We had foolishly promised Harry that we would take him to visit some three week old piglets...by 8am he was at the back door, washed, dressed, ready. We were bleary eyed and sleepy. However, a promise is a promise. We leapt into action and whisked him away to see these little beauties and their cousins.
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| Click to enlarge any photograph. |
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| The combine harvester as it passes the polytunnel. Harry was delighted to see it close-up. |
Alas, for Harry, all too soon his mama was calling for him to get ready to attend a christening party.
I didn't get to see the washed, brushed and changed Harry, but Davina did bring Francesca over just before they left.
I love the deep, rich colours, the textures of the stubble and the un-harvested barley.
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| 'Our' barley field after the first few sweep of the combine harvester. |
The sun has been beating down on the garden, summer condensed into just a few days of heat and sunshine - as so often happens when the schools go back after the long summer holiday.
The garden has been filled with beautiful glints of silver and bronze as numerous dragonflies dart hither and thither around the place.
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| This is the bronze beauty. |
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| This one looks as though it would be happy to gossip all day long. |
This one makes me smile, it has such a comic face.
There is one bronze beauty who was very camera shy, although I did managed a couple of quick photographs of it.
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| A little fairy (with a back-pack). |
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| I love those silvery, delicate wings. |
I think they sometimes look like tiny fairies, as they flit about....oh dear, I have been out too long in that hot sun, haven't I?
I'll go and lie down with a cold flannel on my head.
I'm fascinated by dragonflies, I think they're amazing. what brilliant photos - sweet piglets too :) x
ReplyDeleteHello Cheryl, They have certainly enlivened our garden over the last few days - just a few weeks ago it was the brilliant blue damselflies which were darting around and giving us flashes of colour.
DeleteBeautiful photos Elaine. I love dragonflies and even more since I was told that you'll only see them over uncontaminated water or marshes! Looks like September is making up for the ghastly weather at the beginning of the summer in the UK.
ReplyDeletekeep well
Amanda :-)
Hello Amanda, The weather has changed today, but it has been a beautiful weekend - the farmers have made full use of the opportunity to get the harvest in. We are surrounded by a field of yellow ochre stubble which will soon become rich brown corduroy.
DeleteDragonflies are lucky! The grands couldn't believe how many came to my deck and the beautiful colors. They are like little fairies, indeed! XOXO
ReplyDeleteHello Susan, They are fascinating little creatures and their silvery, gossamer wings, definitely made me think of fairies...how wonderful that they are considered lucky! Such lively little things.xx
DeleteWonderful photos and the hot sun produces some interesting thoughts about dragon flies ad such ...
ReplyDeleteHello Lynne, I think a touch too much of sun definitely helped my imagination take wings... They were wonderful to watch as they flitted about, I was entranced!
DeleteI might have had Harry in for a second breakfast at 8 am. The dragonflies are wonderful. We have big purple ones in the fall; haven't seen any so far.
ReplyDeleteHello Joanne, We are normally up around 6am, I was horrified to find it was so late. I felt as though I didn't catch up with things for the rest of the day. I hope you manage to take some photographs of your dragonflies, I would love to see them.
DeleteAll is safely gathered in here too. I always think that our flying 'Praying Mantises' look like fairies.
ReplyDeleteHello Cro, There are still quite a few fields which need to be harvested around here, the farmers have been working flat out, but the weather is turning again. The richness of the fields after harvest is quite wonderful this year, presumably down to the weather conditions - but yields are down by a ton an acre. Not a good year for farmers.
DeleteHello Elaine:
ReplyDeleteIt is years since we saw piglets and so we should have been as thrilled as Harry with the early morning visit.
Yes, the countryside looks wonderful at this time of year. We spent all day yesterday out of Budapest where all the fields, now harvested, are those wonderful rich brown, ochre, burnt umber and sienna colours. Absolutely magical.
Hello Jane and Lance, Those little piglets were full of mischief and seconds before they had been running around squealing their heads off and having a wonderful time. Harry was thrilled to see them.
DeleteThe marvellous palette of autumn - I love it so much. This has to be my favourite season; luckily I wear blinkers and cannot see far enough ahead to worry about winter!
Beautiful pictures and so nice with the childrens. Have a great sunday.
ReplyDeleteHugs
Dear Elna, Thank you so much. It was wonderful seeing my grandchildren over the weekend. I hope you enjoyed your weekend.
DeleteYou have captured the essence of late summer in your photos, Elaine...beautiful.
