We had a visit from a red admiral butterfly yesterday -- the first one this season that's stuck around long enough for me to photograph it. I love how its rear wings, when folded, blend in so well with the buddleia. Animals are masters of disguise. (The red stripe gives it away, though!)
Here's the same butterfly on one of our white hydrangeas. As I stood on the patio photographing it, it fluttered right up to me and landed on my shirt! That's got to be good luck or something, right?
I spent yesterday cleaning up our potted plants. I pulled all the spent field poppies from the pot containing our passionflower vine, and emptied another pot that only had a handful of old poppies in it. I repotted our horseradish to give it more room to grow and hopefully return to its former glory. (It's a sad shadow of itself at the moment.) And I trimmed our scabious.
Isn't that exciting?
Here's something that is kind of exciting -- my daily trash find. This blue teapot was in a plastic bag on top of a neighbor's trash pile, which I came across while walking Olga. The rubbish men were about ten feet behind me and would have smashed it up in their truck within a few minutes, but I grabbed it and brought it home. It's in perfect condition, except for some minor staining on the inside. Why would someone throw such a thing away?
(I literally never drink tea, but that's beside the point. Dave does occasionally.)
And finally, just so I don't get chastised for leaving Olga out of my post again, here she is lying next to me at this moment, perusing The New Yorker while I type. The weather looks promising this morning so I'm hoping she and I will get out for a long walk today.
Lovely teapot, why would anyone throw it away? A charity shop could have got good money for that! We never use one .....just a tea bag in a mug!
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend.
Does Olga read it for more than just the cartoons? There is a man at the beach dumpster across the street, for the second time this week, reviewing the inventory. He spent 45 minutes the other day inspecting the contents, testing broken umbrellas and beach chairs, and sorting piles before throwing some back and carrying the rest away. I wonder if he repairs everything. Too bad HE doesn't have a blog. I would have taken the teapot to the charity shop, but wouldn't be able to use it myself ... no matter how much I sterilized it. What a waste.
ReplyDeleteHurrah! Olga is back...unless of course that's an old photograph. I wonder what she was reading in "The New Yorker". Perhaps "It's A Dog's Life - Reflections of a First Lady" by Melania Trump (Translated from Slovenian). You don't like tea? Weird! I am sitting with a pint of it right now. Mind you, I have never drunk American tea - a pale imitation of the real thing.
ReplyDeleteI love the teapot, looks much like my orange one that I use every day. During this hot weather I brew a strong pot (with a spoonful of honey) and have it over ice all day. I have found that the acid in coffee does bad things to my aging stomach but tea is fine.
ReplyDeleteCheers
Amazing Depth In These Photos - Way Cool - Very Peaceful , Like A Lazy Dog On The Couch - Much Appreciated
ReplyDeleteCheers
Olga looks like she is tired of reading about the latest US stupidity--the New Yorker does such a good job of slicing it up. Must admit, I'd rather read about the Admiral butterfly these days, than the decline and fall of the US (un)civilization. So thanks for the photo.
ReplyDeleteThe teapot is the shape of a Brown Betty. Does it have the mark on the bottom of it?
people are lazy. it takes more effort to rehome an object they no longer want than to just throw it away.
ReplyDeleteI just saw a swallowtail flutter by my window. and the hairstreaks have been passing through the last day or so. they are so tiny.
What a beautiful teapot! That's quite an interesting butterfly. I don't know as I've ever seen one like it. Olga looks as if she's finished with the news and is just waiting for you to finish typing so that the two of you can go for a walk. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.
ReplyDeleteThat teapot is hydrangea blue. I am so glad you saved it! The color alone makes it worth saving.
ReplyDeleteThese days...so slow and passing so fast. I hope it's cooler there than it is here.
I've posted bueerfly posts today kerching!
ReplyDeleteI photographed a butterfly yesterday and thought of you! Wonderful that it landed on your shirt. Yes, a sign of good luck.
