Pale Swallowtail Butterfly

This first photograph was taken August 2008. Notice just a little blue showing. The rest of these photographs were taken this afternoon in my zinnia flowerbed,
which the butterflies all absolutely love.
Notice the blue on this one.
I apologize for all the photographs, and they are not all clear.

I was trying to capture every angle that I could.

Because I don't think I have ever seen one with this much blue on it,
and it looked much more bright yellow instead of pale while I was photographing it.

After looking at all these photographs I think it is a Tiger just like the one from 2 years ago.

Maybe it is in it's first days and the blue fades.

Just a thought, but I don't really know.

Hoping Hap will stop by and clarify for me.

Think this is why I don't photograph as much as I used to. When I get to the computer I grab all my reference books and spend way too many hours pouring over them trying to see the subtle differences in the butterflies and birds.

And then there is Etsy....on the Etsy site there is something called Treasury List. People that list on Etsy make these list of items they like, I made one here of things that flutter. Just click here and see the listing. I actually don't see what it benefits me to pick and build a Treasury List because if you follow the rules (which I did) you can't include one of your own listings. But you all know how well I like things that flutter and I do think I picked some very pretty items. The beaded butterfly pillow is gorgeous.

Dark Swallowtail Butterflies

I have had a lot of butterflies in what I call my butterfly garden. It is actually a very small part of my flower beds. All zinnias. The butterflies love them. This year I didn't plant any zinnia seeds, but the seeds from last year have given me as many flowers as I have had in previous years. Last week I photographed butterflies on several different days. Notice the top photograph the dark swallowtail only has one row of orange spots. This tells me this is a dark Tiger Swallowtail. The Tiger can be up to 5 1/2 inches. These two photographs of the wings open are what really tells me it is a dark Tiger Swallowtail. Notice the blue highlights around the white dots, these are not present on the Spicebush Swallowtail.

Next we have a Spicebush Swallowtail, it has 2 rows of the orange spots.
The Spicebush is only up to 4 1/2 inches.

Notice the white dots on the upper wings, no second row of blue highlights.

The last photograph is a better photograph of the Spicebush.

Until I loaded the photos in the computer I did not even know I had two different types of swallowtails. The dark Tiger was photographed on 7/19. The Spicebush were photographed on 7/23 and 7/24. There were 2 Spicebush here at the same time.

Then there is the Pipevine Swallowtail, which only gets to 3 3/8 inches. When seen in the field it appears different right off, at least to me. I don't think I have ever seen a Pipevine in my own yard. The first time I photographed one was at Cataloochee Cove in the Smoky Mtns National Park. Still hope to see one this summer.

And I did see a Red Spotted Purple this summer at Rockwood, but could not get my camera quick enough for a photo. They are more rare in this area, and I have very few photographs of a Red Spotted Purple.

Babies in the trees

Not sure what the baby birds are. We have a row of 14 Leyland Cypress that we planted in October of 2004 when we purchased the property.

This year they have been full of nest. A few weeks ago Jimmy took Mason to see the baby birds. So a week ago when they were at the house Mason wanted to go see the baby birds. Papa (Jimmy) had to explain the baby birds were already gone.

But then Saturday afternoon we found yet another nest with more babies. They will probably be gone before Mason comes back this coming weekend.

Old Fashioned Daylily

One of my very first daylilies. I do not know the name of this one, had it before I started buying daylilies. I have shared this one with so many people that it is all over East Tennessee now. Thought I had given them all away, but was glad to find 2 small clumps this year.

As an added note to previous post. I was with Audrey and Mason yesterday, I had printed the picture of Mason and he saw it. He told me that Mason was 'using the bathroom'. I told him, no not quite. He is such a joy to be with.

Today I am going to spend some time with Noah and daughter Wendy.

Mason just not sure about this

Mason has been scared to sit on the potty training seat. We now know why. He asked his daddy if he could fit in there. John has this picture posted on FB, and I grabbed it because I get tickled everytime I see it.

I get to see Mason and Audrey today and then Noah on Friday. Such joy to have them all within 45 minutes of me.

Eastern Bluebird in my yard

Even though I don't get much computer time, I do still take the camera outside.

