Laboring...

I figure I'm just going to blip hummingbirds as long as I can ... every day now is a gift, meant to be enjoyed.  The zinnias and cosmos in my gardens are all in full bloom now and both flowers are hummie-magnets.  My biggest challenge is trying to anticipate where the birds will go.  And invariably, if my camera is pointed at the cosmos patch, the hummies go to the zinnias...and vice versa.  Preparedness and opportunity don't always meet ... but when they do, it's such fun!  

Today is Labor Day in the US, a day that honors our country's labor movement.  So this little juvenile male hummingbird, laboring to gather nectar, is my nod to the holiday.  Perhaps not traditional, but I think it works.  

I started the day with a nice walk through some wonderful meadows while Hubs stayed home to work on his resume.  I saw some interesting things including a caterpillar that was nothing short of spectacular.  I have posted 4 photos on Flickr, starting HERE with the caterpillar - last two shots are of two hummers having a confrontation.  Had they been better focused, I might have blipped one ... maybe another day!

We are headed to our neighbor's house for a barbecue tonight.  I was tasked with bringing dessert so I found an interesting recipe for a lightened version of chocolate cheesecake which has been baked and is now cooling in the fridge.  It smells yummy.  

Happy Labor Day (or Monday, depending on where you are!)

Debbi

PS Monarch Mom Diary Update:  The three monarch chrysalides are doing fine and I have 7 more caterpillars at various stages of development.  Luckily, I have loads of milkweed in my garden so all the little cats are well fed.