Deer Up Close and Personal

Many of us have seen deer in the neighborhood, on local streets, on highways and in the woods.  Deer are common place and as we continue to take more of the green space out of communities, they have become our next door neighbors.  they run into our cars, eat our vegetables and flowers and bring their young for us to see,

Even though I grew up in a small town in North Carolina, my first experience with a deer that was not in captivity was when I moved to Athens. In the early 1980's, I remember standing outside of Putnam Hall at Ohio University and watching a deer run across the field and  up Jefferson Hill and finally hearing in the news at he had run through the glass at College Book Store.  An uncommon experience that has become more common over the years.

I like to take photos of animals up close and personal because I think that you can find out a lot about them by looking into their eyes.   

Deer in my backyard in the city! Enjoy the photos! 

Dragonflies

A staple of summer in ponds and wherever you find water are dragonflies. I have found them interesting to photo, a bit difficult for me.  I use a  100 to 400 or 150 to 600 telephoto lens but am finding that there is other equipment I should consider: https://digital-photography-school.com/10-tips-for-photographing-dragonflies/. I will continue to practice photographing them using a telephoto lens this summer but will consider other options next summer.

 I have not spent a lot of time identifying dragonflies but there is a great Facebook page full of experts:  Dragonflies and Damselflies - Worldwide Odonata (https://www.facebook.com/groups/odonata/). You might want to check it!

Enjoy my photos!

Daylilies After the Rain

Rained yesterday and a bit more rain on the way!  Foggy, moist morning but the hummers are out  and so are the birds.  The bees and butterflies will probably arrive later today.

Today, I will share photos of daylilies after a rain.  My yard is filled with daylilies which usually bloom throughout the summer and into fall.  I expect that this will be a short season because of the very warm winter and the lack of rain early in the spring.  I bought most of my daylilies from Hoot Owl Hollow (http://www.hootowlhollow.com), a place of serenity in Athens. They also have an online shop. They are closed for the season locally but you can still make an appointment to visit.

Living in Athens, I am often asked how I keep the deer out of my yard.  Deer are easy.  I wish that I knew how to keep the rabbits, raccoons and skunks away! To keep the deer away I start early in the spring sprinkling Deer Scram throughout the yard.  I supplement with Liquid Fence and Bobbex. At the beginning, I usually put down deer repellant every couple of weeks and then I only use it "as needed".  My  flowerbeds are in bloom all season without deer activity.   A couple of years ago, a Doe left her Fawn in my flowerbed and did not eat one lily. Yes, amazing!

Enjoy the After The Rain Daylily Photos!

Hibiscus Blooming

This morning the sky was a bit cloudy so I decided to take pictures of the hibiscus blooming. Moving toward end of season and only a few daylilies are blooming but the hibiscus are in full bloom.  I love the large blooms and the different colors. They are so bold and create a presence in the flower beds.  

My friend Paula McMurray-Schwartz sent me information about hibiscus tea a few weeks ago. I have not tried it yet  but there seem to be benefits to drinking it: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/beverage/hibiscus-tea.html.  I guess that you can make your own but it seems that the process is very labor intensive and requires  that you know which hibiscus to choose so that it is edible...all hibiscus are not equal in terms of edibility,

I did learn the mechanics of growing  hibiscus from seed.  Not sure I will but here it is: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/hibiscus/hibiscus-propagation.htm.

Enjoy the beauty of perennial  hibiscus blooming.  They return year after year!

Hummingbird and Tiger Lily

Hummingbirds and tiger lilies are a summer favorite.  Last night the hummingbird was enjoying  visiting the tiger lilies.  Hummingbirds and tiger lilies are very abundant in my yard this summer. The tiger lilies have been blooming for about a month but the hummingbirds just arrived in abundance a few days ago.  So happy to have both!

Good Morning Longview

Good Morning Longview!  Love getting up early and seeing the early sunrises and fog on Longview.  Very quite with only the chirping and singing of the birds.  The crows are definitely early risers.  Deer are also out early.   Sunlight reflecting on the land and flowers.  The peace of early morning.