Bowling Balls and a Big Butterfly

This display is in the yard of a house near Dave's parents. It appears to be bowling ball art. I'm counting 176 visible bowling balls in that picture, and I suspect there are many more that we can't see (given that there are bathtubs filled with bowling balls). Don't even think about buying a piece of bowling ball art, though -- it's not for sale, according to the signs.

Here's the adjacent house. Someone has creativity to spare!

Today is my last in Michigan. I'll be on a plane across the Atlantic tonight. Dave is flying to Indiana at noon. I'm looking forward to seeing Olga again, but I'm kind of dreading being back in England given the drought there. It's been so nice to experience rain here in Michigan.

Speaking of our garden, you know how much I like teasels. Well, they grow wild here, as well as purple loosestrife and other familiar plants. Unfortunately loosestrife and teasels are both considered exotic invasives in the United States. I took this picture yesterday morning, when I took a walk up to our local Walgreen's to run an invented errand (I really just needed some exercise). Walking in this area isn't easy or much fun -- there's a lot of traffic and not many sidewalks. But I survived.

Another brush with nature yesterday at Lowe's, where we went to buy a few plants for my in-laws' yard. This swallowtail butterfly was visiting the flowers in the parking lot, outside the garden center. I saw some bees there too. You have to admire the adaptability of insects that don't find a parking lot a forbidding place. Anyway, I believe this is a giant swallowtail, which according to Wikipedia is the largest butterfly in North America, and it's known for being hard to photograph because it doesn't sit still. It continually flutters its wings even while feeding, as you can see in my very short video.

Last night Dave's parents treated us to dinner at Sibley Gardens, a longtime local restaurant in nearby Trenton. I had two martinis, which were delicious. I think I had some food too, but I can't quite remember. (KIDDING -- I had chicken in a marsala sauce with dried Michigan cherries. It seemed like a good idea to get something with local ingredients.)

I'll be coming to you tomorrow from London, insha'allah, with Olga by my side!