Saturday, July 17, 2010

Camera Critter Saturday




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A couple of butterflies and a couple of wasps from my yard, taken this past week. 

Too bad I don't have a picture of the mosquitoes in our yard because I think they are bigger than the butterflies or anything else this year and they are very plentiful.   The weather has been hot and humid and wet, really hot and humid and wet,  did I mention, hot, humid and wet?  :)   

We had 6.5 inches of rain in a couple of hours one day  last week, we had water in the basement, what a mess, having lived here for 33 years and only having water damage twice, in the awful Iowa floods of 08 and this past week.  We only lost the washing machine this time.  The local newspaper said yesterday that 1/3 to 1/2 of the homes in our city had water damage.    Having been a garden for 41 years I know that the climate is changing, there is no doubt about it.

23 comments:

Hootin Anni said...

Simply beautiful!!! Great treasures you've shared with us today.

My C C is posted now...
THE SHORELINE 'FLASHER'

Do hope you can stop by to view. I'm wishing that your weekend will treat you well.

Animor said...

Very nice photo love the butterfly color.

Georgia said...

Those are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously need to take a class on how to take better pictures.

Nikki - Notes of Life said...

So beautiful :)

Snap said...

Wonderful collection of flying critters! Great shots. I know too much about mosquitos!

Adrienne Zwart said...

Wonderful images! So sorry about your washing machine. I'm sure that was really frustrating.

Unknown said...

Stunning photos of the butterflies and I like the wasps as well.

Keep up the good work.

Jim

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Those photos are just lovely -- and I can do without the mosquitoe pictures thank you very much ;>)...
(the real ones are enuff to deal with)...

I never realized camera critters meme could be about wildlife -- I may want to join that one of these days (somehow I always thought it was only about pets and b/c we travel, we are pet free.


I thought your comment about climate change was spot on! Can't believe how so many are able to ignore all the signs. It was cold (for Florida) last winter and so many people were making snide remarks about "yeah, right global warming." If they would think of it as "climate change" perhaps they'd get it. Or maybe not. It's easy for certain people just to not care.

We are living in interesting times!

Michael said...

Very nice macros. Great colours on the minibeasts.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

We've had lots of rain, too. We get water in a lot, but are able to get it cleaned up without much damage to other things. Larry did have some albums get wet, including the first one he ever bought.

I'm not familiar with that first butterfly. It sure is pretty. I have those wasps. Do you think they are the same kind as each other, one male, and one female?

Beth said...

Very nice pics,especially liked seeing the monarch on the butterfly weed plus your pretty gooseneck loosestrife - I am debating whether to plant that as I've heard it can be very aggressive. You are very brave to get that close to the wasps...either that, or you have a fabulous zoom on your camera! lol
Beth

Anonymous said...

Amazing detail in these photos! So pretty. Love the photos of your buddies on the sidebar :) So cute.

Unknown said...

We too have had so much rain that there are flocks of mosquitoes here!!! But we have also had more butterflies than I can count do more than pause in our yard. My butterfly bush has been a huge draw as have my phlox!

Ashrunner said...

Nice photos. I especially like the Question Mark in the first image.

By the way, a "spit" is a a section of land that extends into a body of water.

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Iowa Gardening Woman said...

Thanks for stopping by one and all.

Beth, gooseneck loosestrife is indeed very aggressive, I pull it out in the spring by the wheelbarrow loads, but I keep it because the bees and all buggies seem to love it. Also, I do have a good zoom lens so I'm not really as close as the pictures appear plus cropping photos does wonders.

Ashrunner thanks for letting me know what a spit was and here I thought it was I have been avoiding walking down the sidewalk where "chewers" have walked before me :).

Sue, Ashrunner says the butterfly is a question mark, I didn't know so am glad he mentioned it.

Anonymous said...

Love that second photograph of the butterfly! Wow, 6.5 inches of rain in a couple of hours is a LOT of rain. I'm sorry that you had water damage but glad that you lost only the washing machine. I experienced damage from water in the basement many years ago. I lost the washing machine and furnace at that time.

The JR said...

Beautiful pictures. Sorry to hear about the water damage.

Unknown said...

exquisite is the word for these.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful and I especially love butterflies. Seems like everyone is struggling with mosquitoes this year.

Corner Gardener Sue said...

Ashrunner and Iowa Gardening Woman,
I went to the National Special Olympics today, and left my camera in the car when I remembered the batteries were low. When I went back to the car, there was a cool butterfly. I remembered my camera, and it had enough battery power left to take some photos. I looked in a butterfly book, then came here to see if it's the same thing, and it looks to me like it is. I'll try to get it posted Saturday.

What fun!

Bernideen said...

I have lived in Iowa - saw my first hail there in college! Will be back to visit yourblog! Sorry about your basement - we just had hail and it took a toll on my backyard big time!

Gallery of the Mountains said...

Great shots - sorry about all the flooding - the climate is surely changing!