Hello! Thanks for dropping by. The butterflies that Kristi and the boys have been caring for came out of their coverings yesterday! Kristi put this one on my yellow flowers so I could get some photos. What a sweet butterfly, it posed so nicely for me. :-) This is a Painted Lady Butterfly.
I came home from volunteering at Multnomah Falls yesterday to find that Kristi and Dayle had done some decorating for the 4th of July BBQ we're having next week. Kristi got all the decorations for us!
We're all very excited about the butterflies that hatched. 5 butterflies are about to enjoy a very pretty part of the world. Dayle got to release one, we're letting the others get strong and will release them later today.
Caleb has a butterfly on his shirt.
Hayden held one on his finger.
We had some new visitors to our bird feeder the other day - a pair of Cedar Waxwings.. Kristi got some neat photos of this one.
I love the beautiful muted colors of this bird!
Kristi put a Hydrangea bloom in the butterfly habitat and sprinkled sugar water on it for the butterflies to eat.
I converted a few more of my photos with "Waterloque" app and love how this young Hydrangea flower came out.
And the Lantana looks pretty.
And the red cherries on our tree.
Kristi also got us a patriotic wreath for the door and the red, white and blue tin star.
The boys are really enjoying the pool Kristi and Travis put up last year. We're having a hot weather run and it's supposed to get up to 100 degrees tomorrow! It was in the 90s yesterday and is nearly there now before noon today!
This is really unusual weather for Oregon.. this kind of heat is usually only during August. We're having a bit of a drought. The bad part is that the streams are warming and low and some fish are dying. Not good.
We'll be leaving on our road trip adventure in a week and a half. AAA put together this map for us. One change is that we're heading up to Lake Tahoe and I didn't tell the man at AAA that part. On the way back we're going to visit the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. We'll be quite the Road Warriors after this!
I'll be heading to the pool soon. A good day to spend an hour cooling off, I'd say! What are you up to today? Do tell! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)
I cannot WAIT for your vacation trip postings ! I love the idea of sugar water on hydrangeas to feed the butterflies. I must work on this. Our joe pye weed is supposedly the thing for butterflies, but they NEVER go to it. The Fourth decor is great!
ReplyDeleteYour trip is going to be so exciting, so much to see. The boys look so happy in the pool and with those magnificent butterflies. Have a wonderful weekend teresa.
ReplyDeleteMeredith
The butterflies are beautiful and I just love the watercolor effect of your flower pictures. We are planning a big road trip in 2 years.....hopefully it will include oregon.
ReplyDeleteI'm mostly staying inside where it's cool and working on some artwork...kind of a shame to miss this outdoor sunshine but it's just a major overdose!
ReplyDeleteYellowstone and Grand Teton are amazing! I can highly recommend a side trip to Santa Fe out of Albuquerque. :-) Hubby and I are planning a trip to Glacier NP in Sept. when he's retired. Can't wait.
You must be getting so excited about your trip. How long are you going to be gone? Your watercolour pictures are gorgeous - especially the cherry one. The butterflies came out beautifully.
ReplyDeleteJudy
A fairly tiresome day today, let's not dwell on it. It looks like you had a good day though, the butterflies and waxwings are wonderful. Not much rain here either, it's all been really dry. I hope you have a lovely weekend. CJ xx
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to hatch out the butterflies, the boys must have loved it. They look cool in the pool,what a wonderful place they are growing up in such lucky lads. Your road trip looks awesome but a lot of miles! Looking forward to the photos. Enjoy your weekend x
ReplyDeleteHi Teresa, your trip is going to be so much fun. I know that you'll take lots of photos to share with us. The butterflies are so pretty and that bird, he must be related to the cardinal. I agree . . . I love his muted tones. Your watercolors are fab . . . I know that you said they are digital, but they look so artistic and real. They would be lovely framed.
ReplyDeleteTry to stay out of the sun . . . it's going to be hot. It is 101 here today.
Keep smiling,
Your blogging sister, Connie :)
The boys must be learning so much with the butterflies. It's really good for them. I'm glad Kristi did that with them. The pool looks really fun. The boys look really tall in it! I hope you all stay cool in the heat wave.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling we're going to be seeing some lovely vacation photos! :) I, too, love Cedar Waxwings. They are so pretty and pristine looking, aren't they?! Love how that app transforms your photos into watercolors. Very nice! Love your butterflies, too! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks again for all those lovely images! Next week we are taking a mini break up to Coffs Harbour near Queensland (1400km north of us) and I'm looking forward to visiting the Coffs Harbour Butterfly House while we're there. We also have a lovely Butterfly House here at our own Melbourne Zoo. It's just wonderful you've raised these delicate creatures yourselves! Also beautiful photos of the Cedar Waxwing. Xox
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm laying here, staying cool with a glass of iced tea at my side being WOWed as I read [and reread] this post!!! The new butterflies are beautiful as are the Cedar Waxwings, the decorations for the 4th and your Waterlogue photos. I'm so glad the boys get to witness the butterflies take flight into the wonderful world around them, and that the boys get to cool off in the pool! Rosie just got to slide down the tiny slide in the girls wading pools yesterday with her mom keeping her steady and Joy launched all by herself [again and again]. Molly just turned 6 recently asked her mom with concern, "Who is our lifeguard?" Her mom replied, Hayley is primary and I am secondary." Molly then announced, "And I am legendary!" :-)
ReplyDeleteI am soooo excited about your trip! You are going to get to see so much amazing territory as well as have wonderful visits with your family...and you are practically driving right through where I lived for 15 years in Missouri just south of Kansas City! I hope to see you before you go and wish you
Bon Voyage! xx
The boys are so cute~
ReplyDeleteBut..how lucky are you to be able to decorate so many days ahead of time?
