Day: August 24, 2020

Butterfly, August 23, 2020

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Yesterday in the Ninety plus degree heat, I was walking in the Enid Haupt Garden of the Smithsonian Institution. It’s a lovely, expansive treat of a place with a large variety of flowers that you just don’t see in other places. It was fairly late in the afternoon and as it was Sunday, there weren’t too many people about. I don’t know what compelled me to approach this particular bush, but I marched right up to it, as though I was being led by the hand. There, as though it was posing for me, was a lovely monarch butterfly. There was a healthy breeze blowing, so at least half of the photos came out blurry, but that’s okay. The ones that came out are quite nice.

In this photo, you can clearly see the monarch feeding from the blossom with his proboscis.
I have a neighbor who grows this bush. I believe it is called lobelia. Last summer it covered with monarchs. This year I’ve not seen a single one. I feel so lucky that I ran across this beauty.

Carol’s Cheerful Selfie Challenge #1

Published on by Russell Smith5 Comments

This is my entry for Carol’s Cheerful Selfie Challenge #1. Thank you to Cee for leading me to it!

This photo makes me laugh. That’s my husband in the background.
You can’t see it very clearly, but that’s the entrance to the Smithsonian Institution, Sackler Gallery for Asian Art. I’m wearing an Hawaiian shirt.

Ragtag Daily Prompt: Sway

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When Dame Cringeworthy resigned her position in the Queen’s service, competition to replace her was intense. Dame Savage wanted to become a lady in waiting to Queen Pirouette so badly she could taste it. As a cousin of Dame Cringeworthy she had an inside lead on requirements for the job. “You need to be able to dance. Queen Pirouette likes to dance with her ladies in the privacy of her quarters. Sometimes she asks her ladies to play music and dance for her. Do you play the lute? The harpsichord?” Old lady Cringeworthy asked her young cousin.

“Yes, I do. Both.” Replied Dame Savage tartly. “Let me dance for you now. You can judge if it would be to our queen’s liking.”

“Very well.”

Lady Savage began to sway in front of her cousin to some inner melody that only she could hear. Her movements were graceful as she stepped in her bare feet. Lady Cringeworthy was pleased. “Very nice, my child. She will like you. I know it. You are beautiful. Our queen likes to surround herself with beauty.”