Something for everyone

 

Sedum plants are all over our property, in the front yard landscaping, in the back yard where there used to be a vegetable garden, and at the back of the property alongside the shed.  In the case of the latter, there are full-grown sedum on the mostly shady north side, and some little ones that began life as volunteers in the front yard landscaping and survived my amateur transplanting.

To one extent or another, they're all in the flowering mode that arrives in September.  The pink flowers attract pollinators from honeybees to bumblebees, from brown skippers and other small butterflies (all of which are visible at the top of the picture) to infrequent visits from a monarch.

Already the front yard plant, which gets abundant morning sunshine and attracts the most insects, has begun to lose color in the pink flowers.  All you can do is appreciate things while they're present.

Out in the back yard

"The image displays Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti), also known by common names like Indian Mallow, Butterprint, or Buttonweed."  But also:  "Since being introduced to North America in the 18th century, velvetleaf has become an invasive species in agricultural regions of the eastern and midwestern United States."

Also on the unlandscaped part of our yard, there were a pair of cabbage whites and a brown skipper on pink sedum.

Life in our back yard, plus something unrelated

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And now for something completely different:

Exactly like the Woody Allen joke:  the food is lousy, and such small portions.  

Spotted while strolling

Sachem (skipper) butterfly on red clover, 13 October 2024

 

Life in our back yard

Skippers on blooming sedum.  The pinker, the more butterflies.  When fully pink, there should be honeybees joining them.

On one of the sedum plants, a skipper touched a spider web and instantly the proprietor rushed toward it, but the butterfly wasn't stuck on the web and took off to safety.  

 

Summertime life in our back yard

Variegated fritillary (euptoieta claudia) on Indian Blanket

 

Our Day

A slow start on a cloudy but dry Thursday.  We ate breakfast and finished Spelling Bee, and I completed the Immaculate Grid with a decent score.  Then she played other games and looked over the day's news while I went outside and saw a bumblebee on a marigold blossom.  

Back inside, I sat in the rocker-recliner until a nap sneaked up on me.  After reawakening, I got dressed and we drove to the shopping district to look for drapes for the living room.  Nothing PG wanted at Lowe's, but At Home had a dark gold model with a brownish-red pattern that she liked.  

From At Home, to Crazy Cones for soft-serve.  From there to a car wash where washes are half-price ($5) on Tuesday mornings and Thursday afternoons.  

We got home and I put up the drapes after taking down the prior drapes and their hardware.  Also caulked the screw holes.  Tomorrow, sand the caulked areas and paint over them to match the beige wall. 

No walking around the block this evening.  I had a Good Cat on my lap.  

Another half-speed run-through of Rikki, reaching measure 30.  Starting to feel like this is doable.

Looking out my back door

Late last year, a volunteer plant appeared in our yard.  Since it was in an area that we’re not mowing this year, we let it grow, and it turned out to be a butterfly bush.  It’s now about a foot and a half tall, and purple blossoms are beginning to appear.  I looked out the back window this afternoon, and for the first time, saw a butterfly on one of the flowers.  The first of many, I hope.

Uncommon

Black Swallowtail butterfly on Dame's Rocket, 19 May 2024