Out of the blue. . . . . . .Independence Day

Sleeping-in a bit later than usual - and why not if your body tells you it requires

 more rest - did mean I almost missed the Morning glories in all their glory!

They open early then in the heat of the late morning start to curl up again,

so you have to be quick with a camera! Two colors opening now - I think

I sowed mixed seeds so there will be surprises.

As nice as it is to be at home to celebrate Independence Day, we are usually

somewhere else. Most often in early July we head north to New England, first

 to visit Bob's home in New Hampshire to celebrate his birthday on July 5th,

then we do a lot of driving around Vermont, Maine, and usually a stop in

 Massachusetts where we also lived before moving south.  Although we 

no longer have family there we do have wonderful friends. We'll miss

seeing them this year now that travel is out of the question

All of New England is beautiful - and if you've ever been there I know

you will agree.

The Lady of the Sea - New Hampshire Marine Memorial

Designed by Alice E. Cosgrove : 1909-1971

A memorial dedicated to all New Hampshire service persons
lost at sea due to warfare.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire 

We have put out our flag and will light these stars on the front porch

  as dusk settles in.

**********

God Bless America.......today and every day.

Have a wonderful holiday.  Celebrate in style!

**********

Hummingbird days. . . . . and the house project!

I cleaned out and refilled the feeder hanging on the front porch yesterday.
 It will be the last time for this year as these amazing tiny birds will be heading
 further south soon. . . . . also work has started on the exterior of the cottage
 so the feeder will have to be taken down. . . . . . . .more on that later.

We have a pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds flying back and forth - mostly when

 I pass the dining room window without a camera in my hand - of course! No other bird

 is as tiny, or flies backward like this one. It also hovers and flies up and down. I did

 manage to get these few half-way decent photos during the past couple of days.

Sometimes I sit outside on the porch but they aren't too happy when they see
 me and take off. They move so quickly, sometimes buzzing me with a soft
 chatter and whirl of those wings - they do not sing.

Weighing in at just 2-3 grams, it takes about five average-sized hummingbirds to

equal the weight of a single tiny chickadee! The heart beats an incredible 1,260 times

 a minute, it breathes 250 times a minute, and the wings flap 50-60 times a 

second.

Above and below - Mrs. Hummingbird

Iridescent green back among the wet oak leaves.

Mr. Hummingbird - you can just make out his ruby colored throat which ends in a lovely scalloped design. 

I took this photo, one of my favorites, a couple of years ago. This female loved the
 morning glories clambering up the porch, and perched on them often.
  I often wonder if it's the same pair returning each summer, or perhaps their offspring.

Do you have hummingbirds in your garden?
I hope so as they so pretty to watch - if you're quick!

Saturday morning. . . . . . .

 . . . . and the morning glories crept silently up the porch almost
 overnight to wind around the sleeping angel with its tiny wren friend.

I've been pruning the vines back, they're getting a bit unruly this
 late in summer, but I didn't have the heart to cut this one

 back when I noticed it clambering over the porch rails. . . . . . 

. . . . . . such simple blooms in truly spectacular colors and, like their names,
 just lasting one brilliant morning in the early sunshine.

Wishing each of you a pleasant weekend - they certainly come around quickly!

Today, and for the coming several days, my thoughts and prayers are with

 my friends who live in the area of Texas impacted by Hurricane Harvey.  

May you all remain safe and ride out this vicious storm without serious

 damage to yourselves, your loved ones, and your homes and property.

A late Summer day at home. . . . . . .

This is today on the front porch.

Morning glories still appear early, twining around whatever they can grab on the porch. Yesterday I had to trim them back a bit as they were engulfing everything.

It's still very warm hereabouts, and the trees across the cul-de-sac remain green and full, however just here and there I see a few leaves turning color and thoughts of Autumn are running through my mind.

The figs are just about gone and picking is over. Just a few left on the topmost branches where we can't reach but the birds and squirrels can feast. Now and then I see a squirrel run off with a whole juicy fig in it's mouth, looking for a hiding place to nibble in comfort.

It's been a less than perfect Summer in my garden when it comes to color. Many plants succumbed sadly. The weather has not cooperated, too hot, too dry, so the arrival of the bronze, gold, orange and red shades of Autumn will be welcome. 

