Bountiful Beauty

The day began normally, with me going out to check on the livestock as soon as it was light. Everything was fine, but I also noted that the baby fantail pigeons were hopping in and out of their nest on the bottom shelf, while all the while their mother kept a close watch on them. Their scraggly tails were trying to feather out, giving them a comical appearance:

 Back in the house, I noticed just outside the front door that the Rose Mallows were looking uncommonly beautiful. I took a photo of them from the front door, while they were still in the shade of the house. Everything seemed to look unusually beautiful:

 I hopped in the car to drive to town but was stopped alongside my own lawn by hundreds of Painted Lady butterflies. When I got out of the car to try to photograph them, I noticed these minuscule flowers at my feet, the plants barely 3" tall but covered with blossoms:

 They were the European Centaury which I'd discovered and identified only a week earlier. Apparently they are spreading across my lawn. I may yet dig some up and try them in my terrarium:

 I walked over to the New England Asters, which appeared to be the main attraction for the hundreds of Painted Lady butterflies. I noticed that there were also Monarch butterflies. They were much less numerous but easier to photograph because they were bigger and less flighty:

 The Painted Ladies were more difficult. Whenever I moved, a cloud of them would rise into the air, making photography difficult. I did manage to get this photo of a Painted Lady, top left - and a Monarch, bottom right:

 Three Painted Ladies, one in flight (the blur). As if the New England Asters were not themselves memorable enough, a cloud of orange and black butterflies surely added to the extravaganza:

 I walked around the house and noticed the Mandarin Honeysuckle, planted this year. It had grown enough that I had to tie it up to the slats on the trellis I'd built. They are reportedly super hardy, so I expect to see it grow much more next year:

 And the new Dolly Madison hybrid Asiatic Lily was still blooming profusely:

 I did some weed-whacking and then collected some windfall apples, half a bucket full, to give to the herd. Yes, I know I had decided not to give them any more, but I figured a half bucket wouldn't hurt:

 And the cows and horses were appreciative. Apples to them are like candy. Yes, it was a day filled with wondrous beauty. It's always there, of course, but easier to see on some days than others: