Garden Friends

I forgot to water the garden this morning... just forgot. The last few days I've been busy pruning the trees and bushes around the yard.
When we got back from the farmer's market this morning a trip to the dump was in order. At the conclusion of all the morning's activities, I just collapsed in my chair... and looked out the window and saw some very thirsty plants.... I summoned the last of my energy and headed out the door. I was richly rewarded for making that effort. Steel blue dragonflies buzzed overhead, while hummingbirds dive bombed their feeder... needless to say, I couldn't focus the camera on them... but I did finally get this wonderful butterfly to pose nicely and a hummingbird moth. It made standing out in the bright sunlight worth while. For the last few weeks my energy has just been zapped. Fortunately it's not serious. Just a little B-12 deficiency.. more supplements to swallow every day... good thing too as I have a lot more pruning to do...

Flutterby

I spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen. Tomatoes from the market were ready for my weekly batch of pasta sauce. Gene is always happy if I can make enough to last all winter. There was also chicken I bought on special at Whole Foods Saturday morning that I almost forgot.. that definately had to be dinner... and a little corn on the cob along with a few tiny zucchini. Ever since I found Andrea Reusing's recipe for simple zucchini I've been slipping that on the table whenever possible. That's the tastiest and best use of zucchini to date. I had the pasta sauce done by the time Gene got home from work cooling on the counter, and was seriously close to having dinner ready as well when Gene with a long sad face asked where the potatoes were... my fast potato trick to the rescue. I take a red potato and slice it really thin, about twice as thick as a potato chip. Into the frying pan it goes with some good olive oil and I fry it lightly brown on both sides, and give it a good sprinkling of freshly ground black pepper. Doesn't take too long and he's content with his starch... and my old standby of fresh lime juice, sourwood honey, and red pepper flakes makes a fine cooking sauce for the chicken... leftovers for tomorrow...

After the kitchen was cleaned and the pasta sauce was put away in the freezer, I collapsed in my chair at the desk. I turned my head just in time to see this beautiful monarch butterfly land right on the screen. Toby was briefly interested but once I got my camera out, he left... figures doesn't it, the photo would have been much more interesting to have Toby reaching for the butterfly, but no...