"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." ~ Maya AngelouElusive little creatures, these butterflies are. It's an honour when they stop long enough to be photographed.
"They tell us that plants are not like man immortal, but are perishable—soul-less. I think that is something that we know exactly nothing about." ~ John MuirThese ferns caught my eye because they were growing in a circular pattern and the inside which contained a different plant, reminded me of a basket.
"I don't ask for the meaning of the song of a bird or the rising of the sun on a misty morning. There they are, and they are beautiful." ~ Pete Hamill This goldfinch looked so pretty posing on the branch. It was taken through the glass on a windy day.. hence the lack of clarity. Still, it's a handsome little bird.
“It is at the edge of a petal that love waits.” ~ William Carlos WilliamsPretty little flowers which are popping up all around.
"Some people are uncomfortable with the idea that humans belong to the same class of animals as cats and cows and raccoons. They're like the people who become successful and then don't want to be reminded of the old neighborhood." ~ Phil DonahueWalking along the creek one afternoon, Frank pointed out these raccoon tracks on the shore.
"Green, the color of growth, or surgent life, enwraps the land. New green, still as individual as the plants themselves. Cool green, which will merge as the weeks pass, the Summer comes, into a canopy of shade of busy chlorophyll." ~ Hal BorlandLate afternoon sunshine illuminated these elm leaves.
"By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower." ~ Rabindranath TagoreMore delicate flowers to please the eye.
"My grandmother is over eighty and still doesn't need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle."~ Henny Youngman
Warm summer-like afternoons nudged us to enjoy our respective drinks. A Kronenbourg 1664 for Frank and a Woody's Mexican Lime for me.
66 comments:
Nice quotes (again). I especially like that one by John Muir.
I'm wondering now if that butterfly is a moth. Seems to have a large thorax which I'd always associated with moths. I'm sure one of your knowledgeable peeps will set us straight. :)
And that last shot reminds me that I'm thirsty. Gonna fix that right now. :)
Exquisite photographs, Hilary, love them all. If the Finch is a little blurry I'm a scotsman.
Ah yes... Henny Youngman. I recall him from entertainment shows on TV (in black and white) when I was a child. My dad used to laugh and laugh and laugh again at the guy.
Thanks for the memory with his quote.
Di
The Blue Ridge Gal
oh love that butterfly pic! and we get lot of the coon tracks this time of year by the streams...some great pics of the season hilary!
Well, as usual, your pictures are so much fun to look at. The raccoon tracks are a bit disconcerting, though...look a little too human! And I laughed right out loud at the Henny Youngman quote!!
The ferns do look like a basket. The goldfinch looks strong and straight.
Good find and fun to see the raccoon tracks. We have raccoons here but they come out at evening time and are on the grass. They are so large. The elm leaves are so clean and healthy looking. Really nice picture with the sun shining on them.
Everything is so beautiful. You take wonderful photos. The colors of all items are so great to see.
Your photos make my day. Gorgeous.
All of these shots are simply delicious! I especially loved the ferns so dark and rich - and, of course, the unique shape.
There isn't one of those pictures that I wouldn't love to look at every day.
The purple flower with the touch of a sunbeam is perfectly calming and beautiful.
The raccoon tracks remind me of the ENORMOUS raccon that I have seen three times in my driveway recently. He seems to amble around, completely unflappable, if I shout at him he just ambles a teeny bit faster.
I've just checked out your RMC post, you are indeed a very proud mum. I wish your son the best of luck and congratulations on gaining his commission, well done!
LOL, with that last quote. Nice summer pics. :)
lovely pictures,
it is such an amazing relaxations to walk in your post.
love love your pictures as always.
and the quotes were all just perfect.
Those finch just mesmerize me, I love watching them skit about. The colour, their song.
And I agree with Frank about the beverage photo... but it's a little late.
There's a new Rick Springfield song where he questions why someone turned from a caterpillar to a butterfly. A great post!
My new blog address is:
http://michaelmanningtv.blogspot.com/
Hope all is well on your end! :)
this is a fabulous tour of nature, beginning with that butterfly and the wisdom that we forget the pain the creature had to endure to become so beautiful and magical. also purely adored the light illuminated by the green elm leaves. this all spoke to my insides, the best way to get me thinking.
