning some of my colorings from Coloring Club Plus into postcards, but we’ll see what happens.
Last week we all went to Meijer Gardens. You saw the wings. On Saturday, we all met up at Hoffmaster State Park and walked trails that are mostly flat, some gradual inclines and declines, and one big dune. Granddaughter was a showoff and walked up the big dune backwards and turning in circles. Where she gets her energy is a mystery, but she was having a grand time.
I mowed today and saw a lot of flora and fauna. Many preying mantis and very small toads hopping out of the way. I avoided them the best I could. The milkweed are going ga ga and the monarchs and other butterflies are visiting them. The chipmunks are running rampant. I’ve been seeing a few rabbits back in the yard after the neighbor guy’s cats seem to have disappeared. (We had a conversation some weeks ago now, where he asked me if those were my cats, and I said no, I thought they were your cats as they run over to your driveway when I yell at them. Mysteriously I haven’t seen any since that conversation.) When I went into the garage to get the mower out, a barn swallow was flying in there, which means she might be nesting in there. I hope so. They eat so many bugs!
The first two sulfur cosmos are blooming. The witch hazel shrubs are thriving. I identified a plant that is spreading on its own in the yard as blue vervain. Now how cool is that?
Tao Talk 
What a lovely summer garden you have Li. So many animal friends and beautiful flowers.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks very much, Sadje. It is a paradise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
💖💖💖
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice pics and glad you’re spending time with your family, especially your energetic grand daughter. I’ve also been out and about frequently. As I result, I’ve been finding myself with less time for blogging. On the other hand, one should take advantage of the summer season. Colder and more rainy times will be back again before we know it, offering plenty of opportunity to do more blogging!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Christian, I like your logic.
LikeLiked by 1 person
HI Lisa, thanks for the update. Your summer sounds lovely. Our peach tree has come into blossom so spring is here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
wonderful to see
welcoming spring, peach blossoms
fragrance in air
LikeLike
Fantastic, Lisa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
:) Glad you like
LikeLike
Nice
LikeLike
At one with nature! Delightful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s been a summer spent outdoors much of the time. Thanks, Keith. Just looked at the pics of your trip. So fabulous!
LikeLike
Sounds like you’re savouring the season to the fullest, Lisa! I’ve seen toads in the grass in the Interlake region north of me, but preying mantis while cutting the grass? Wow. Enjoy the dawdling summer days!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Steve, I kinda just confessed to how long the grass had gotten. Saving grace is that there is tall stuff all along the yard and back field for them to scurry on their little legs to. I’m enjoying summer most because I know it won’t last.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah yes, I was thinking last night while savouring the sunny warmth that it won’t be there in a few months.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Busy week! Glad to hear you have lots of monarchs. (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kerfe all kinds of butterflies and flying creatures. Not huge #s of just monarchs, but the joe pye is starting to bloom so there will be.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s excellent. I saw a cabbage butterfly yesterday in front of my building. There are some blooming plants up and down the street, but the park would be a better choice.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My milkweed is all in pods now. I’ve seen a few butterflies. I found a huge moth the other morning on my brick facade… I had looked it up, but I can’t find the paper I wrote the info on.
All good gardening. I’m looking forward to my Mother’s day mums from a few years back to bloom. I’m thinking maybe I should have trimmed them back a bit, maybe after they bloom. One year they bloomed twice. I don’t remember them blooming this spring. Maybe they did?
Cheers to all things summery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jules your milkweed is way way ahead of mine. In GR it’s in full blossom, but no blossoms at all on mine at this point. The butterfly milkweed is in full bloom but haven’t seen many butterflies near it. Hard to believe it is almost August already. Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know some ‘seasonal’ things are different – another friend in the ‘Mitten’ gets strawberries much later too.
I haven’t seen to many dragonflies by the creek but I have seen them while traveling – in the car – crossing roadways!
The sun is out today, but the humidity is low – so it is fairly nice out there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love this selection of doodads and your photos are lovely!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dale much thanks :)
LikeLiked by 1 person
💞
LikeLiked by 1 person