“The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy.”
Psalms 65:8 NIV
Just a few hours before this photo was taken, the planet on which I am standing blocked the light from that which is rising and kept that light from shining on the full moon which just set below the horizon behind me. Run on sentence or not, you can’t tell me that creation and the Creator aren’t beyond astonishing and mind boggling! We watched the lunar eclipse which was completed about 6 hours ahead of this new day, a Friday morning, and the final weekend of August! Fortunately we had clear skies. Were you able to witness the eclipse at your location?
We’ve not had a clematis bloom in several months so this was a surprise. What made it even more interesting was that I had cut down the vines and removed the old trellis that our clematis was growing on with the idea that it never did well and needed to be relocated this winter…
…I laid the rusty trellis down to get it out of the way until winter. It seems the clematis decided to revive from the nub I left at ground level and climb back onto that trellis regardless of my plans or how the trellis was situated. I guess they’re old friends!
The dodder that we found blooming in the mountains a couple of weeks ago could fool you into thinking it was a nice plant adding beauty to the landscape. What we presently have growing near home leaves no doubt that this parasite is a problem and is up to no good. Thankfully this is not at our place!
I found a very large beauty berry bush near Little River at the lower end of the Canyon Preserve. It was one of the largest I have seen and showed some great examples of the unique way the berries cluster in groups along the stems! I made a photo of the entire bush but it really didn’t show off like I had hoped.
I made a 35 minute drive to the Little River National Preserve on Tuesday to purchase a lifetime America the Beautiful National Park entrance pass in person. I knew I could do it online and supposedly get it through the mail in 2 or 3 weeks. I didn’t trust that method to get it to me before we needed it. That said, Tuesday was the 110th birthday of the National Park Service and it was a free day at the Preserve and the employees had an off day. I had no idea. I was able to purchase absolutely nothing, however, not a wasted trip. A long story to tell you that my route home led me by a wonderful lotus bog that had a lot going on. My little inconvenience allowed me to find the beauty berry and then…
…discover such a wonder of nature and beauty that this aquatic plant provides. These pods were at various stages of bearing seeds and drying out.
The blooms at this location were a slightly different color than others I have found a few miles away. The others were pink. The American Lotus is not related to our Southern Magnolia trees, but to me the flower reminds me of our Magnolia blooms…so I nicknamed it water magnolia.
We loved seeing the old wheel barrow at The Swag recently and I told the story of our old one on a SSS post a couple weeks back. This is all that remains of the one that was gifted to us many years ago. We could’ve stored it away and preserved it, but we chose to use it and enjoy displaying it for as long as possible!
This is Andy. I have seen Andy numerous times over the course of probably 4 or 5 years. I see him on the walking trail and mostly on the boardwalk at the wildlife park where I’ve jogged and walked for years. Andy seems like a very private person and I respect that. We have passed each other many, many times but never talked nor had he ever spoken to me. I have never seen him wearing shoes, even in winter. He is always barefoot and in the past walked carrying what I would call a staff, like a shepherd. Thursday he was moving slower and pushing a walker. The trail is not all boardwalk and he is resting here at least a half mile from the nearest parking area. When I was about to pass him on my way back, I uncharacteristically decided to take a chance and make an attempt to speak once again, but this time I stopped and said “Hi, my name is Butch”. He held out his hand to me, we shook, and he said “I’m Andy”. I expressed I didn’t want to be a bother and would be on my way, but would do my best to remember his name when I saw him again. As I was leaving he called my name to be sure he had it correct. I think the door is open to maybe get the rest of the story, should I ever see Andy again!
This clematis has several common names but we usually call it autumn clematis. It is currently blooming wildly beside ditches, lakes and ponds. It is always in full bloom by late August so maybe we should call it pre-autumn clematis!
When two flowers come together, in this case two vines, the duo can bring some exciting and beautiful color and texture combinations. Joining the clematis is American Groundnut, a legume in the pea family, native to our area. Sometimes called potato bean, the edible tubers are “potato like” and it produces edible bean-like seeds. The plant was traditionally used by Indigenous peoples.
I found another member of the pea family, partridge pea, hanging out with autumn clematis. Oddly, I thought about the sad passing of Dolly Parton as I observed these plant duets. Pam and I always thought Dolly could blend with anybody and she did sing duets with so many people. I guess we felt like her duets with Kenny Rogers were some of the best. Like two singers who bring us wonderful heartfelt harmony, plant duets have a lot to offer too!
Another plant that clematis loves to climb on is not one that gets a lot of attention and is not particularly noticeable (it can be thin and wiry) is called Biennial Gaura or Beeblossom. I think the bloom looks a lot like our honeysuckle and wild azalea. It can bloom from June through October but peaks in August. It is an unusual plant, in that it takes two years growth to begin blooming, and the blooms mostly open in the evening, allowing night flyers to have an option for dinner! It is native here.
A non-native that can be very invasive has found a home by the lake near my walking trail. This is Giant reed, and with a lot of imagination, you can hear soft sounds of music, especially woodwinds, as you pass by. The plant has been used historically to make reeds for instruments like clarinets, oboes, saxophones, and bassoons. It has also been widely used in crafts, such as weaving baskets and mats. I am surprised that someone hasn’t undertaken the task of attempting to remove this invader!
Our night watchman fell asleep on the job, allowing an Armadillo to enter the yard and do what Armadillos love to do…dig holes everywhere, finding those grubs to munch on!
Can we at least start thinking cooler and maybe harvest, after all, the harvest moon is the next full moon. Harvest may not be in full swing just yet here in northeast Alabama, but these soybeans appear to be ready for September. This field is fertile river bottom land and was planted in corn last year. I always enjoy riding through farm country and seeing the progress of all the crops. It helps that PJ was riding with me and had her camera in hand!
A common evening primrose was showing a little bloom the other day in bright light, giving me a hint of what it may look like when dusk arrives, as the flowers typically unfold when late evening arrives. This habit makes the native evening primrose a nocturnal haven for pollinators like moths and other night-flying insects. Flowers pop open in the evening, hence the name!
I spotted these unusual shapes and colors just after sunset as I made my way through the front yard one afternoon last week. There’s never a dull moment in the sky. I remind myself to keep looking up!
September is coming…are you ready?
Have an enjoyable week!
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 ESV
Linking with:
Pieced Pastimes, Between Naps on the Porch,Katherines Corner, Follow The Yellow Brick Home,
Life and Linda
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