I was going to start by saying once again that I love Maya Angelou...but...that last quote takes the cake...ROFL...I'm cracking up...toooo funny, Hilary! You are an amazing wit! And the photos are incredible! I absolutely LOVE the photo of the goldfinch!! He's a plucky little fellow! Your posts are ALWAYS a tremendous treat!! And simply buoy my spirits! Love, Janine XO
Great photos and quotes, as always! Especially like the finch and the Henny Youngmen quote
Love, love those ferns! So cool, deep and refreshing (and yes, exactly like a basket, holding that precious Other). The Muir quote is perfect--as are all the others. Thank you.
That goldfinch is really something.
Thanks for a gorgeous post Hilary!
Happy weekend,
jj
all this!
a beer!
Henny Youngman!
You rule!
Aloha from Waikiki, Friend
Comfort Spiral
cloudia
Another set of beautiful photos.
I love the way the ferns were growing in a ring and the little plant in the middle taking advantage of the shelter.
Funny how we all love butterflies but without their pretty wings ..... I would probably be quite squeamish. Just another creepy bug!
Maggie X
Nuts in May
I still love your photos and I agree with Frank on the John Muir quote.
Love all of these, of course, but my favorite photo is the fern basket and my favorite quote is Henny. His kind of humor will never go out of style, will it.
btw, what is a Woody's Mexican lime? It looks like a margarita with raspberries in it and that sound wonderful!
Amazing shot of the butterfly - I have no idea how you manage it!!
Hi Hilary,
Great photos.
Love,
Herrad
Beautiful photos and the quotes were perfectly aligned with your images.
And as for the drink!? I will join you for sure.
Hugs
SueAnn
I had to copy the quotes for my bulletin board - Hal Borland lived not far from here. Wish I'd known John Muir - he's be one of those folks I'd want to spend a day with in a boat. Your photos continue to astonish and delight.
Enjoyed the variety of images from your world. I especially noticed the goldfinch as that is the state bird of Iowa. My bird feeders are covered with them now.
Enjoyed the image of two drinks, too! Looks refreshing -- even as I type this at 5:47 in the morning!
Take care.
LOve the filtered light coming through the canopy.
Those are wonderful. Your photos are always a treat.
Magnificent photos, as always! And the quotes are wonderful, too.
If I had taken that goldfinch photo, I would be right proud! I had the tracks pegged as raccoon immediately, but you did surprise me with the Henry Youngman quote. LOL!
Am I a cynic if I checked that to see if that plant amidst the ferns was poison ivy? (I have to be careful in my own yard.)
I always feel like I've been on a really good vacation after these posts--lovely scenery and good reading. Ahhhhh..... Thank you!
Once again, such dreamy and delicious photos!
Hilary: You certainly have captured some wonderful images this post. Thanks so much for sharing your artistic talent.
Great quotes. Rabindranath Tagore's quote touched my heart. This year we are celebrating his 150th birth anniversary.
I love the paw prints the best. So fun! :) Wonderful post!
First I have to say I l o v e your blog name.
Your photos are really awesome. I so enjoyed visting.
Beautiful shots. Each one of them very unique.
• Thanks, Frank. I kind of thought you'd like that one. I have no idea about the butterfly/moth. Why don't you look it up and get back to me? ;)
• Moannie, thank you and that's a lovely kilt you're wearing, lad. ;)
• Welcome, Snappy Di. I'm glad you got a kick out of the Youngman quote. I have fond memories of my Dad watching him and other comedians of his time, too. Thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll return again soon. :)
• Thanks very much, Brian. Your kind words always make me smile. :)
• Cheryl, they do look human-like. Their grasp is too... especially when they hold onto your finger. I'm talking about baby raccoons though. I'm glad you got a laugh out of the quote. :)
• TechnoBabe, I'm sure those raccoon prints were probably made at night and just weren't disturbed by anything else by the time we got there. They're a fun critter to watch, aren't they? Thanks for all your kind words. They're always so appreciated. :)
• Larry, thank you so much. I'm glad you like them. :)
• PHST, thank you. Your comment made mine! ;)
• Bonnie, thanks, It was so outstanding to me. I also took one photo from further back to get the full idea. Maybe I'll post that sometime. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• June, thanks kindly. It pleases me to know that. Much appreciated. :)
• Shammie, raccoons are very bold and unconcerned with our presence. They're pretty cheeky but I love them anyway - maybe even because of it. Thanks for your kind words about Jeffrey's commission. Very much appreciated. :)
• Thanks, Karen. I'm glad you liked it. :)
• Jingle, thank you for joining me. :)
• Deb, the finch is an incredibly lovely bird and fun to watch, if you can follow them. They can be pretty quick to move along when they know you see them.. unless they're eating. As for the beverage.. is it ever really too late? ;)
