Over the Weekend

Sometimes it's the simple things that make a weekend pleasant.

Things like sitting on the patio with a front row seat to the hummingbird activity.

Which, in turn, prompted a little activity on my part.

Cleaning & filling the feeder to insure future visits from these sweet little garden friends.

I continue to water the flower pots daily.  Sometimes twice a day.

They are looking a bit like I feel... ready for a breath of cooler air.

Going out to water them at times feels like drudgery.

While performing this drudgery on Saturday morning I was delighted to be joined by this butterfly fluttering around me.  It kept landing on the table and the chairs as if to say "go get the camera lady".  So, I did.

I chased it around the patio for awhile trying to get it to pose for me.  Once it did I went inside to consult my butterfly identification book as I'm not familiar with this one.  The book didn't provide the answer I was looking for. 

I know I'm not alone in the butterfly chasing.  I'm seeing a lot of butterfly posts popping up in blogland.  Maybe one of my fellow butterfly chasers can identify this one for me.

It seems as though Brett has now joined the ranks of the butterfly chasers.

He was out de-cobwebbing the house and came in to fetch the camera.  I was pleased to see that he was photographing butterflies and not cobweb makers.

He asked me to check out his first time efforts.  I gave him bonus points for capturing a bee along with his butterfly.

This weekend one of my favorite shops in the area had a "tailgating tasting event."  While I haven't tailgated in years, I am often making meals for my football loving family to eat during the game.  So, it was fun to get some new ideas.  I like the idea of having this chili starter on hand and the football shaped cheeseball made with this Roasted Garlic Onion Jam was very tasty.  Nice that they provided the recipe too.

After the tailgating tasting event we stopped into Kohl's.
While in the store there was a huge thunderstorm.  The rain pounded on the roof as we did our shopping.  Looking out the doors it seemed to have changed from summer to fall.  It was dark and a bit eerie looking.  Once the rain stopped we headed for the car.  As we were pulling out I was amazed to see this tree in all it's fall finery.  I thought maybe the scents of chili cooking and dark, eerie thunderstorms had confused me into thinking fall was already here.  So, I told Brett to stop the car so I could photograph the tree.
It is, in fact, sporting it's fall colors.  Not quite sure why, but I must admit it looked beautiful to me.

All of this got me thinking that no matter what story the thermometer or the trees are telling, the truth is the summer is winding down. 

On Sunday we decided that it was time to get out on the boat and enjoy the water .  It's been so hot this summer that we've only been out once. 

After baking my weekly bread, we packed a small picnic and headed out.  The only photo I took was of this passing sailboat.  They are always such a pretty sight gliding through the water.

Although it was early (even for me),
I did a wee bit of fall decorating before the weekend was over.
The shop that hosts the tailgating event has the most beautiful inspiration for the seasons.  After sampling the food, I wandered through there gathering ideas for fall.  I liked the way that they adorned the tops of their cabinets and hutches with greenery mixed with fall leaves and berries.  One, in particular, caught my eye.  Realizing that I already had the garland of ferns, I learned from one of the sale's associates that they had stuck some fall picks into it.  She led me to the picks, which were on sale that day.
Once home I felt it pertinent that I copy the display before I forgot how they had done it.  As the season progresses, I plan to change out the white platter with pumpkins or turkeys.  The greenery will be a base to highlight the display.
In the meantime, I don't think it's too obvious that I'm rushing the season a bit.


Each season has it's own unique beauty.
Although it's no secret that I'm looking forward to cooler weather, I will miss many things about the summer.  Things like:

Bare Feet

Corn on the Cob

Watermelon

Cherries

Peaches

Nectarines

Crunchy Cucumbers

Garden Grown Tomatoes

Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Flowers

Fresh from the Garden Herbs

BBQs

Fireflies

Iced Tea on the Patio

I hope you all had a good weekend.
As empty nesters moving close to retirement age, we seem to be finding ourselves with more free time on the weekends.  There was a time when we would have been thrilled to have this much free time on our hands.  Now, we are working toward a balance.  Some work, some relaxing and getting out and about at least one of the days. 
What is your idea of an ideal weekend?