The winding country road with a few Autumn leaves.
In the weeks ahead our deciduous trees
will be shedding their leaves.
I've started filling the bird feeders
with wild bird seeds so they don't go hungry.
The weather is still mild but each morning
when I wake up and look out the window
there is a large flock of various birds
sitting on the brick wall
and in the trees waiting for me!
In the weeks ahead our deciduous trees
will be shedding their leaves.
I've started filling the bird feeders
with wild bird seeds so they don't go hungry.
The weather is still mild but each morning
when I wake up and look out the window
there is a large flock of various birds
sitting on the brick wall
and in the trees waiting for me!
Toiletries make lovely birthday gifts!
A family of Pukeko at the garden centre.
Pukeko is the Maori name for them
you may know them as Swamp Hens.
Pukeko is the Maori name for them
you may know them as Swamp Hens.
All across New Zealand children are learning
about the life sycle of the Monarch butterfly.
They lay their eggs on Swan plants
then feed on their host until they form a
chrysalis and emerge as a butterfly.
Because of the high demand
garden centres often run out of Swan plants.
A collection of books on one of my bookshelves.
I'm joining
Amy for Five on Friday
Nancy for Random 5 Friday
Tanya for Willy Nilly Friday
Cath for Fun Friday Favourites
and
That Swan Plant looks interesting and is useful too. I think I have seen these seedheads (?) in a florist shop here. Have a lovely weekend!
ReplyDeleteThat lovely winding country road looks a lot like the area where I live - always good to feel the fresh air. Love those blue hens, looking very cute, and I'd like to go through your books, Shane. It looks like a pleasant week. Enjoy your weekend - I'll guess Autumn is starting to show its face over in NZ. xx
ReplyDeleteI love your family of Pukeko.
ReplyDeletei bet that lotion smells wonderful! love your book collection and those cute pukekos! i've never heard of them before! thank you so much for linking and have a great weekend!!
ReplyDeleteFive beautiful photos. Books always fascinate me, so they certainly drew the eye.
ReplyDeleteI've not come across swan plants before, that's a new one on me
ReplyDeleteDearest Shane, thank you for sharing moments of your week with us!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a lovely and joyful weekend, my dear friend,
sending love and hugs and blessings,
Claudia xo
I love nice creams and things to keep our skin youthful! And I would enjoy sitting with the stack of books and reading! Enjoy your weekend! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a wonderful week Shane! I love the fall and changing colors of the leaves. Hope you have a wonderful weekend. :)
ReplyDeleteIn my corner, the monarch lay their eggs on milkweed. So fun to see what they do in your corner. You are being such a good friend to the birds. No wonder they are eager to greet you each morning!
ReplyDeleteThat's so interesting about the Swan plant. I enjoy being reminded of a different season happening in your part of our world. Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteShane, each of these photographs could be the beginning of a story.
ReplyDeleteI particularly like the swan plant. I've also seen them over here, but didn't know their connection to butterflies.
Thank you! xo
I don't think we have Swan plant here. I'm going to have to do a little search for them. We plant common milkweed for the Monarchs, and now, they're making a comeback. The Pukeko are cute!
ReplyDeleteAs usual great photos. I love the one of the winding road with a few fall leaves. Have a blessed day. Madeline
ReplyDeleteThose swan plants look so unusual to me when we're looking at tulips and bluebells at the moment. :-)
ReplyDeleteYour winding road photo is lovely. Yes, we always have the birds looking forward to their gourmet meals in the feeders. Always a stack of fun books is pure joy, especially ones I see in your stack. Attracting the monarchs is such a good thing. I haven't heard of the Swan plant. Happy weekend, dear Shane!
ReplyDeleteI remember years ago, seeing the migration of the Monarch butterflies in an Imax theatre. The effect was amazing. What brave little insects they are.
ReplyDeleteHi Shane,
ReplyDeleteLove the swan plant and any plant that supplies food for the monarch! The Pukeko are too cute ... I want some! :) :) Books ... can never have too many books and yes, toiletries make lovely birthday gifts. I would like to walk down that road and see what is around the corner. Happy Friday!
I have never seen a swan plant before, it looks quite spiky. I saw an interesting article about the migration patterns of monarch butterflies on the web somewhere, I now wish I had bookmarked it to find out more about these butterflies. At least I now know they feed on swan plants! Have a lovely weekend.
ReplyDeleteDearest Shane,
ReplyDeleteSome lovely pictures of your week.
The arrival of fall can be very pretty.
We have cool (for the time of the year) weather and it rains...
So I go on with scanning my 2nd half of photo albums.
Hugs and happy weekend to you.
Mariette
Dear Shane,
ReplyDeleteLovely to see some photos from your week - and yes, Autumn is here and days are certainly a lot cooler. Always fun to watch the cycle of the Monarch butterfly from the caterpillar, chrysalis to the beautiful butterfly. I have the same hand lotion and how sweet the little family of Pukeko are.
Enjoy your weekend
hugs
Carolyn
A wonderful five, Shane and how did I not know about the swan plant?
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your weekend reading!
Interesting post and lovely pictures. Linking from Suzanne's blog. I don't have any grandchildren yet but we do have 4 french nephews - hubby's sister is married to a Frenchman and lives in Dunkerque. Have a good weekend.
ReplyDeleteLove your photos!! You are in New Zealand? Here in New YOrk State it is just spring and so everything is popping up green and the flowers are finally blooming! Love your blog! Thanks for sharing your faves
ReplyDeleteLovely Five! And fall approaches. Beautiful photos document your day.
ReplyDeleteSuch interesting subjects. Strange to me. Swan plant? Swamp hens? Love seeing what other people are reading. And so strange to see falling leaves when we've just begun to mow our lawns again as spring is coming on. Isn't blogging a wonderful thing? I'm so glad I wasn't born fifty years sooner.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely post! So nice to meet someone from another part of the world. Thanks for joining in and hope you will again!
ReplyDeleteIt was so interesting to read that in New Zealand the monarch butterflies feast on a different plant than here in Southern California. I saw a monarch in the garden this morning hovering over my milkweed plants which is what they eat here.
ReplyDeleteHave a happy week!
Shane, your blog is always an oasis of calm. I love your photos this week dear lady. Thanks for linking at Five Star Frou-Frou. Love, Mimi xxx
ReplyDeleteDear Shane:
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear the birds of New Zealand are well loved and fed. I am feeding them in Columbia, Missouri! Also the naughty squirrels too. But I do enjoy the bunnies coming in the yard. Thanks for sharing and linking your lovely photos.
I found the swan plant reference to be really interesting Shane. Here the monarchs like milkweed plants, which have been treated as noxious weeds for many years. Now the ban is being lifted (albeit slowly) because the powers that be have come to realize how the monarchs rely on it.
ReplyDelete