“You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.”
Psalm 65:9-10 ESV
I’m glad you found the energy to climb a couple of hundred feet to join me. I was surprised to see that the grounds were reasonably green. It had been 11 or 12 days since our last rain. We did get a good soaking on Friday however; but no wind damage. Straight line winds and flooding have been a problem this past week for many here in Alabama!
You may recall the post from earlier this season (March) that had the Princess tree with the abundance of purple/pink blooms…I located another tree last week and you can see what follows those flowers! After seeing this tree loaded down with fruit, it is easy to understand why the tree was so outstanding with colorful blooms a few months back.
I reported a sad hummingbird saga last week, but was determined not to be defeated. Back in my hideout; after heat exhaustion, mosquito attacks, and the removal of several ticks, I outlasted everything and the hummers dropped by to visit the zinnias.
We rarely see males in mid-summer and todays pics are all females. The males typically pass through early and then again in late summer or early fall, while the girls seem to hang around all summer. I was surprised when a male with the obvious ruby throat stopped by. I was disappointed that I was unable to get a clear pic of the male, but nevertheless glad to see one in July!
I hope you are not bored, viewing more than one hummingbird…but I could not leave this one out! I took a lot more but will not try your patience!
EM and EK are greeting us today in this week’s throwback, July, 2021. They have grown so much in 2 years! (And little baby brother isn’t so little)
The rogue pumpkin growing in the woods near last year’s pumpkin graveyard kept us in suspense for a while. I believe the mystery of what color it will be has been solved. I call it the “Panasonic” pumpkin, it’s just slightly ahead of its time!
I string lights in the garden trees and along fences for Christmas, but this year I decided to keep them on throughout the summer and fall, replacing them as needed. PJ likes them and they are showy at night. The lights are also a nice addition when it is very overcast.
Polk Salad Annie would find her world upside down if she came across this pokeweed. I pulled this up from behind the barn and I could not believe the root system. Pokeweed grows fast and I can see why…pulling in a lot of nutrition!
I mentioned to Pam that summer in the south and tomato sandwiches went together like a hand and glove… and I so much wanted a tomato sandwich. My sister and our son gave us tomatoes from their gardens, so Pam surprised me by leaving tomato sandwiches prepared for my lunch. Since Pam is constantly doing fancy tablescapes, I decided I would surprise her with a little tablescape of my own out on the cottage porch. I made photos to show her. I was so proud of my creativity, until it was pointed out that the napkin is normally placed on the left and the beverage on the right. At least this discovery was after I had eaten 2 delicious sandwiches and had plenty of iced tea!
Mocking birds had fussed at me for days when I would be in a certain part of the garden and I determined they must be raising a second or third brood. I investigated one of the vanilla-strawberry hydrangeas and found a nest. Something else caught my eye due to a shade of green that didn’t look like the other leaves. I decided to leave it until next Easter, one less egg to hide.
Another great benefit of patiently waiting on hummingbirds, a black swallowtail paid me a visit.
The 90 foot waterfalls at nearby Noccalula can be roaring, but July has it down to more or less a trickle in comparison to what I have seen. It is still a beautiful park to visit if you happen to be in northeast Alabama!
I named this one “choices”. Sometimes the choice is hard when we aren’t sure what might be at the end of either path. And at other times, based on truth and facts, I know where paths will lead, but still take the wrong trail! I admit that I had knowledge that the boardwalk was in disrepair to the left, so I chose to go right. And what did I find?
Water hyacinth still in bloom…
…a buttonbush providing nectar for a happy bee…
…and scenery such as this! Kinda looks like a place you might spot an alligator, but none have been reported here. Maybe one day? I’ll be on the lookout. Several alligators have been sighted recently in the Tennessee Valley further north than where we live, and one does occasionally turn up in our vicinity. Truthfully, alligators are not new to north Alabama, with documented sightings by park rangers in a wildlife refuge in 1964. There are records of gators in the area as far back as the late 1800’s!
