End of Summer

August is my least favorite month. I don't like days that are so hot and muggy that I can barely venture outdoors--and get eaten up alive if I do. So I am relieved that the sweltering heat is over for now, hopefully for good.
Summer is winding down in our garden too. Yet, even flowers past their prime provide food and nectar for insects and birds. Goldfinches particularly like the seeds of coneflowers and coreopsis. Our butterfly weed and, to a lesser extent than we had hoped for, milkweed are again popular with monarchs. Every summer, they return unfailingly to our small butterfly garden as if by word of mouth. It is fascinating to watch how their larvae munch on the otherwise poisonous milkweed plants.
Zinnias and lobelias are again popular with insects. Not all our experiments worked out, however. The leaves of the New England Asters we planted in May to provide fall color were eaten by a stealthy thief, probably a groundhog. I don't know if they'll make it. The false indigo met the same fate. The cosmos looked very good, even though they all have the same color, orange, of which we already have plenty.
Now, I'm looking forward to my favorite season, fall. I expect to add some more birds to my stock photo list and hope for better fall foliage than last year. That shouldn't be too difficult since last October was the worst foliage since I've come here.

A Day at Beechwood

After a long absence, I took my camera out to the Audubon nature reserve at Beechwood yesterday morning. It was very cloudy when I arrived there and I wondered whether I had made the right decision to go. I headed toward the pond area, as I usually do, because that's where most of my photo opportunities seem to be located. I noticed an Indigo Bunting in a bush near the pond, but could not get a good photo of it. The difference between the sky and the dark bird was too great. At this early hour, I had the pond area for myself. I was grateful that I was able to listen to the birds and frogs without any human noises. At last, I walked around the pond and spotted a spicebush swallowtail landing on the grass. It sat still for quite a while, which is unusual for this busy butterfly, and I was able to shoot some great photos of it. When the sun came out, the tiger swallowtails were out in full force at the Joy-pye-weed and I captured them too. The crowning touch, though, occured when I was almost ready to leave. I made a last visit at the pond area when I saw two Cedar Waxwings land on a berry bush nearby. I had seen them earlier in a tall tree and hoped to get a better look at them. Cedar Waxwings had been on my wish list since last fall when I photographed many of them but couldn't get one decent shot. Now my wish has finally been fulfilled, although there is definitely room for improvement.
While I was disappointed that I didn't see any monarchs yesterday, I know they will return when the goldenrod blooms. I'll be back to capture them and any birds that pass through. All in all, it was a great day at Beechwood once again!

Lasting friendships

My most memorable experiences during my trip to Germany were several reunions with old friends. While the friends certainly aren't old yet, our friendships are--in years at least. Some of them go all the way back to kindergarten, which begins at age 3 in Germany. So, we're talking decades here. One girlfriend in particular is my trusty driver and almost always available for a dinner date.
My visits to the old country provide a perfect opportunity for a get-together. In fact, my friends don't usually meet unless I'm coming. The exception was last year when my business school mates organized their first ever reunion without me. I saw photos, of course. I was therefore thrilled that seven of us could get together during my recent visit. It amazes me what great memories some people have. "Do you remember our trip to...?" Blank stares were my only answer since I didn't recollect that trip at all. Although we had parted ways at age 16 and our lives took us in many different directions, it did not matter. We soon chatted away as if we met regularly.
After school, I joined a club where my brother was also a member. When everybody started a family, the club folded but a couple of years ago they started to meet again every three to four months, each time at a different restaurant. This time they organized a meeting during my stay. Again, the words "do you remember" echoed from the walls as we recollected funny or embarrassing moments from our trips together. As we talked away the hours, I wondered in disbelief whether it had really been twenty years since we sat together just like this. Of course, life has left its mark on all of us. Some of us had to endure serious illnesses or surgeries while others struggled to find a job. Yet, for one evening we were transported back to our youth which is probably why people go to reunions in the first place. May we all have many more reunions to celebrate!

Spaghetti ice, rain and white storks

I just returned from a trip to Germany. For the first two days, temperatures hovered in the 90s, but then they dropped considerably. So much so that cool, rainy days seemed to be in the majority. The weather affected people's moods and limited my outdoor activities. Unlike during other visits, I was not able to go for a ride until my last day. Stuck in a small town without a car, my days dragged on forever while my dates with friends mostly took place during evenings. One highlight was a mini-reunion from my business school where I met two "girls" I hadn't seen since 1974.
As the title suggests, a visit to Germany is not complete without eating several portions of spaghetti ice. This concoction consists of whipped cream topped by vanilla ice cream which is pushed through a press (similar to a potato press, I assume) and then covered with strawberry topping and white chocolate flakes. Thus, it looks just like spaghetti and tomato sauce, but tastes much better.
Years ago, white storks were reintroduced to my hometown and this time, I was finally able to take some photos of them. I know my pictures aren't very good, but it's the best I could do without a telephoto lens. There were four storks, but one was missing. Mrs. Stork was recently killed during an encounter with a power line. I hope that Mr. Stork finds another mate. I heard that he is quite finicky and won't accept just any lady that comes along. I wish daddy and the kids all the best.