Flora & Fauna

I would request that my body in death be buried not cremated, so that the energy content contained within it gets returned to the earth, so that flora and fauna can dine upon it, just as I have dined upon flora and fauna during my lifetime. ~ Neil deGrasse Tyson

No surprises here. This post is all about some of the plants and critters I've seen around town recently. I have one photo collection of just dogs but that's for another time. For now, enjoy some flora and fauna - not necessarily in any orda.


I used to think of robins as the first sign of spring but over the years, I believe the red-winged blackbird became its true harbinger. Still, there's no denying the robin is a lovely bird to see and to hear throughout the summer.






Here's that same handsome specimen, a little bit closer.






Over the past several weeks, through June and July, I've been doing some enumerating work which required a lot of walking around my neighbourhood. All those hours without a camera made me antsy for another walk, one evening. Throughout the previous week, I kept passing this overgrown thistle which shot up out of the sidewalk along the side of the road. On this evening, I decided to go back its location and take a few shots.






The sun was low and it gave life to its rich colours.






Pretty beautiful for a thorny old weed.






My neighbour's beautiful cat, Oliver having a short rest in the warming sunshine, between bouts of virgorous play.






This makes me think of that Canadian actor.. what's his name? Oh yeah, Lyin' Gosling(s).






It was a hot day. A perfect day for a frozen treat. And this little cutie somehow scored an ice cream cone of his very own. He sat there on the fence for a long time, enjoying every last bit of it. This was taken through the window, three floors and half a yard away.






A pretty iris growing in a neighbourhood yard.






I was walking home from the park one evening and this sweet, friendly kitty demanded that I stop and give her some attention. She started speaking to me as I approached, and head-butted my hand as I reached down to pet her. She staked her claim by lying on my foot lest I try to depart too soon. We had a good, long chat and snuggle, and then she returned to her driveway to await the next cat lover.






And here's my own sweet Zephyr with my son Alex, who visited me in July. Both of my boys were rather tired.

More photos coming up before you know it.