The Pear Tree

So happy to see these buds after the butchering we gave this pear tree earlier in the Spring. 

There's a backstory of asking for and waiting for help over several years to trim this tree only to realize it was up to us to do the work ourselves or hire it professionally. We did it ourselves.

He will survive after all, perhaps even giving us bigger pears. And in a few years, his discarded twigs and branches will fuel backyard fires. 

 

Coexistence in the Gardens

 

Insects on flowers series: aphids on calendula; bumblebee on chives; ant on peony; wasp on calendula. Summer began with bumblebees and ants pollinating the chives and peonies. Summer ended with aphids and wasps visiting the calendula.

Time to Fly (just about)

It's getting a bit crowded in the nest. The baby finches were squawking and pushing, so I decided it was time to capture them on film before they fly. Momma arrived on our wind chime to scold me and warn her babies to be quiet. They literally froze, for minutes, until I left. Haven't yet gotten a photo of the third and fourth ones. 

Guardian of the Nest

 

Urban Duck in Lake Michigan

Spied this guy swimming free in Lake Michigan just a few paddles away from the Shedd Aquarium. Image taken during husband's academic conference in Chi-town.

Family Moment

 

These family photos were taken on the final day of our summer vacation at the cabin on Sweet Lake, less than a month before dropping Sam off at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities for his first year of college. It was a bittersweet respite, with Sam struggling to "be with" us while trying to stay in contact via sketchy WIFI with his friends. I was sad that I couldn't get him or Tom out to kayak with me on the lake more, a sacred ritual for me. On the water I watched the loons guiding their chick, reminded of my similar role as Sam's mother. I am conflicted by my fear of that ending while excited for his new beginning. 

Last Breaths

A sadder moment of vacation at the cabin on Sweet Lake was when this sharp-shinned hawk crashed into an upper window and broke its neck. Sam and Tom sadly witnessed it taking its last breath. We buried it in a pile of leaves in the woods.