My own beautiful little world... close to home

I've been staying close to home this summer. The weather has been conducive to gardening and I have been fortunate enough to get plenty of calls from people who need their gardens cleared of weeds and their overgrown shrubbery pruned. It is great work, and it keeps me outside for hours on end. Needless to say, this has been a happy, relaxing summer.

When I have the opportunity to take walks, I bring my camera and find interesting stuff... frogs, sculptures, pretty gardens with painted rocks, boats, etc. I see birds and rabbits and deer. I find colorful stones to add to my collection. I find ripe raspberries on bushes, waiting for me to taste test them. I meet people who are walking, jogging, riding on bicycles, working on their gardens, or doing various other tasks and activities that can only be done outside.

Here are some pictures of my beautiful little world.

This black eyed Susan is living in my garden. After a thunderstorm, which featured driving rain, thunder, lightning, and hail, the black eyed Susan lost a few petals, but it is still a lovely, vivid flower.

This is stuff that grows in the ditches by the side of the road. There's loads of invasive species in the ditches, as well as the cattails. Purple loosestrife, especially, has taken over. It is pretty but very invasive so it needs to be pulled out by the roots!

I was working in a garden at a local business when I saw this unusual caterpillar. It wanted to be photographed... or maybe not...

Colorful flowers that I saw while I was out walking.

Fly fisherman out in the Niagara River at Buckhorn Island State Park.

Sweet Susie Bear finds a nice seat at Buckhorn Island State Park.

It is good to be a happy pink bear with a soft pillow in your arms.

A family enjoys a day together on their boat in the Niagara River, near Buckhorn Island State Park.

A peaceful day, exploring the water.

Another fly fisherman trying his luck in the Niagara River.

I walked down a side trail at Buckhorn Island State Park and noticed that there were dozens of frogs jumping across the path. Some of them stopped so I could take their pictures. I know that's why they stopped jumping!!!

Here's another one of those jumping frogs.

Susie Bear continues to enjoy the outing.

A bee's busy life.

A few people explore the creek in their kayaks.

Work is great! I could watch it all of the time!!!

Black eyed susan in my garden before the huge storm.

Dedication of the mothers' garden at Riverside Salem environmental chapel on West River Road.

Roger Cook and Carol Alt, who planted the mothers' garden.

Close up view of the mothers' garden.

Small garden on East River Road, dedicated to Becky.

This is a beautiful way to remember Becky.

Beautiful stones, painted to tell a story.

One sunflower in a group of many.

On East River Road, I found this sculpture and fell in love with it at once. This qualifies as "found art." The gentleman who made the sculpture turned some old shovels into a man playing a flute. It reminded me of Orpheus, playing his instrument to awaken the sun every morning. The man playing the flute is looking at the Niagara River, which is to his east, and, thus, he is calling the sun to awaken each day.

There I am with the "Shovelman," the name that the sculptor (Tony) gave it. His wife, Jane, was kind enough to take the photograph.