Free Shows

Wow, I get free shows for my ears and eyes every morning and evening here in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.

I wake up to the sound of MANY birds singing outside my house.  The weather is nice enough that I can sleep with the windows open.  There are trees on all sides, which means birds of all types serve as my gentle alarm clock.  I kept thinking I heard a bell like a child would have on their tricycle and finally figured out it was a bird.  The blue jays screech noisily but are overcome by the variety of songs from the mockingbirds and others.  

I am thrilled that "my" beautiful gold finches are back.  They are so tiny that they can sit right on top of my most flimsy flowers that have gone to seed. I'm not sure how they sound but they are neon yellow and fascinating to watch with their incredible sense of balance.

My visual show comes in the form of my flowers that I've spent over ten years cultivating.  My goal was to look out every window and see flowers and that goal has been reached!  The interesting thing with flowers is that they are different each day as some varieties finish and others start blooming.

Below my bathroom window

These yellow lilies came up as volunteers near my front porch.

Grandmother May always planted Indian Blanket so these reminds me of her.

One of my favorites is Purple Balloon flowers because they bloom all summer.

 My very favorite is hydrangeas as they, too, bloom most of the summer.  This photo is from last year.  Last winter was a harsh one so they haven't started blooming yet.

Last week just at dusk a doe was eating grass in the field (not a lawn because it only gets mowed every month, unlike a lawn that gets mowed every week) in front of my house.  She was closer than the width of a football field.  I was on the deck the first evening and stood very still.  She would eat, look at me, move closer and eat some more.  Then, without warning, she bounded effortlessly across the fence into my neighbor's trees.  Sorry, there are no photos because it was too dark.

As it starts to get dark, the light show begins.  I have never seen so many fireflies in my life!  During my first week here I got up during the night and thought there were laser lights outside.  It took me several minutes to realize they were fireflies because, not only are they skimming across the top of the grass, they were also as high as the tallest dark trees in the background.

I will never cease to appreciate the wonderful free shows that Mother Nature furnishes each day and night!

p.s.  I got a surprise visual show last evening.  I looked out my window to see four small skunks huddling together as they walked down my driveway.  Needless to say, I stayed quietly inside!