Taking flight, ©voyager, all rights reserved
It’s been a crazy, busy day around here and Jack didn’t get out until much later than usual so to make up for it I took him to the lake. I figure you guys have seen lots of wet dog photos lately so instead of another one here’s a nice bit of fluff.
Red Admiral butterfly, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Red Admiral, underside, ©voyager, all rights reserved
The weather here was a bit strange last week. We had very high humidity and bouts of rain, but it was cool making it feel more like late spring than the middle of July. I’m not really complaining, cool is definitely better than sweltering, but it was weird. Today, though, things seem to have reset. The humidity is mostly gone, there isn’t a cloud in the sky and the temp has climbed into the mid-twenties and seems to be staying there. This is what I call a perfect day. So does Jack, who had a welcome spring in his step this morning.
A quick birdie before I crawl back to bed.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Pretty in Pink ©voyager, all rights reserved
Reach for the sky, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Does anyone know what kind of tree this is? I’m having difficulty figuring it out from my plant guide. It looks and smells a bit like hydrangea, but I’ve never seen a hydrangea tree. Whatever it is, I think it’s beautiful. It’s been in bloom for several weeks and the flowers move from a deep rose colour to the palest of pinks. It has a small, sweet scent and it attracts butterflies. I waited around for a bit hoping one would turn up to add to the photo, but Jack was restless and no doubt keeping them away.
Please let me know in the comments if you can give me any information about this tree. I think I might like one for my own garden. In the meantime, happy Saturday. I hope everyone has a good weekend.
As I was walking around the sunflower yesterday evening, making some pictures before the sun sets, I noticed a strangely positioned bee. When I looked closer, I realized that it is strangely positioned because it is dead and being held by a bright yellow crab spider. You can see it in the yesterday picture, if you look close enough.
So of course I had to go for a macro lens (the one I have built) and make a few close-up pictures. I tried my hand even at filming the fellow and it did not turn out all that bad considering that I do not have monopod (but I should buy one).
I have no idea what those little flies are doing there. Maybe they are insect equivalents of vultures? That spider must be strong and have quick venom to subdue a bee twice its size quick enough to keep a hold on it.
Video is bellow the fold.
©Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
The centre of Barcelona is the Plaza Catalunya. Lined on one side by the traditional Corte Inglés shopping centre and start of the Rambla, the main boulevard, there’s a snowball’s chance in hell you’ll miss it. Most tourist buses start and stop there (our shuttle bus from the camp site dropped us off there and picked us up, and so did most others), the hop on- hop off buses stop there, the metro lines do, the regional train station is under it.
Above it are the pigeons.
The fountain by night.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
The fountain by day.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Did I say fountain? What I meant was “pigeon bath”.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
How many pigeons can you count?
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Naughty boy, ©voyager, all rights reserved
So, I’m trying to focus my camera when I see this. … Jack, no, stop, don’t pee on plants! Naughty boy!
I wish I could show you the grin he gave me when he turned around, but I was kerfuffled in the moment. It’s his way of telling me that I’m taking too long with my camera. Well, message received, Jack. Lets go home.
Happy Jack, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Jack was complaining this morning that I haven’t posted a picture of him for awhile, so here is the boy being all Happy Jack in his natural environment. When Jack was just 7 weeks old we took him to the lake for the first time and he ran down to the water and dove in with total abandon. There he was, this tiny little puppy in the water for the first time and swimming out way too far. So far in fact, that we sent our older dog out to bring him in. Swimming came as naturally to Jack as walking did and if there’s water around, even puddles, you can be sure that Jack’s in it.
From Rick, click for full size!
© R. Ford, all rights reserved.
Blue Skies, ©voyager, all rights reserved
We have beautiful blue skies today, but the humidity persists. At least the temperature is staying in the twenties which makes it bearable to be outside for short periods. All that humid air makes it so hard to walk, though. Jack and I plod along slowly, both of us feeling heavy and like it’s a double gravity kind of day.
Tree chickens!
The “private area” of the mini farm was directly opposite our caravan, and while it was protected with a reed fence, there was a tree that was higher than the fence and the tree had a ramp for the chickens. In the evening some of them enjoyed to walk up the ramp and then hop from branch to branch. I so love that chess board pattern one.
What yer lookin’ at? Never seen a bird in a tree? ©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Yarrow, ©voyager, all rights reserved
Yarrow grows wild around the Thames River where Jack and I took the briefest of walks today. The weather outside is oppressively humid and neither the beast nor myself do well in this kind of weather.
Last night I was sitting behind the house with some friends, when I heard a “plonk” where no plonk should be. I looked and found the biggest caterpillar I’d ever seen. It had crawled up a grass stalk but then gravity happened and it ended up on the terrace.
Turns out it’s the mature form of the Elephant Hawk Moth which are indeed about 8 cm (3″ and a bit) long. After taking the pictures I took the hapless traveller and put it some place with more green.
Elephant Hawk Moth in training. ©Giliell,all rights reserved.
Elephant Hawk Moth in training. ©Giliell,all rights reserved.
Elephant Hawk Moth in training. © Giliell, all rights reserved.
Elephant Hawk Moth in training. © Giliell, all rights reserved.