ReplyDeleteThat tea pot looks like it's in fine shape.
It's a lot of work to maintain many plants .
ReplyDeleteI love the butterfly and yes, it has to be a good sign when it lands on you. Why would anyone throw that tea pot out. It's beautiful. Such a pretty color. If I was done with it, I would have taken it to the charity store. I wonder why that is so hard for some people.
ReplyDeleteOne time SWMBO and I visited Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale and I was wearing a brightly colored Hawaiian shirt. When we went into the area where the butterflies were flying freely around the spectators, one of them landed on the back of my shirt and stayed there the entire time we were inside. One of the "minders" carefully brushed it off as we were leaving. Maybe I should change my blog name to Butterfly Man.
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures, especially the buddleia with the admiral.
ReplyDeleteIs there no end to Olga's talents?? Lovely to see her again, accessorized with her pink blanket.
ReplyDeleteCheck the handle of the teapot to make sure it isn't hollow before you fill it with hot water. We were given a lovely teapot years ago. Didn't discover the flawed design until picking it up. Ouch. Yours doesn't LOOK hollow, but I thought it was worth mentioning. But if it turns out to be unusable for tea, it would make a great plant holder. Ivy or another trailing plant looks especially nice in a teapot.
Nice shots of the butterflies, and yes, some of them have great camouflage and then a bright spot! Why? lol
The teapot is a good find. I think Olga has read your mind about a long walk and she is not so sure it is a good idea.
ReplyDeleteYou are super lucky my friend to have that gorgeous butterfly land on you. They say when dragonflies land on you that it brings you good luck and I would think that you can certainly take that sentiment with the butterfly to mean the same thing. I don't see why not.
ReplyDeleteAnd lucky you were with the teapot. You can also use it as a little planter with an ivy or you can keep it as it is. It is a lovely shade of blue.
I have several teapots. I have one that I use for Christmas and another that I use for every day and then the last one I use often is earth tones and I use it in the Autumn.
I think Olga looks so bored in that photo. I love it.
Have a awesome weekend. Hugs to you and Olga.
Gorgeous photographs and that teapot is a very appealing color blue. Good rescue, you urban archeologist, you.
ReplyDeleteFrances: I know! I'd have taken it up to a charity shop. (I may still do, but we'll enjoy looking at it for now. :) )
ReplyDeleteMitchell: Well, good for him for salvaging that stuff. Anything to keep items out of the waste stream. I wonder if he re-sells them?
YP: I have a feeling that "Reflections of a First Lady" in the original Slovenian would be a very short book. Possibly even a blank one.
Peter: That's a good idea. I haven't made iced tea in ages.
Padre: Glad you liked them!
Mary: The teapot IS marked on the bottom -- it's made by the London Teapot Company, of Chatsford. (Which makes it the Chatsford Teapot Company, it seems to me, but whatever.)
Ellen: I'm glad you're getting some butterflies to distract you from the heat!
Edna: I don't think there are red admirals in the USA. It's a European species, if I'm not mistaken.
Ms Moon: I swear, I don't know where the time goes. I do nothing all day and it's like WHAM, gone in the drop of a hat.
John: Or "Jinx!" as kids used to say.
Robin: I'm glad butterflies bring me to mind! LOL
Red: It is, but some plants do fine with very little maintenance. Just depends on the plant.
Sharon: I DON'T KNOW! It drives me crazy! And then, if they DO take it to the charity shop, they dump it in a bag outside the front door and all the donations wind up all over the street. Argh!
Catalyst: Funny! Maybe he thought the flowers on your shirt were real?!
Sabine: Thank you!
Jenny-O: Good hint! This handle does not appear to be hollow.
Andrew: Ha! If she's lying like that and I say "walk," she is instantly awake and alert, tail wagging.
Beth: Yeah, I could try the planter thing with the teapot, I suppose!
37P: Thank you! Maybe I'll donate it to the British Museum. LOL