I hope I can always remember to look up. We had spotted a bald eagle soaring above the driveway just minutes ahead of more clouds rolling in. I did find it in the camera lens before it sailed off to the northwest but I could not get it in focus!
Wishing you a pleasant day and a peaceful week!
”Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever”.
Hebrews 13:8
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch, Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Imparting Grace,Life and Linda
I really enjoyed your beautiful pictures.
Thanks Donna. Wishing you a lovely week.
Pam
Thank you so much for this lovely Sunday Morning Stroll. The hummingbirds and the butterfly were incredible. You can share those every day of the week!
Be careful of ticks… my brother became very ill last year due to one. He’s much better now.
Thank you once again for the beautiful pictures! Happy Sunday, Folks!
I am so glad you joined us for the stroll. Our brother-in-law has recently been impacted by a tick. Wishing you a lovely week.
Pam
Prayers for your brother in law. 🙏
I enjoyed seeing the bird’s eye view of your magical home and gardens. Great photos to enjoy and, Butch, we enjoy our tomato sandwiches here as well. Happy Sunday………
Thank you, Emily. Wishing you a lovely week!
Pam
You are so patient Butch. I would have escaped inside to get away from the biting insects. But you captured such beauty for us. God is amazing in detail. Tomato sandwiches are a favorite. Bacon and lettuce added gets me every time. Our garden is giving us tomatoes daily but lo and behold my heirloom plant only gave blooms, no tomatoes. What’s up with that? The grands have grown like the weeds in my garden and are so cute. May God bless you and keep you🙏
God is amazing in the detail! So happy you are getting tomatoes from your garden. Heirlooms, according toe Southern Living’s Grumpy Garden, are hard to grow. Wishing you a lovely week!
Pam
Good morning! I love seeing the world through Butch’s eyes!! Even though we are broiling, having the hummingbirds here is worth. They are my morning coffee entertainment. Pam, Highlands was 69 degrees yesterday, flowers blooming everywhere, and one giant traffic jam! We did have a lovely lunch and picked up the Earl Grey Cream tea!!
Thank you, Roxanne. Highlands must have been wonderful except for the traffic. Yum, the Earl Grey Cream tea!
Pam
Your hummingbird photos are amazing, and I understand the patience involved! Tomato sandwiches are the bomb in summer, no matter what side the napkin is on.
Thank you, Carole. Oh those tomato sandwiches…delicious!
Pam
Home grown tomato sandwiches are the best! Yum! The hummers are so delicate and colorful. Beautiful pics! Enjoy your Sunday. Clara ❤️
Thank you, Clara ♥️
Pam
I love the drone shot of your beautiful gardens! The hummingbird and butterfly captures are amazing, thank you Butch! I can’t believe the Noccalula Falls are down to a trickle, yikes~ it’s been very rainy in South Alabama, but luckily we seem to escape most of it. Enjoy those summer tomato sandwiches!! I hope you both have a wonderful week ahead~
Jenna
Thank you, Jenna. The summer tomato sandwiches are so delicious. Have a lovely week!
Pam
Oh my gosh the hummingbird pictures are amazing. Ha ha about the one male hanging around. He is one smart bird to hang with the girls. How funny to find the one lonely egg yep it will be fun to see if someone finds it this Easter. Have a great week ahead. That tomato sandwich looks so yummy. Hugs. Kris
Thank you, Kris. Wishing you a wonderful week.
Pam
The aerial shot of the gardens is a study in symmetry and astute planning. Being a native of NJ,
Summer tomatoes were in the DNA and talk about sandwich magic !! The girls beaming in the
Sunflower/Zinnia garden provide their own special magic. What is it that EK is not quite certain
about? The hummingbird photos are outstanding…great photography. Dismissing any thought
of alligator infiltration, that body of water reflecting the surrounding greenery is a vision of serenity
and a place to pause and contemplate….Butch, you have provided a perfect spot for Sabbath meditation.
