Peonies at New Harmony....

We went back to New Harmony to see what flowers they have in bloom....particularly the peonies, which are a favorite of mine. We have had so much rain that many of the peonies were pretty beat down and a lot were past their prime, but we still saw a lot of beautiful flowers. One very large beautiful pink head
Up close they rival a lovely rose.

An unusual single petal type with golden center peeking through a fence.

On the edge of town is a place called "Fragrant Farms" which specializes in peonies. We wandered through their fields.

Huge masses of color still in bloom there!

The "guard cat" followed us around showing what a friendly fellow he could be.

Masses of pale pink

I found this information on their web site:

"In Germany the peony is known as the Pfingstrose, or Spirit Rose, as it blooms at the time of Pentecost, the Christian celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit."

They had a lot of iris scattered among the peonies, too.
The peonies had a lot of interesting names......Sarah Bernhardt, Mister Ed, Moon Over Barcelona, etc.

Our guide let us through the rows.

Those lovely reds with the yellow center

Whites from a distance

Pure snowy white.

We left the cat in charge :-)

We found a pretty rose garden in town, too which I will feature another day.

SkyWatch Friday.....and Hartman Arboretum......

It's SkyWatch Friday!

Yesterday I took this photo of the sky over the Hartman Arboretum. Just a touch of wimsey that appealed to me :-)I just thought it was an odd shot.
This was another oddity we passed earlier in the day. Have no idea why this has been mowed in such a strange way! But the sky is showing over it! (Mike says this isn't mowed, but planted this way....even stranger!)

And finally a bird singing its heart out at the Blue Grass Fish and Wildlife area.
For more SkyWatch click on the icon on my sidebar.

Meanwhile back at the arboretum, we were checking out the progress of the plants and their visitors.

The bees seem to be doing well here!

Look at all the pollen on its head and that overloaded leg sac!

Butterflies and skippers are arriving. This one is a bit ragged.

A very small one on the same flower.

The best one that I saw and the only one willing to spread its wings for me.

This is a more typical shot...tightly closed and upside down.

A few of the flowers in bloom....the weigelia.

Mike took the rest of these.

This was interesting, but I didn't see the name card.

I love this fuzzy green plant!

Looks dead to me, but Mike got a great photo of it!

We rounded off the afternoon, by running out to Blue Grass. We saw these birds sitting in a tree.

The only reason that I know they are Dickcissel is because Rose at Pics and Pieces just posted one from a similar stripper pit area where she lives ......further north in Indiana! Her photos are much better than this! This is a lifer for me and I wish I could have seen them better. Mike took the photo.

Three birds and a lot of flowers.....

We drove to Hovey Lake to look for birds, but the water was so high, the path we usually walk was under water. We decided to come back another day. I did spot this Eastern Phoebe(?) near the locks and dam.
Turkey along the road to Mt. Vernon. We saw 4-5 more later near Hovey Lake, but they scurried into the bushes.

An Indigo Bunting high in a tree.

With so few birds, I walked around the yard at home looking for flowers in bloom.

I love these lemon colored lilies that grow earlier than any other lily I have. However, they are being choked out here and I need to relocate them some place .... I have no idea where.

These are an odd colored iris that someone gave me. Most of the time they don't bloom and these are twisted around lying on the ground. Obviously they could use a new location, too!

I love the color of this one....another gift from someone.

These little ones grow like weeds and choke out everything else....especially my lilies, so I often wish that I had never gotten them! I try to dig them up, but I have so many and I can't tell their leaves from the lilies that I want to save!

Here they are with the white iris. I believe those are the last two white iris blooms :-(

I took this photo standing in the house looking out the window. That may not seem odd to you, but the ground slopes here and this rhododendron is easily 8' in the air!

I went outside and tried to take a photo of the same flower, but it was so far over my head, I had to use the telephoto and look up at it. The color is more accurate here....a pale pink.

The little wild geranium mounds are full of flowers. (Crane's-bill?)

I love tall phlox and this used to be so lovely! Every year is not only gets smaller, but it keeps moving and is in the edge of the driveway now.

I couldn't resist the neighbor's White Pine tree! I think these look like little pineapples!

Makes the tree look really cute right now :-)

The Deutzia bush is just starting to bloom and I should have waited to take a photo. We cut one of them back drastically last year, but they grow fast.

This is a weed....in the driveway. I think it must grow from the seeds that I put out for the birds! Tried to look it up....mustard of some sort?

I'm really bad about trimming bushes....just ask Mike! this is my over-grown, over-weighted Mock Orange bush. It is so tall it is hard to prune and the birds like to use it for cover when they come to the deck. Maybe I will just close my eyes and tell Mike to cut it back this year without me saying "no...no...not that much!"

When it blooms it is pretty.....just too, too huge!

Water Wednesday and eagle check up....

We spotted this little duck family in a ditch near a car dealership. Just what I needed for Watery Wednesday!They were paddling around in the ditch until they saw me.
For some reason they decided to trek to the bigger pond. So cute watching the little ones try to keep up!

The same pond had a pair of geese with just one offspring.....a "teenager", but still cute.

Swimming along behind mom.

We decided to head to Henderson for our weekly check on the eagles nest. Click on any photo to see full size, but I've cropped as close as I can without losing all clarity.

Not long after we arrived the male showed up with food....I think this is a photo of whatever he brought with him. I'm not sure I want to know what it is.

After the male soared off, the female spent the rest of the time feeding the chick who is easier to see now. I kept trying to tell if there was more than one. Once in a while I think I see two but have no photos that can back that up for sure. I guess time will tell.

Mom and chick

Can't miss the head in that one! I wonder how long before flying lessons start.

Papa Eagle soaring off for more food.

For more Watery Wednesday click on the icon on my sidebar. Thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting this fun site!