I cannot even water a plant one day ahead of time;)
So many occasions..are rained out..
w/out the weatherman knowing it is coming..and sometimes it is rained out..and should not have been.~
I like Waterlogue too:)
Have a wonderful adventure!
Your trip sounds like it will be so much fun! I am looking forward to seeing photos of your adventures! The boys looks like they are having so much fun in that pool.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful to release the butterflies. Your garden looks so pretty. And with that heat you need a pool. I have not put ours up yet in the u.k. but hoping to do soon. Your road trip looks fab.
ReplyDeleteRosezeeta.
Stayed cool in my car and out shopping where it's cool for a bit of groceries. Found a couple pair of capris on sale which I needed. Old ones were too big! The butterflies are lovely! Have a good trip across country. I will have to look up Waterlogue. That would be interesting for my photos too. Stay cool over where you are!!!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen a cedar waxwing before. Of course, I thought I'd never seen a Western Meadowlark (oregon State bird) before either and there it was at my mom & dad's house shortly after I became aware of my knowledge gap...
ReplyDeleteHave fun on your trip.
That vacation sounds wonderful! Beautiful birds and butterflies. I bet the boys loved seeing them emerge. Makes it really special.
ReplyDeleteWow, your travels are going to be amazing!! So many wonderful sights to see and place to go!! The butterflies are amazing aren't they, I imagine that the boys really enjoyed seeing them emerge and fly off. I love your watercolour pictures too! xx
ReplyDeleteWhat a great photo of the butterly (first one on this post) and your gazebo is looking wonderful. Gosh, I didn't realise you had a pool too !! You have your own little paradise on your farm. The map of your trip seems to be a fair way - I'm not well up on distances in your country but it looks like a huge trip. How long will you be away? Enjoy the rest of your weekend. xox
ReplyDeleteThis is such a great post Teresa. The butterflies are stunning. How cool for the boys to watch the entire process. Kristi did a wonderful job on the decorations too. We're planning a huge bar-b-que at the lake for the 4th and it's going to be hot, hot, hot! I have never seen it so hot here, so early in the season. It's getting a bit scary. What a neat thing to get the map from AAA. I never think to do that. I know you'll have many, many photos to share with us as you travel. Stay cool!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Betsy
What a wonderful adventure you have planned. The boys seem to be having fun in the pool and seeing the butterflies is amazing.
ReplyDeleteLoving your Waterlogue pics. Looking forward to the load of photo's after your gargantuan road trip.
ReplyDeleteIn my younger years I traveled and worked with a lady that sold fabrics, beads, patterns, etc. to art doll artisans. Her business is "Treasures of the Gypsy" (she now lives in New Mexico). We traveled from San Diego to shows in the N., S., E. & W. Our longest trip was to Silver Springs, MD. On that trip we stopped along the way and visited doll artisans. One gal I remembered was in TN her name is Akira Blount. She & her husband (photographer) created art dolls that included the flora from around their farmstead. Pamela and I had fun times on the road - we called ourselves "The Gypsy Truckers". Communication with those at home was done by email with my trusty "Pocket PC" a crud precursor of the iPad/cell phone. You'd type your email then when you located a land line you would couple the Pocket PC to the telephone, dial a 800 number and send your email. Oh, those where the days . . . LOL
Such fantastic butterflies! Love the colourful pictures, and seeing your boys having summer fun too. I think your trip sounds amazing and look forward to hearing about it very much.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a happy new week.
Helen xox
It's great that the boys have been able to enjoy this experience re the butterflies. It's been very hot here today - I don't enjoy it really. I am looking forward to your trip!!! :-). I'm having an easier week this week. Hugs Anne x
ReplyDeleteCannot wait to hear your road trip adventures! Will you blog-as-you-go? Ir keep us in suspense til you get back ?
ReplyDeleteIt's stupidly hot here, in the 99's, we have no aircon in our houses or at school, so it's unbearable and we are all grumpy. Except hubby who has ac at work. I said I wanted to sleep in his office tonight !!
How lovely! Just catching up now. Looking forward to your trip posts.
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