The Easy Shot

I slept decadently late this morning, and then was moving rather slowly.  Tea in hand, I went to sit out on the patio for a bit, just to see what was happening in the garden.

...a few Downy woodpecker fledglings still being fed
...more Red-bellied woodpecker fledglings hanging around, learning their place in the hierarchy at the feeders (hint - it's at the top)
...Goldfinches all over the place
...a Wood thrush singing it's achingly beautiful song in the woods behind our house
...and this glorious, fresh female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail sipping nectar and pollinating the garden!  This is a species that is especially easy to photograph, not being skittish and being in shades that camera sensors seem to love.  Making me very happy indeed.  

I also found a Monarch in the garden, a big fresh looking female; as well as several fascinating planthopper nymphs and a Little Glassywing Skipper.  Oh, and a plump Northern Crab Spider lurking on the milkweed.

I've got 5 monarch caterpillars in the nursery right now.  One is preparing to pupate and the others are still 2nd instars, munching away on their milkweed.  There are more in the garden, but I've decided not to be quite so ambitious in raising them this year. And, I'll concentrate my efforts more on the migratory generation starting next month.

In the interest of not boring people with my random thoughts on depression, I'm going to add those thoughts (when I feel like it) as a post script at the bottom of my journal.  That way, it's easy to skip if you're not interested; and easy to find if you are.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate those who've shared some of their own experiences in the comments.  It's a big club with far too many members.

xo
Debbi 

On Depression...
One of the things I've learned in the last 13 years is that there are different kinds of depression.  Nearly everyone experiences temporary (situational) depression following a trauma, a death, or some other sad event.  Then there are people like me who experience depression of a chronic type which can be called Major Depression (really, how original) or Persistent Depressive Disorder.  And then there are depressive disorders like Post Partum (sorry, Tom Cruise, but you are wrong - this is a very real thing!) and Seasonal Affective Disorder.    What I have come to understand (and it's taken me quite a while) is that none of these are the fault of the person who experiences them.  And it's not possible to "just snap out of it" or "get over yourself" -  if it were really that easy, there wouldn't be so many people experiencing depression.  TBC