And I do still have birds in the yard, although these photographs were taken a couple of months ago (May, 2010). They are also greatly cropped.

Eastern Bluebirds are the first birds I ever really noticed.
They were my earliest bird watching.

Someday I will actually retire and watch the birds more often, probably while I sit on the back porch and knit.

Jimmy must be planning on me doing that some in Rockwood, he just finished a deck there. Think that is a hint for me to retire and be there with him full time?

My grandbabies

It has been a while since I have shown any photographs of my grandbabies. They are what I photograph the most anymore, so I am not sure why not. These are the most recent ones, all taken in the last 7 days.

This is Noah, he is now 14 months old. I took this one through a longer section of the toy block he has in his hand. He thought his Granny was crazy.

Next is Mason, with his mother, my daugther-in-law, Lindsey. He loves to climb on top of his play car. He is sitting on top of it and Lindsey just stopped long enough for me to snap this. Think it turned out nicely. Mason is now 2 1/2 years.

Next is Audrey, she is 5 1/2 months now. We were checking out a hat I knit her a couple of weeks after she was born. It won't fit her much longer, but it still fits ok right now.

I had to include a second one of Audrey to show this cute little 'sun top' I knit her this week. We were trying it on yesterday just to see if my design work turned out ok.

I spent some time with Mason and Audrey on Thursday. Now I am headed to spend some time with Noah. Got to get those weekly visits.

Seven and half years ago Jimmy and I both went to evening shift work. If you have followed my blog for very long you know that 2 1/2 years ago Jimmy's company shut their plant in Knoxville and he was moved to Spring City to work. I have continued to work evening shift even after Jimmy moved to his new location. Last week my work announced that the evening shift work is going to Charlotte, NC. I will be going on days and won't be able to have these weekday daytime visits with my grandbabies when that happens. Still not sure what I will be doing, but I will still be located in the same building I am in now. And it will be a definite change for me. Jimmy is still out of town, and expects to be there until retirement, at least 3 more years. I hope to retire before that time and go with him during the weeks. Weekend marriages are not the greatest, but we sure do enjoy the time we get to spend together.

Hope everybody has a wonderful weekend.

Knitting Project Updates

I had listed this purse earlier on Etsy, but removed it because I wanted to add more flowers. I have worked on it all day today and just listed it again on Etsy. I also have a Common Yellowthroat Warbler on a green purse. Then one of a bird (not quite a Chickadee in my opinion) and some flowers on a turquoise purse.

You can click on the Etsy site to the left to view all my Etsy listings.

I am off to babysit with Mason and Audrey, because it is John's 10th high school reunion tonight. I am then going to spend the night with my husband, he has been working all day today. Just glad we will get to see each other this weekend. Hope everybody is getting to spend time with their loved ones.....know Dorothy is glad to have Joe home.

The gift that keeps on giving

For a person that loves flowers (as I do) the best gift they can receive is flowers that are planted and continue to return every year.

The flower above was given to me by Mrs Harris. She was in her eighties when she gave it to me and she only lived one more year. This is non-hardy surprise lily. It is planted in a pot and I put it in the attic over the winter, with no water. In early spring bring it back outside and start watering it. The greenery never showed this year so when it bloomed I was really surprised. Thought I had killed both pots Mrs Harris gave me. Her daughter lives next door and I am sure I could have gotten a new start, but would have hated to have to tell Gwen I had killed it.

This is absolutely the most gorgeous gladiolus bloom I have ever seen. I am fortunate to have 6 or 7 of these this year due to a very good blogging buddy, Mildred. Last year we exchanged a couple of gifts and this is one of the ones Mildred sent to me. I have glads in my yard, but the ones I already had are not this pretty.

I love remembering my friends when I walk through my flower gardens and see blooms that remind me of them. Definitely the gifts that keep giving.

I went to Asheville today to the Gallery of the Mountains located inside the Grove Park Inn, Asheville, North Carolina. I am so very excited that they are now carrying my greeting cards. If you are ever there please ask to see my cards (anything helps--HA!) If you have never been there, it is a real treat just to visit this historical inn.