Orange, Brown, and Gold

 Last evening, Sam and I decided to take a little ride out to the farm.  Our mission?  ALLIGATOR SPOTTING.🐊

Apparently, this is what passes for evening entertainment around here.  

We drove around, looked across the water, stared into all the places where we had seen the gator in the past.....and NOTHING.  I think he or she purposely hides from us when it hears the truck headed down the small incline to the lake.  

While the gator was a no-show, something else caught my eye....FALL COLORS!!! 🍂  There were touches of orange and brown and little gold showing up among all the greenery.  For half a second, I thought, Well, look at that! Maybe fall is trying to sneak into Texas a bit early...   Of course, the air conditioning was on full blast in the truck, so at the time the heat wasn't a factor in my thoughts..

THEN... the biggest grasshopper I've ever seen flew onto the windshield and my mind came back to reality that it is AUGUST...the hottest month of the year.  🔥🔥

It's not FALL..  The leaves aren't changing, they are surrendering.  They have simply had enough and I think they are basically saying..."We gave it our best but enough is enough."

So, no alligator sighting this time, and definitely no cool autumn breeze.  Just Sam and me, a little country ride through the fields, some heat-stressed leaves and triple digit Texas temps.. 

Happy Friday...

Shug...

BEE'S - Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday.....

Joining Michelle today @

It's A Small Town Life 

 Every now and then, it’s worth saying thank you to one of the hardest workers on the planet… the "BEE".

 They don’t make a lot of noise about what they accomplish. They just simply go from flower to flower, doing the job they were created to do.

And what an important job it is.

Without bees, many of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and flowers we enjoy would struggle to survive.  I know in our business of growing all kinds of trees, the crops would struggle or fail. 

Their tiny wings carry more than pollen—they help keep gardens blooming, fields producing, and nature in balance. It’s amazing to think that something so small has such a big impact on our world.  It saddens me to think of how many of them are killed by the use of chemicals.

So today, I’m thankful for the bees—for their purpose, their persistence, and the beautiful reminder that even the smallest among us can make the biggest difference. 

It’s easy to see why people often say that if bees thrive, so does the world.

Shug...🐝

An August Kind of Hodgepodge

Wednesday Hodgepodge: 

An August kind of Hodgepodge

Joining ...."From this side of the Pond".

Joyce Asks the Questions:

We Answer the Questions:

 1. What's something on your August calendar you're looking forward to? Or dreading if that's easier to answer. 

This is my Birthday month...I will be happy to be celebrated with a birthday dinner, but...at this point I'm thinking I might start going backwards on the years!! 😂 🤣

2. August 5th is National Oyster Day...do you partake? How do you feel about pearls? 

I don't do oysters.  I have tried one that was baked with parmesan cheese and it was okay...not anything that I can get excited about. 

Pearls:  I love them... Sam gave me a double stringed pearl necklace for our 30th anniversary. I honestly wouldn't mind wearing a string of pearls everyday!!  Just call me June Cleaver!!!! 

3. Tell us about a time when you felt like 'the world was your oyster'. 

People often say, “The world is your oyster,” as if every road is open and every dream is just waiting to be claimed. I’ve heard that saying my whole life, but if I’m being truthful, I’m not sure I’ve ever really felt that way. Maybe it’s because life has always come with responsibilities, doubts, or the feeling that I needed to be practical instead of fearless. I don’t remember ever standing at the edge of possibility believing I could simply choose any path I wanted. But perhaps the beauty isn’t in believing the whole world belongs to us. Maybe it’s in realizing that no matter our age or where we’ve been, there are still unopened doors, unexpected adventures, and little pieces of life waiting to surprise us.

4. Trip Advisor lists seven islands in the US that require no passport (for US citizens). If you're answering today from outside the US you'll still need to produce yours. An-y-way, have you been to any of the seven? Let's pretend you get an all expense paid trip to one this month...which one do you choose and why? 

Catalina Island California~Martha's Vineyard Massachusetts~Mackinac Island Michigan~Key West Florida~South Padre Island Texas~or Kauai Hawaii

From the ones listed above, I would choose Mackinac Island Michigan!!  A place that is on my bucket list...

I have been to South Padre Island Texas and I have been to Kauai Hawaii

5. Sylvia Plath is credited with the following- 

"August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time."

Agree or disagree? In other words, how do you feel about this month? 

Hmmm...  right now I would have to disagree..  

a. No rain in sight around here...

b. Summer is still in full force here and most likely will be until the end of September.

c.  Only Fall that could possibly be seen in August is the dead leaves because it is so hot and dry..

d. unsettled? Yes!!  

August is not my favorite month... It's way too hot!  My kiddos are all going back to teaching or college, and the utilities are a lot more expensive!! 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Somewhere, pumpkins are showing up in stores  while I'm still trying to survive triple -digit temperatures....  Hey August...I'm still buying watermelons!!! 

Shug....🍉

Butterfly Reflections

 I looked out and spotted this beautiful Eastern Tiger Swallowtail enjoying one of my flowers. It stayed just long enough for me to grab a picture before fluttering off to its next stop.

Isn’t it amazing how something so small can make you stop what you’re doing and just smile?

I love that these little visitors never send a text to say they’re coming. lol... 😂 They just show up, brighten my day for a few minutes, and leave me hoping they’ll stop by again tomorrow.

_______

A few photos from the backporch.....

We have a cooler morning happening right here in East Texas..  But...the sun popped up and in just a few hours the thermometer will read in the upper 90's or the low 100's.  😬🌞🕶️.

Turk's Caps blooming....

I've already seen several hummingbirds this morning and a red bird.  Guess I need to mention some crows as well.  

My Banana trees are doing great this year...

How sweet it is to be able to sit on the porch and enjoy the beauty.

Now....if only the butterfly could teach the squirrels and hummingbirds to pose for

 pictures....this would make for a fun day...

Y'all have a great day!!

Shug......🦋