In The Ditch

...near the soccer fields where I walk the dogs, there is a deep ditch that runs along the back edge of the parking area.  Somehow, all on their own, these beauties have popped up amongst the weeds and rocks to brighten an otherwise meaningless space...

A Weed By Any Other Name

...would be the much maligned dandelion.  Thirty million years old (yes, really), it's been used in herbal medicine for centuries; the greens--loaded with nutrients--can be eaten in salads and soups; dandelion wine is surprisingly tasty...and yet this plant is generally considered to be a noxious weed.  This morning, walking through my back garden, bright yellow dandelion flowers buzzing with bees, I couldn't help admiring the resilience in this humble little plant, or the delicate beauty in the seeds...

Busy Bee

...walking back from the mailbox just now--the air heavy and humid, dogs panting, me sweating--I heard the hum of bumblebees in the lavender plants that edge the stone wall in the front yard.  I gave the boys their cookies, then went back out into the inferno to see if I could capture a closeup as I'm still experimenting with the new lens. Caught this guy in mid-flight...