Sunday, August 17, 2025

Library picks and butterflies

Since Saturday was to be hot -- feels like 90s sort of day, high humidity, of course, this is NJ after all, I got out early to the library to pick up my weekend ( who am I kidding? It's all weekend) viewing.



I've seen many clips from The Imitation Game about Alan Turing and the breaking of the German Enigma code, and I've seen and read Brideshead more than once. It used Castle Howard, a familiar stately home near where I grew up, as a location. And one of the main characters has my family name. Odd feeling of connection in a way.

And I'm ready with this on my Kindle 


All in all, enough to go along with while I considered what artwork and what frame. 

I think one of this summer's drawings, because you're supposed to show forward movement, not dusty old items you've had lying around. Particularly at my age, I'd like to show I'm still alive in art. 

I managed to be on the deck a while, despite the heat,  drinking tea, eating plum torte, watering flowers and watching butterflies and moths.

The weather and the lack of noisy humans suits them fine. I saw two species of clearwing hummingbird moths, several monarchs, a viceroy and a tiger swallowtail all zooming around overhead in the butterfly bushes. And the thermals must have been good today, a couple of turkey vultures gliding in lazy circles. 

Most of my photography was unsuccessful, but here's what I ended with, see if you can spot what's there.





This is just a closeup of lovely shapes and negative space

There's one of the turkey vultures over head. 

Happy day everyone, enjoy your day whatever it contains.





30 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you. They were the best of a struggle!

      Delete
  2. The Imitation Game was a great movie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are some great actors in it. One played the Irish son in law in Downtown Abbey.

      Delete
  3. Absolutely wonderful photos. Is that a butterfly, a hummingbird, or a hummingbird moth?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One is a clear wing, the one against a lot of sky a turkey vulture.

      Delete
    2. I recognized the turkey vulture. It was the clearwing I wondered about. Beautiful!

      Delete
    3. Also I'd labeled the turkey vulture. Doh me!

      Delete
  4. I saw one of those moths in the garden a few days ago. I have seldom seen them, and I think it was a first for Sue. It was quite a small one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love to see them, and yesterday was the first time I'd seen more than one at a time.

      Delete
  5. Butterflies are notoriously difficult to capture on camera. You did well, Boud. Butterflies are one of nature’s special gifts.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're telling me! I discarded pictures where the butterfly had vanished into the foliage though it was clearly visible to me at the time.

      Delete
  6. I saw "The Imitation Game" several times when it first came out -- Benedict Cumberbatch is so wonderful in the role! And "Brideshead Revisited" is a favourite of mine too, the book and the original mini-series with Jeremy Irons. But I still haven't been able to see the 2008 movie remake of it, which I would like to do.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mainly it's the leading actors that are the big deal for me. Without Irons what's the point..

      Delete
  7. Great to try to capture the critters we see. I just followed a tiger swallowtail with my eyes the other day, who led me to a blue darter dragonfly. Neither were going to wait for the camera, alas!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, best to enjoy watching because you're lucky if you get pictures too.

      Delete
  8. Buzzards get such a bad rap and I understand why but they are an important part of our ecosystem. They do the necessary dirty work!
    I saw a hummingbird moth the other day. I think. It was such a quick glimpse. It may have been a hummingbird.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so grateful to turkey vultures for cleaning up all the roadkill around here, a lot of traffic colliding with poor animals. We're the beneficiaries of the winged garbage collectors.

      Delete
  9. The protest went well with many people driving by - waving and honking their support - only 2 people gave us the finger so that's not bad! It was so hot, though, I really relaxed for the rest of the day.
    Another lazy day today - reading, cross stitch, making tacos for dinner.
    I don't know nature like you do but I still enjoy it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your time and work on resistance. We owe you.

      Delete
  10. I also read and watched Brideshead and really enjoyed both. You got some good photos. I also like Lily King.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I'd read Brideshead and was impressed at how well they'd adapted it.
      Lily King is one of those writers I try to get everyone to experience, like Robin Wall kimmerer Kate Atkinson, Barbara Pym. Their writing adds a dimension to your life.

      Delete
  11. Good to enjoy the air before it gets too hot and to appreciate the peace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I missed out a couple of days recently. Even early morning was already too hot and 90% that is not a typo, humidity.

      Delete
  12. I saw a butterfly and a bird soaring above
    I’ve seen the movie imitation game. He was not treated well in the end at all
    So sad a brilliant man, who saved countless lives and shortened the war but all they fixated on was his sexuality
    When I first moved here, 37 years ago. There were lots of butterfly’s and Christmas Beatles and so many other insects. But now you hardly see them at all.
    I suspect it has something to do with a lo the farms in the area and they’re constant spraying of chemicals. Nut of course I can’t prove it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The treatment of gays was terrible, and even when the law was changed, there's still such prejudice and ignorance.
      It wouldn't surprise me if spraying wiped out a lot of insect life including benevolent ones. Collateral damage.

      Delete
  13. just watched Keira Knightly in Black Doves on Netflix, and that was really good.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I just realized I had her confused with Keeley Hawes. I was wonder why her acting style had changed.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Imitation Game is a really good movie and one I would like to see again. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
    We are expecting the return of the huge flock of vultures any day now. There seems to be a pair that stick around all summer and we see them off and on with two or three 'extras' that we assume are young ones. Spring and fall we see an influx of well over a hundred of them as they pass through here on their migration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a massive flock. We have residents, and usually the most we see in a group is five or six. Probably the competition for food dictates how many per territory. I must look up migrating vultures, didn't know they migrated.

      Delete

Please read the comments before yours and see if your question is already answered!