Thank you, Mary. We love watching the hummingbirds. We don’t use feeders, but had rather see them feast on the nectar from the flowers!
Pam
Thanks Pam and Butch for the beautiful Sunday pictures. I love your aerial shot….what a beautiful garden. And if you are longing for alligators…we just happen to have a few extra we would gladly send you as we do have an abundance. LOL. I am also loving our Monk Parrots that have been gradually showing back up after the hurricane,…they are larger than a parakeet but smaller than most parrots but are a lovely shade of green with a blue tail feather and white throat. So so cute….they love to nest in our palm trees. Have a great and Blessed day.
Kari, please keep the alligators! The monk parrots sound amazing. Wishing you a lovely week!
Pam
Happy Sunday, Butch and Pam! The photos of the Hummingbirds are beautiful. They are so fun to watch! I love a good tomato sandwich, and I have been enjoying them quite frequently for lunch lately. The photo of the girls is precious! They are growing up so fast. Wishing you both a blessed week ahead.
Thank you, Shannon. Wishing you a lovely week.
Pam
Priceless – the cute granddaughters in your garden of sunshine, tomato sandwich, feathered friends, view from the sky!!!!!
Thank you, Mary.
Wishing you a lovely week.
Pam
How could anyone get bored at seeing more than one hummingbird photo…they are spectacular captures. Happy Sunday,
Thank you, Karen. Wishing you a wonderful week!
Pam
Fantastic hummingbird shots and updated aerial view – I love it! It’s simply stunning, all the work you’ve done and continue doing. That little tablescape is perfect….just slide the chair on the other side and it’s all “by the book”. 😉
Thanks so much, Rita. As you know, it is a lot of work.
Happy week,
Pam
Butch and Pam,…the property picture was well worth the climb! EM and EK are my favorite, of course! But the pictures of the hummingbird are the most amazing photos I’ve ever seen of these beautiful birds. They belong in a magazine!! Stunning! And the butterfly! This afternoon I had an egg, cheese, and tomato sandwich—my favorite in the summer! I’ve missed you all—I’m still behind in email and reading. But I praise God for you, the beauty you share, and that I’m here to read it and see it today! Many blessings and prayers to all of you! Thank you for making life more beautiful! Much love and prayers! Karla 💛🙏💐
You are a sweetheart, Karla. Butch took the hummingbird photos and I love them. Prayers always for you dear one.
Love and prayers,
Pam
Thank you so much, Pam. Those are the best pictures! I feel the prayers so much and appreciate them! I love you and keep you all in my prayers! ❤️
Butch, I love the tomato sandwich picture, especially the incorrect placement of the napkin and drink! And the photo of the girls captures their essence so well; beautiful.
Thank you, dear friend!
Pam
The hummingbirds and butterflies are exquiste and loving that pumpkin. Oh, those girls are so darling!
Thanks so much, Jeanie. Have a wonderful week!
Pam
LOVE the hummingbird photos as well as the butterfly, the flowers, and of course, the grand girls! / We MUST get to the farmers market for garden tomatoes and make some sandwiches of our own. Yours looks delicious, Butch. Fortunately, napkin placement does not impact flavor!
Thank you, Nancy. We love seeing the hummingbirds and eating tomato sandwiches!
Pam
Beautiful pictures Butch! I love the aerial shot and the shot of the sky. And those humming birds – your patience really paid off – they are fabulous. And so is the monarch butterfly. Those grands are definitely growing! Love the rogue pumpkin. Wishing you both a lovely week.
Thanks so much, Kim. We enjoy the hummingbirds. Wishing you a lovely week!
Pam
Omg, such amazing and beautiful photos. The butterfly is just like made in heaven. Have a beautiful weekend 🙂
Thanks so much!
Oh, those photos of the hummingbirds and zinnias! Just stunning! It is always such a joy to visit with you here. God bless you and your sweet family.
Thank you and blessings.
Pam