this is the biggest praying mantis

i've ever seen

this bloom is from our

black berry bushes

these will make great jelly

when ripened

this butterfly is

catchin' some rays

the trumpets are just beginning

to open

this shelf like fungi is called a

cracked-cap polypore

they keep opening and

are almost there

this bloom is the first

to open

in full bloom and ready to

sound the trumpets

now they are all

in bloom

this purple sage is also

called monarda

this jelly fungi is

called black jelly roll

the trumpets and sage make

a beautiful mix

I love the way these grew

around the branches

I found this goose egg while

hunting mushrooms

the moths really like

the mums

I'll soon be big and

ready for pie

hiacynths are some of the

first to grow in the spring

spirea bushes line our driveway

the blooms smell so good

the trumpets are

going to seed

goldfinch love thistle but it is so bad

for cattle

this fungi is called

tree ears