• Michael, good to see you. I'm glad to know you have a new blog. You seemed to just vanish after the Olympics. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Ed, thank you so much for your kind comments. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the post. Much appreciated. :)
• Janine, I'm glad that you and others are getting such a kick out of the Henny Youngman quote and that you enjoyed the photos as you did. Thanks for letting me know. :)
• MaggieGem, thanks so much. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
• DS, I love how you defined the surrounded plant as the Other. That makes me smile. :) Thanks so much for stopping by with your kind words. :)
• Joanna, thank you. Very much appreciated. :)
• Thank you and aloha, Cloudia! :)
• Maggie May, thanks very much. Yes, it's exactly like that small plant is being cared for by the larger ferns. And you're so right about butterflies and even dragonflies. They'd be creepy if they flew with smaller, less notable wings. I'm glad nature made them as appealing as they are. Thanks always for your visit. :)
• Thanks very much, Ellen. I'm glad that you do. :)
• Sandra, you're right. Henny and his one-liners will always evoke a smile in most of us. The Woody's is a bottled single-portion drink. It's lightly carbonated, tastes of lime (no surprise there) and contains 5.3% vodka. It's much like a beer, strength-wise and is my summer drink of choice - this year, anyway. They're readily available in our liquor stores but I see on the bottle that it's imported from England. I added the raspberries as I often do to my drinks. :)
• ED, thank you. I get lucky every now and again. :)
• Thank you, Herrad. Much appreciated. :)
• SueAnn, thank you. Come on over and I'll be happy to pour you a cold one. :)
• Thank you, Pauline. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and quotes. How cool that you live near to where Hal Borland lived. Thank for your always kind words. :)
• Russell, it would be so cool to see a large number of goldfinch at a time. They seem to be so fleeting around me. I won't tell anyone if you indulge in one of those drinks and I'd be happy to pour you another.. just not at 5:47 AM. Thanks for the visit. :)
• Paul, thank you. I'm glad you like it. :)
• Leah, thanks kindly. You never fail to evoke a smile. :)
• Baggie, thanks very much, my friend. :)
• KC, I'm glad you liked the photos and the Youngman quote. It kind of took me by surprise too when I found it. That's how I knew it was the one to use. ;) There's lots of poison ivy around so it wouldn't surprise me if some crept into that "basket" but it typically has three leaves and so I'm sure this one is safe. I'll be interested to see what it looks like by now - a couple of weeks later. I'll have to look for it when I go back to Frank's this week. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Betty, thank you. Such a sweet thing to say. Very much appreciated. :)
• LadyFi, thank you kindly. :)
• Fishing Guy, my pleasure. Thank for the visit and the kind words. :)
• Indrani, that's so interesting to know. That could be why I've happened upon a few other blogs who have also quoted him today. Suddenly his quotes are everywhere and I kept tripping over them as I searched for quotes for this post. I like your new profile image. :)
• LWK, thanks very much. Good to see you stop by. :)
• Welcome, Soccermom and thank you so much for the kind words. I hope you'll return again soon. :)
• Thank you, Rajesh. Very much appreciated. :)
Hi Hilary, beautiful photos as usual. I especially love the butterfly and the goldfinch. I love to watch them fly. They just seem to bob along.
And, yes, it is a butterfly. The visual difference is that butterflies antennae have a bulb-like tip on the ends, and moths antennae are feathery.
Another beautiful photo essay.
The raccoon print on the left looks eerily like a human hand print...complete with fingernails!
And before I noticed that the goldfinch was blurry, something else jumped out at me - the very end of the branch on which he is perched looks like the face of a troll!
I could look at your flower photos for hours at a time.
Lovely, amusing, and apt : )
I just loved this post, it tickled my funny bone, made me gasp at the beauty and I have decided there must be a Graumann's Chinese Theater just the other side of those magnificent hand prints...they do belong to Rock Racoon, right?
Sandi
butterflies are indeed trick things to catch. i do love the quote you chose with the raccoon tracks, and the tracks themselves!
Such lovely photos. And you're right about that butterfly! I've never been able to successfully photograph one.
And what exactly is in that delicious looking Woodies Mexican Lime drink? I think I need one.
Great butterfly. I am fortunate - there is a butterfly garden right near me and the local zoo routinely raises them in a greenhouse.
I'm unfocused today. Sometimes I don't see the unifying theme - but I'm hearing Box Of Rain.
Maybe that will work for you too, maybe it just says something about me.
Oh I want one of those Woody's Mexican Lime drinks .. or two ... looks so pretty must taste good .. oh and the other photos look tasteful too ...
