<<Featured Image: Our first sunflower to bloom this year had perfect timing! It arrived just as the hot weather did…finally!>>
The temperatures are finally in the range where I don’t have to sit outside with a hoodie on or position my chair partly in the sun. I like to sit in the shade, so the temperatures have to be in the mid to high 80’s for me to do that comfortably. We hit that mark this past week and now the predictions are for high 80’s and 90’s. I know some of you think I am crazy for wanting this hot weather, but I lived in the hot and humid South for most of my life, so I am used to it. Ditto for the numerous mosquito bites I acquired this past week. I am just glad that they are biting me instead of Linda. Anyway, I am hoping my garden jumps up now that the weather has definitely warmed up.
There are a lot of pretty blooms in the yard, so following are some pictures of them for your enjoyment.
Not only have we had a lot of pretty blooms lately, we also have had the Tiger Swallowtail butterfly visiting our yard almost constantly. I love watching these guys float around from plant to plant. I took quite a few pictures and some more video of one feeding at the butterfly bush. This picture below best shows all of the colors in this beautiful insect.
I had to move my chair out into the garden a couple of days before it warmed up so I could sit in the dappled sunlight, as it was too chilly for me in the shade. I got a new perspective sitting out there, my view opened up considerably. I spent a lot of time just gazing up at the sky to see what I could see. We even had some clouds pass over, but no rain fell.
One time when I looked up at the sky, I saw a long line of large white birds with black wing tips flying overhead. I grabbed my camera and managed to get a picture as they were going under a cloud. I counted 59 birds in this picture below, and I believe there were more than that because I didn’t get them all in the shot. They appear to be black in the picture because they are backlit, but when I first saw them I grabbed my binoculars (which have a much better zoom than my camera) and I could definitely identify them as American White Pelicans (link here).
Linda and I first saw a group of these pelicans before we actually moved here. It was the day we rode over to Yakima from Tacoma, where we had been staying with Linda’s sister Wendy, and her husband Robin. Robin drove us over so he could perform an inspection on our new house. Just outside of Yakima, alongside the Yakima River, we saw a flock of these beautiful birds flying over the river. We had only ever seen the Brown Pelican, so we were both very excited to see a new bird. Since then we have seen them numerous times, although never this many at once.
Since Covid is still hanging around, I rarely go anywhere except to walk or ride my bike, and every once in a while I will go to the grocery store. So I have to amuse myself with what goes on in our yard. Here’s a compilation video of happenings around our yard this past week (it’s about 2 minutes long).
The video starts out with the Swallowtail butterfly, then moves over to a bee on one of the perennial sunflowers. Next we have the butterfly flitting around on the butterfly bush. They sure do have an erratic way of flying! After the butterfly, I got some video of a female and male American Goldfinch on the thistle feeder. Following those cute little guys is the very noisy Scrub Jay. We end the video with a view of what I believe to be an Osprey soaring on the thermals. He was pretty high up there!
PARTING SHOT
I’m beginning to think I should change Summer Girl’s name to Alfred E. Neuman.
Join me every Wednesday (barring any unforeseen circumstances) for more from the Southerner in the Northwest.
Southerner in the Northwest 
Beautiful! I, too, like the sun and warm weather. My garden is my oasis now.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mine is my sanctuary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoy the heat, while I search for air conditioners!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You know me, always cold!
LikeLike
I so enjoy observing daily visits of our Tiger Swallowtail as he floats across my roses and herbs, tasting first this, then that. Yesterday, he feasted quite a bit on our billowing Fleeceflower plumes before drifting toward me under the courtyard umbrella as though to say, “Thank you!”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just now saw this comment, Jo! It seems like I’ve seen the Tiger Swallowtails more this year than any other. Thanks for your comments, always welcome.
LikeLike
One of my southern friends said his mom uses a box fan in the yard when she works. I had not thought of doing such an odd thing, but it makes sense! I detest heat past the mid 70’s and it is common in EO. Next summer I’ll ask for a battery one for Mom’s day! lol
Loving your flowers and the critters-Butterflies are so magical. Do you have evening primrose? Most of mine died off, I think…..The humming bird moths adore those. As much as I detest tomato worms, I love the moths!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That fan idea is intriguing. We put an oscillating fan out on our porch sometimes when we sit there. I do not have any evening primrose, never tried those. I’ve only seen a hummingbird moth here a couple of times, and never any tomato hornworms! Thankful for that! Thanks for your comments, Kris!
LikeLiked by 1 person
it isn’t fair the tomato worms turn into humming bird moths. Evening primrose are tall plants with flowers that open and close They also look totally different the first year they come up!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s interesting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is…but not fair!
LikeLike