Eek! Batik!

Phew, hot and humid.  We're both going stir-crazy because it's just too hot and humid to be outside much during the day/evening, so we braved another early-morning trip to the botanical garden.  Heat index at 9 a.m.:  97 degrees.  This Midwestern girl was just not cut out to live in the South!   

Heat notwithstanding, it was another enjoyable walk.  Lots of butterflies.

Beautiful and unique leaf formations and color shades.

Beautiful light.

Some things going to seed...proof that the season is progressing.

Still, plenty of blooms abound.

We were greeted by a Gandalf-like goose.  "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"

But he finally stepped aside.

The ducks took no notice of us.  All that cleaning, and now he has to find a way to get the feathers out of his nostril!

I loved seeing a garden spider, too, and one of the zig-zaggy-est webs I've ever seen.

[Look away if you're spider-averse!]

Back at home, our juvenile red-tailed hawk is still making the rounds.

I've seen another one with him - a mate?  Sibling?  Parent?  The goz have started to fly now, but I don't know how our "Flipper" is faring.  He still looks plenty plump, but I don't see how he'll be able to take to the air with those wings.

I have done zero - zip - nada in our yard in the past month.  Between the fire ants, hordes of mosquitoes, and heat/humidity, I have no interest in spending any time there right now.  Thankfully, those vinca I transplanted have really taken off like gangbusters.  Talk about effortless beauty!  Well, almost effortless.

Within the house, our cats provide plenty of entertainment.  Bosewichte loves to lay on my keyboard when I'm trying to work.

See the other lazy cat in this picture?  Here's another one.  Lazy, lazy!

I am still waiting on the batting to arrive for my Wallflower quilt, but I splurged on some really nice fabric for my next one.  It's batik, which is a little out of my comfort zone.

My next quilt is called Garden Snails, and I'm really excited to get started!  It's another whimsical quilt and exactly the opposite of the more traditional types of quilts I thought I'd be making, but I'm just going with how I feel in the moment.  This week is busy, but hopefully I'll have at least one snail square finished soon.

Have a great week!