I'm with Frank ... well not really tho he is handsome .. but I do agree that flutterby looks suspiciously like a moth ...
Always beautiful. Love Phil Donahue. Now I want a green cocktail.
All are beauties Hilary! Love your quotes too .... you always have the perfect match of quotes and pics :)
Delightful to come home and find these cool summer pauses. Thank you.
Great photos, great quotes. I especially like all things Henny Youngman, so I liked the last quote best (though the Phil Donahue was funny, too.) So, what goes into a Woody's Mexican Lime?
The raccoon prints look so much like little hands! WOW! Very cool picture. :)
I have been able to catch a butterfly on camera only once. And you are right, I felt honored. :)
Phew!Google Chrome wouldn't load comments so I tried IE and got through the door!
These photos are really amazing, Hilary. I feel like I'm taking that walk with you. Those drinks look delicious too.
Your photographs are very beautiful, I also enjoyed the snippets of wisdom accompanying them.
And Cheers, enjoy your drink.
your drink is gorgeous as are all your lovely photos~
I LOVED the quote by Henny Youngman, Hilary! And the drinks look pretty good as well.
• Thank you Linda, I appreciate your kind words and the information about how to detect the difference between butterflies and moths. They sure are beautiful to watch and there seems to be a lot more around than usual, this year.. all kinds. Thank so much for your visit. :)
• Ethelmae, thank you. Yes, that paw print looks rather human.. kind of endearing, isn't it? You must have a very creative mind because I'm still searching for that troll face and it eludes me. Thanks always for stopping by. :)
• Messymimi, thank you kindly. :)
• Thanks, Sarah. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
• Thank you, Sandi. Who'd a thunk that we have celebrity raccoons around here? Thanks so much for your sweet words. They're very much appreciated. :)
• Lime, thanks kindly. I'm pleased that you like them. I'm hoping to get a good shot at a few other beauties which flit past me daily.. but they never seem to stop. Thanks for the visit. :)
• TSannie, they're elusive, for certain but so worth it when they "pose" for a moment. The Woody's is a 330 ml (12 oz) bottled drink which I find in the liquor store. It's slightly carbonated and contains 5% vodka. Essentially a cooler.. and it's yummy! Thanks for stopping by with your kind words. :)
• Cricket, butterfly gardens can be lovely, particularly if there are numerous breeds visiting from the zoo's greenhouse. That would be a great place to hang out with a camera. There's a small butterfly garden (in its third year of growth now) which was built near Frank's place. I've seen a few Monarchs and only one or two other species around there. Maybe more will be attracted as it matures. Your song choices always say something about you. You have eclectic taste. :) Thanks always for the visit. :)
• Daryl, I think you'd love this drink. Maybe one day, if you ever visit we can share a few. Upstream in the comments, Linda defined the difference between butterflies and moths.. it's in the antennae, and that makes this critter a butterfly. Have another Woody's Mexican Lime and enjoy! :)
• MPM, same deal for you as for Daryl. I'd be happy to serve you green cocktails if you'd only come visit. Thanks for the kind words. :)
• Thanks kindly, Kerri. It seems to me that you tend to do likewise. :)
• Maggie, welcome back and thank you for the kind words. :)
• Suldog, thank you. What goes into my Woody's Mexican Lime is ice and raspberries. It's a bottled cooler made with vodka which is slightly carbonated. A refreshing "girlie drink," as Frank would call it. Thanks always for your kind words. :)
• Kat, raccoons paws really are a lot like human hands. That's part of what is so endearing about them. Butterflies are elusive but it sure is fun trying to catch one holding still. Thanks for stopping by. :)
• Sandy, I haven't tried downloading Google Chrome because Google keeps asking me to do it and I'm stubborn that way. Thanks so much for your always-kind words. I love having you along for a walk and I'm so glad you enjoy the photos. :)
• Friko, thank you kindly. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos and quotes. I certainly did enjoy that drink. :)
• Thank you kindly, Tammie Lee. Much appreciated. :)
• Thank, Kate. I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
One of my blog friends has named this year "The Year of a Butterfly".
And indeed, my butterfly-encounters have been so far very special.
Lovely images as always dear Hilary.
The last one is my absolute favorite.;) It is always time for a cocktail.;)
xoxo
Cheers, Zuzana. Drink up and I'll pour you another one. Thanks always for stopping by, my friend. It's good to see you back in circulation. :)
i love stopping by your blog and being drenched in color and words and i always seem to learn something, too.....
Thanks kindly, Beth. Very much appreciated. :)
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