Yesterday, both of these beautiful butterflies dined on our Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in the dooryard. The top one is a Black Swallowtail - Papilio polyxenes. I’m pretty sure she is in fact a female so let’s call her Poly. The one on the lower right is a Monarch - Danaus plexippus. Because I can only see the underside of the wings, I can’t guess at gender. So let’s call it Dani. If you look closely, Dani wasn’t dining alone. Unfortunately Dani’s companion rushed off before I could catch his or her name.Note to self: Grow more Milkweed!
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12 comments:
Wow! Beautiful! I'm afraid I must be blind as I don't see the companion. However, Poly and Dani are wonderful.
I love butterflies. My friend Caroline has a quote on her blog that says 'A butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough'
I love that.
Hi Ronnie -
Wonderful quote!
To see Dani's "companion", first click on the image. With the layout filling your screen, focus on the lower right photo. To the left of the dazzling Monarch, nestled into the Milkweed flowers, is a beige -brown butterfly with its wings closed. Its color is almost indistinguishable from the flower itself!
;o)
- Lee
Yay! I see it! Thanks :)
I too grow things in the garden because I know particular beasties like them, even if I don't particularly! But do tell, what is a "door yard"?
Just wondering if Papamoka could get a link back from ya. I've had your site on our must reads for a couple months? Let me know what you think?
What gorgeous photos - so lucky to have caught them!! Having fun catching up on all your news while Jake snoozes late this morning.
Hi Ronnie -
Glad the directions worked!
;o)
- Lee
Hi DMM -
I guess dooryard is a rather old fashioned term. It's simply the area of yard outside the doorway to a home.
Around here we refer to the outdoor green-space as yards. Whereas I believe those who cleave more closely to the King's English refer to their outdoor spaces as gardens.
For most of us a garden is where something is deliberately planted - i.e. a vegetable garden. But working in the yard, doing everything from mowing a lawn to trimming bushes to planting annuals or perennials or vegetables to weeding, etc can be called gardening or yard work.
Getting back to your dooryard question. Our home is arranged in a classic New England farmhouse style. By that I mean there is a front yard with a front door to the home which is rarely used by visitors. The back of the house is a smaller building, which was where the first homeowners built and lived until they became prosperous enough to add on. That addition became the front and main part of our house.
Attached to the oldest part of the home is a shed which communicates with the barn. The barn forms an ell to the back of the house. Within that outdoor ell-space (if you will) is what we refer to as our dooryard. That's where our driveway ends at the barn door. It's also where the walk to our back door (which is really our main entrance) leads into our kitchen.
Thanks for asking!
;o)
- Lee
Hi Papamoka -
Thanks for the link in your blog list!
And thanks for letting me know you had linked to me.
As I mentioned over on your blog, I have been relying on Technorati to let me know when Pink Granite is linked to in a post or on a blog list in a sidebar. Clearly that doesn't always work!
The other way I learn Pink Granite has been linked to, is by checking the referrals in SiteMeter. Last night was the first time I had seen "traffic" coming in from your blog.
Sigh. Technology is great when it works!
Thanks again!
;o)
- Lee
Hi Sue -
I have loved following along on your world travels over the past few weeks! What a wonderful trip for you and Jake - so many great memories!
The photo of the two of you in front of the Borders Bookstore in Glasgow(?), with "Maw Broon" looking over your shoulder, sent me on quite an interesting Google search. I now have "her" cookbook in my Amazon wish list!
Glad you liked the photos. I felt lucky to snap them!
;o)
- Lee
I can't believe you know 'The Broons'. My mother is a die hard fan (she has the cook book - I bought it for her for Christmas!) of both them and 'Oor Wullie'. It was her one request when we travelled, that I bring her back the Sunday Post so that she could read the cartoons! Glad you found them on Amazon :)
Ok so I was going to start with - fab photos, and that would have een it, until I read the conversation you and Sue had about the Broons!
I was brought up on the "Broons", "Our Willie" and bizarrely "TinTin". My mum still gets the Sunday Post, and I always used to get an "Our Willie" annual.. memories ;o).... which brings me to the point - what is BlackBun???
Hi Sue & Roo -
I learned about Maw Broon (and her cookbook) because of the photo of Sue & Jake in Glasgow! After my research I was instantly smitten. It probably helped that my paternal grandfather's family was from greater Glasgow.
As for a Black Bun, it is "a very rich fruit cake, made with raisins, currants, finely-chopped peel, chopped almonds and brown sugar with the addition of cinnamon and ginger. It takes its name from the very dark colour."
Yes indeed, I did my homework! Actually, a Black Bun would be right up Chuck's alley as he enjoys fruitcake. I'd have to leave out the almonds due to my nut allergies,tho.
;o)
- Lee
Lee - hurrah! Sounds delicious, hmmm may go on the hunt I think.
Hey Roo -
With all this talk about "Maw Broon", her new cookbook moved off my Amazon wish list and into the shopping cart!
I look forward to its arrival...
;o)
- Lee
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