Fierce Friday

I was all set to post a flower with a tiny spider for FlowerFriday, but then along came a hummingbird and my plans flew out the window.  I like this shot because I managed to get the face well focused in spite of the rate of speed - sheer accident, and I'll take it!  Only two hummers in the garden today at my best count.  I know that they'll be gone any day now...  Image is heavily cropped.

My runner-up is this tiny Northern Crab Spider trying to hide on a cosmos.  They are always hard to photograph because they are so small, and because they always head to the underside of the flower, out of camera range.  

Hubs is on his way home from Alabama, having had a good visit with his family.  He hasn't yet decided if he is going to try driving straight through or stop for the night - it's 900 miles, so not a short trip.

I took a nice brisk walk this morning on a wooded trail.  Lots of black walnuts hanging from the trees and many acorns on the path, both harbingers of a good nut-year, hopefully.  I gathered a handful of the acorns to put out for the jays - they always enjoy them.  

Lovely dinner last night with my friend - it was so great catching up and we've vowed to get together much more often!  

Monarch Nursery news... four healthy looking chrysalis in residence now.  Now all I do is check them every day to see if any are getting close to emerging as butterflies.  Very satisfying, this whole monarch-raising project.

Happy Friday.

Debbi