Explored !

The magic happened today ! Late this afternoon with 25mph gusting winds.... the Snowberry Clearwing Moths (Hemaris diffinis) and an American Lady (Vanessa cardui) were drawn to the glorious perfume of the Lilacs wafted in the wind. The hard thing was to get a picture when nothing was staying still ! EXPLORED !

This has been a truly amazing 2 days The gusting winds dropped a little this morning. The Lilacs are better than I have seen on my nearly 4 years here. They had been very neglected and I have had to shape and prune and tend them. Today I saw at least 6 Eastern Tiger Swallowtails (male and female) and they nectared all day intermittently There were also Fiery Skippers and Silver-Spotted Skippers and Common Sootywings There were also fleeting visits from Black Swallowtails (who I couldnt photograph as the Tigers were running them off !) Last night White Lined Sphinx Moths joined the Snowberry Clearwing Moths. In just a couple more days the Lilacs will be finished... Days like this help... we have lost so much to drought and.... the gophers ! EXPLORED ! Eastern Tiger Swalllowtail (m)

Not the best series of pics.... but I am delighted they are back ! A Copperhead snake got in there last year. It didnt get them and they hadn't yet laid eggs.. but it put them off using the box though they nested close by. They also bring their chicks to bathe daily in my birdbaths. This is a 4th year return ! I got the snake !! And.... I refurbished the box as the squirrels had gnawed the roof ! EXPLORED !

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~ Chinese Proverb For the Poetography Group "Spring" FONT : Dolphin Extended EXPLORED !

The State flower of Oklahoma. We have had a little rain.. and the wildflowers this year are loving it. Best I have seen them in the nearly nine years I have been here EXPLORED !

We had a storm go through and one of our old hollow Black Jack Oak trees came down. It took power lines and made a heck of a mess. Spent a day and half playing Lumberjacks and this became the end result. This wood incidentally .. even when dead... is as hard as Ebony I also kept some sections to make into planters ! EXPLORED !

That picture is the Pond I normally MOW. Now.. in the centre .. it is at least 10 feet deep . The pond will eventually be dry again. The craters and underflow rip outs that are going on right now with this flooding on my land, cant be seen . The fabric of the land wont repair itself where the flood has ripped out land. There is undermining everywhere where underflows are that didnt exist , ripped the land out.,, alot of damage on the South boundary. We also have quicksand in places. It very hard to describe what is happening here. Just imagine a tidal wave you cant see cept maybe the top foot of it.. the rest is underground. Imagine how it takes the land away. All the 30 year records are a bust.. they are talking about once in 100 years right now. We are on sandstone... and have had so many years of extreme drought. In many ways.. we are lucky as our Home is dry and safe... but this... just rips my heart out ... all the work I have put into this place. Right now.. I cant even let my dogs play in the Pond because of the holes in the land. Mother Nature isnt happy. The irony is some parts of the State are still in deep drought. There is more severe weather to come this next week too EXPLORED !

This was taken 2 days after the last photo. One gloriously beautiful day. A day to admire the Turtle who had taken up residence.... the Darters... the blue Damsels... and so much more. Where I am standing should be dry land by at least several feet. A day to look in silence at the damage to the land on my south boundary... Now... its raining again.. and the scarey days will be Saturday and Sunday with more violent storms due. But this day... this was a day to BREATHEEEEEE EXPLORED !

We have more appalling weather on the way tomorrow and through the weekend... I am considering going into boat building..... EXPLORED ! (Videos)

We had a violent 60mph wind and torrential rain on Tuesday and rain wrapped tornados. We lost a 60 foot Cottonwood. and part of a Black Walnut and other stuff and the flooding is bad. We have more storms coming tomorrow and through the weekend. The pond is topping .... this is getting old. Yesterday we worked for 10 hours clearing downed trees and today we burned a HUGE pile of debris. This beauty was my reward . EXPLORED !

After the Deluge (22.21 inches of rain in May... more than a years worth here normally) and with 60 mph straight line winds... trees down.. the land ripped away... flooding (the pond I normally MOW is 8 feet under water) THIS beauty flowered in the early morning Sun today. Right now every day is a slog to cut and clear downed trees.. to clean up... to rebuild ripped land. This gentle soul is a Healer... and magical survivor. EXPLORED !

These little beauties never stay still ! They have been here 3 days now feeding and courting and mating. Beautiful little jewels.

We have storms and rain again... so I dont have alot to offer right now. This was from the sunshine and butterfly day a few days ago They are actually still around ! There is little for them to feed on. So much got washed out. EXPLORED !

“All nature is but art, unknown to thee; All chance, direction, which thou canst not see; All discord, harmony not understood; All partial evil, universal good; And spite of Pride , in erring reason's spite, One truth is clear, Whatever is, is right” Alexander Pope "Pride" for the Poetography Group FONT : Foglihten No04 EXPLORED !

Gratitude is an art of painting an adversity into a lovely picture. ~ Kak Sri "Gratitude" for the Poetography Group FONT : Adorable EXPLORED !

Lucas died in my arms at 3.33am this morning. He went into a rapid decline around 10.30pm... I laid on the floor with him all night and talked to him and cuddled him and that Beautiful Boy.. that exquisite Light.. went out in my arms. He is going back to the Stardust from whence he came. Lucas 1st June 2007 - 1st July 2015. His birth date is approximate.. it was the day we gave him as his Life Day I dont have a "Faith" but I do believe whatever atoms of Stardust that are me... will return to the stars.. and my Beloved Ones will be in that Starshine too. Lucas is going to be cremated.. so he will be going away tomorrow.. and coming Home again soon I so didnt want to have to do the worst at the Vets.. great as they are(and Aaron IS a wonderful vet and fella) I wanted it to be here.. and it was Flicka was beside us... I let him sniff and lick and let him see me wrap Lukie in a sheet.. he knew Lucas was sick.. he knows Lucas is gone. He will grieve... as they do.. too I am writing this whilst I am numb... right now.. numb is good. Most of us have walked this road before... and you know... my heart is breaking. This photo was taken just a week before out of the blue he was diagnosed with a failing mitral heart valve EXPLORED ... and this one means everything to me.

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace - only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott "Grace" for the Poetography Group FONT : Papyrus Three weeks ago I got the kits to take paw prints of Lucas.. who I knew didnt have much time left on this Earth. I made one for Flicka too. We had fun doing it.. they... typically thought I was crazy. I wanted it full of Life... and it IS ..... not made in death... of which it has no part . A good memory.. and they were correct about the craziness ! Paw prints on the heart never ever fade. EXPLORED !... and like the photo of Lucas... this one means all to me.

It was a sunny day yesterday... but the heat indices takes us up to well over 110F and as high as 120f a couple of days ago Today... we are back to intensive storms and we are back at flood level. This beauty made a gentle reminder of how it is supposed to be EXPLORED #2 !