greenway - greener this time

As soon as we got home from church, we dashed out to the White House greenway again.

Ryan opted for the skateboard this time.

spring flowers

I wanted a picture with the cows. Ryan wanted a self-portrait. I was concerned that the autofocus wouldn't catch us. Looks like I was right! One of my favorite mess-ups of the day.


Ryan's skateboarding gave way to his running most of the way back to the car. He was even nice enough to run up the hill to get the car and drove back to pick me up at the high school. I didn't wanna do the big hill . . .

the nature of my job

These four pictures I've taken over the last two years (three of them this summer) now dominate my office wall. The hummingbird you probably recognize from Monday, the echinacea is from Jaclyn's and my visit to the Belle Meade plantation two summers ago, the bumblebee is from Baughmans' back yard in July, and the swallows are from Radnor Lake in May. The bottom right picture doesn't have a frame yet because when I got them here yesterday the glass was broken. So when I take it back and get the replacement, my latest art project will be done!

wild things

the trumpet vine on my front porch - a favorite of the borer bees that are slowly destroying the porch!

my perennials are back with a vengeance - makes me want to plant more!

yep, they're wild too!

pond life

choir member

watchguard/attack bird*
hear me roar

mrs.

camouflage

prickly finch treat

sunbathers

tightrope walker

missing his top hat

*The Red-winged Blackbird is a highly polygynous species, with one male having up to 15 different females making nests in his territory. In some populations 90% of territorial males have more than one female. But, from one quarter to up to half of the young in "his" nests do not belong to the territorial male. Instead they have been sired by neighboring males.

The male Red-winged Blackbird fiercely defends his territory during the breeding season. He may spend more than a quarter of all the daylight hours in territory defense. He vigorously keeps all other males out of the territory and defends the nests from predators. He will attack much larger animals, including horses and people. (from Cornell Lab of Ornithology)

break in the clouds