I changed my flag today - put away the sunflowers and hung the colorful birds feeding. Our hummingbird Ms. Ruby is still arriving constantly at her feeder on the porch, many other garden birds have stayed with us all Summer and are here year round. We stopped filling our feeders near the fig trees to keep birds away whilst harvesting fruit, soon we'll treat them to good quality mixed seed again as we love to watch them through the cooler months. I'm surprised to see one of our little Carolina wrens already tucking into a hanging Boston fern on the porch - it arrives at dusk, sings a song, and flies up from the porch rail into the basket, just like other years, but this seems much earlier in the season. Perhaps my favorite tiny bird is claiming it early for cold nights ahead.

Speaking of which, I'm feeling a tiny bit of a change in the late evening and morning air, aaaaaah, lovely.

Autumn can't arrive too soon for me. . . . . . 

and I'll be spending part of it 'across the pond' - more on that later!

Patience required. . . . . . . .

 . . . . . . to photograph a hummingbird as, bleary-eyed, you stand at the window sipping

 your first wake-up mug of coffee!

I know you're getting tired of fig stories so now I'm bombarding you with bird photos.

Figs, hummingbirds-------------hummingbirds, figs, whatever, you have to admit both

exude beauty of the summertime season, and when they are right outside your window,

 all the better.

 Ms. Hummer is still here, alone. This morning she was busy on the porch, 

darting from the feeder to the morning glories, dipping in non-stop for no more 

than 10 seconds, flying off in a whirr, then returning in a few minutes for more nectar. 

I wish a male would come too - I would love a photo of his ruby throat.

Today I was lucky enough to have my old Olympus at hand - it's slow but has a much 

better setting for capturing birds than the small point and shoot. I should get my DSLR 

out too, then I might get some really sharp photos to share. It took me ages to get

these - those birds are so quick and don't hang around or pose for you, and don't forget

 I took them through the dining room window, which requires a good clean!

Waiting for birds, just another pastime of retired people, haha!

I tidied these pix up a bit but I did not add the bokeh effect - that just came naturally.

At least here you can see a little of the beautiful green and blue feathers on her 

back and head, and get a feeling of those fast fluttering wings.

I'm happy to see that hummingbirds like blue as well as red flowers - and of 

course they do prefer trumpet-shaped blooms so I guess these produce the nectar 

they enjoy early morning prior to the petals rolling up and dying. Tomorrow 

morning there will be more blooms and I'll be looking for Ms. Hummer. She actually 

flew right up to me at the window today - now if only I could have caught that view of 

such a tiny garden beauty.

Morning Glory - Heavenly Blue

Note the one delicate strand of a spider's web - I just couldn't bring myself to remove it!

It's an uphill climb . . . . . . . .

Here it is, already August and the 'dog days' of heat and humidity will no doubt continue.
I was out earlier this morning doing a little pruning of the unruly jasmine on the porch - it 
seems to be thriving - and some much-needed watering of pots and plants.

The garden has few blooms, due mostly to the very high temperatures every day of June 

and July, lack of rain, and perhaps the overly cold winter. Flowers just aren't doing much 

of anything, very much like us, too hot to even get going in the mornings. . . . . . . .

. . . . . . unless you're a morning glory!

Bless these little clambering beauties making their way up whatever they 

can grasp in the hot, damp air. These deep purple trumpet-shaped flowers, 

bring me smiles each morning as the vines scramble up the front porch. 

Later they curl within themselves as the heat intensifies, but happily more 
appear the next day. Such a welcome splash of color in the garden.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend - stay cool.

Southern Garden in July. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We're continuing to breathe in torrid, humid, sticky air as the temperatures 

remain stuck in the 90's, and have been for almost a month.

Today we should see 98F by mid-afternoon. 

The garden is now sad. . . . . patchy, browned out grass, nothing much blooming, 

color mostly just shades of green.

Gardening in the South is on the back burner at this time of year.

I planted very little this Spring. Knowing we'd be traveling often and not wanting to 

bother the neighbors with watering chores, I just said forget it - there's always next year.

 No veggies, and no annuals for color other than seeds in pots for these annual 

morning glories - they seem to survive with little attention.

There's something magical about waking up to blooming morning glories - wide awake 

and clambering up whatever they can wind their tendrils around - here mine grab on to 

the jasmine vine, and the old peeling paint potting bench which to me is just too pretty to 

repaint - yet! 

They are glorious in the morning, then close their petals in an almost audacious swirl 

by afternoon. This continues daily for several months come rain or shine.

I did purchase two hanging Boston ferns for the porch on my return from 

England - I'd even put that off because they would require drinks and daily misting 

in the expected high temperatures. 

So gardening friends, I have nothing much to show you right now. 

Soon I'll be sharing more of my dear friend Jackie's beautiful English garden. 

You'll then understand why I could easily move back just to be able to 

grow real cottage garden flowers.