Backyard Oasis - Meditation after a day of Education

Seems as though the heavy rains around the Ohio River valley haven't stopped the pollinators from keeping busy. Whether it's the purple coneflowers or the numerous other clusters of flowering plants we've added to our hillside, the bees have been prolific this year.




Closer to the deck, we've noticed from six to ten of these winged beauties each day since the Royal Knight butterfly bush started blooming in May. I was told this is a variety of the hummingbird moth, though it doesn't have the hummingbird colorization.





Our back yard is an oasis for wildlife. This fawn thought it would be a good idea to check out the new landscaping I completed over the summer. His mom wasn't pleased with his wandering eyes and hurried him back to the quiet of the woods.





Schools opened two week ago. After a long day at of classes, there's nothing better than coming home to relax with nature. Gardening well is hard work, but it's easier than the farming I grew up with. Sure, it's not 635 acres, but it's my little bit of heaven.






This weekend I spied a mature Broad-Winged Hawk atop a Mammoth Russian Sunflower. I finally realized he was investigating the 6' Black Racer that was entangled in some erosion netting. I got the snake out, but the hawk missed his dinner. I would have gotten a picture, but my hands were full with the racer. What a pungent smell he emitted. Defense mechanism?







Maybe the hawk was checking out the landscaping I finished before the trip the Salt Lake City. I should have locked the Jacuzzi spa while we were out of town. It seems some teenagers had a "party" in it while we were gone :( How upset would you be if you found vomit in your spa? Spinal Tap thoughts of "11" on a scale of 1 to 10 come to mind. I guarantee the spa has been sanitized beyond factory standards since our return.



Holly couldn't wait to check out the new bird bath, though she thinks it's her private watering hole.







It's a shame that the red hot pokers were gone by the time of this posting, but I had to let you see how well they grow in the humidity of Kentucky.