A female ruby-throated hummingbird sits on a crepe myrtle. ☙
Image #74 – Female Hummingbird
A female ruby-throated hummingbird sits on a crepe myrtle. ☙
Image #73 – Summer’s Bounty II
Today the birds descended on this berry tree behind my house. Like yesterday’s squirrel they seem to enjoy the bounty. ☙
Image #72 – Summer’s Bounty
We are moving into late summer and nature’s bounty is feeding its children. This squirrel has followed the lead of several birds and is feasting on the berries of an as-yet-unidentified tree in my backyard. The cardinals have made several pilgrimages to these berries and they must be quite delicious. Look at the stuffed cheeks on this fellow! In coming months, years I hope to add to this bounty and give the critters what they need. Winter is coming. Those who cannot fly away must pack on the calories and the fat. Everyone has said the last few winters haven’t been too bad. But one never knows, do one? ☙
Image #71 – The Elephant
Watching the BBC’s “Planet Earth” tonight got my memories stirred-up so I’ve dipped into the archives for a picture from my 2008 trip to Uganda, Africa. I was part of a medical mission team and it was a truly wonderful experience. At the end of our week of work we traveled to a resort preserve and went on safari. This is one of the best shots I got that day. I just love the eyelashes. Now, tell me true, did you ever think an elephant could have such gorgeous lashes? ☙
Image #69 – Hummingbirds
There are hummingbirds that come to my feeder. What a treat! You can sit on the porch, with the feeder just a few feet overhead, and the little rascals will zoom in, sometimes stopping to hover and have a look at you. Their aerial abilities are beyond description and, I can tell you, present a challenge to the photographer. All birds, it seems, have an aversion to cameras. Hummingbirds are no exception and their speed and agility make them even more of a challenge.
I did get a picture today of a juvenile sitting on the feeder. I think this is a very young ruby-throat. They are the predominant species here 
but this little guy is still in knickers. Look carefully at the base of his belly and you can still see his downy feathers. Good luck little hummingbird. Live long and prosper. ☙
Image #68 – Tufted Titmouse
A tufted titmouse, one of many, visits my bird feeder. ☙
Image #67 – Dry Falls, NC
Dry Falls, also known as Upper Cullasaja Falls, is a 65-foot (20.1 m) waterfall located in the Nantahala National Forest, northwest of Highlands, North Carolina. ☙
Image #65 – Dry Falls?
Up the road from Franklin, on the way to Highlands, you pass the Dry Falls, a magnificent venue. It has been a wet summer so the falls are anything but dry. You can walk behind the falls and enjoy the cool spray of water. It is a refreshing stop on a summer’s day.☙
Alice's WanderLand 