ReplyDeleteJane x
Hello Jane, It was an amazingly hot and sunny weekend - a rare and wonderful treat for us. We tried to make the most of it.
DeleteElaine, Your pictures are delightful. I have always thought dragonflies actually transported fairies from place to place. There is nothing prettier than a newly harvested field. I hope you have enjoyed your weekend.
ReplyDeleteHello Bonnie, Now that is a wonderful thought! How wonderful to think that our dragonflies have been doing such important work, Francesca will love that when she is older. The weekend has been truly wonderful - and the stunning colours of the newly harvested fields has added to the beauty.
DeleteHi Elaine,
ReplyDeleteLovely post. As I sit here posting back I can hear the nearby combine harvesters too going about their work. It seem they are taking advantage of this good weather as they get started from about 7am and go on until late evening. Autumn is well and truly here...
Hello Green Dragonette, It really is - the hedgerows around here are already heavy with sloes, and the rosehips are glowing bright red and beautiful in some places. I picked a handful of wonderful blackberries yesterday - they were plump and delicious, I must remember where they came from and mark it on my map! I am going into my Squirrel Nutkins mode!
DeleteDragonflies are beautiful!! You must have a very good camera to make such photo's. Have a nice week, groetjes, Gerda
ReplyDeleteHello Gerda, I was very lucky because my son Jonny has given me one of his good cameras, it is a very good camera, but I still have a lot to learn. It has lots of dials and switches, things to tweak and twizzle, I am just learning - but I am having a lot of fun doing it!
DeleteBeautiful Photos. The combine and the piggies must have made young Harry's day. The weather has been gorgeous here too.
ReplyDeleteHello Molly, Harry adores all things to do with the country. He was tickled pink yesterday when Mrs T, the farmer's wife, let him climb up into Little Red Tractor for a few minutes. The harvested fields give everywhere a holiday feeling, we are free to tramp across them instead of going around the edges - it is glorious fun for children, dogs, and adults alike!
DeleteA few summers ago, a neighbor boy got a small remote-controlled helicopter for his birthday. He was flying it around in the backyard when a large dragonfly flew up to it and circled around checking it out. It left and came back a little later to check it out again. It made me wonder if dragonflies are territorial.
ReplyDeleteThere have been several cases of swine flu from pigs in Minnesota recently. The State Fair was recently ended but they cautioned older people, young children and folks with reduced immunity to stay away from the swine barn. I'm glad to hear your little pigs are healthy!
Hello Ms Sparrow, When Jonny came back from China he gave Harry one of those little helicopters - unfortunately it soon got damaged (crash landing) but oh how I would have loved to try it out after hearing your story.
DeleteThose cheeky little squealers are bursting with health and vitality, thank goodness. It was Harry's first encounter with real piglets for quite a while, he was thrilled to see them...he was also exceedingly impressed by the sheer size of the adults!
I absolutely love dragonflies ... we l;ive above a wetland area where they hatch out every summer and buzz about our back yard picking off mosquitoes and deer flies. It's always amazing to see them high in the air above the yard around 6 in the evening ... they dip and soar after some insect ... hundreds (no exaggeration!) of them! You've caught some beauties in your shots ... and the piglets are pretty darn cute too!
ReplyDeleteAs for the wee babe ... so lovely!
Hello Susan, That is good news, so not only do they look beautiful but they also eat mosquitoes. I like them even more now! They are amazingly beautiful and their wings are amazing. I found it amusing how some didn't have the least problem with me taking their photographs, close up and personal - and others just wouldn't stand for it.
DeleteThose piglets were at a very cute stage, very lively and full of curiosity about the world. Their mama was an old hand and didn't mind in the least - I think she was rather pleased to have them off her hands for a few moments.
I love dragonflies and I'm envious that you've managed to photograph some. In my previous home there was one or two each summer hanging around the bird bath, but I never could catch them on camera.
ReplyDeleteHello River, I think I was simply fortunate that some of them seemed happy to be photographed. They really did fill the garden with light and energy. Here is hoping that you have more luck next time they are around your bird bath!
DeleteWonderful dragonflies. I like them, too.
ReplyDeleteHello Pauline, The dragonflies are exquisite, I wish I had been able to get a little closer, especially with a macro lens!
DeleteI'm so glad you welcome fairies into your garden!
ReplyDeleteHello Mitch, At this place fairies, good dragons, and friendly bears all receive a warm welcome!
DeleteElaine, your dragonfly looks a lot like mine....sitting on a wooden stake catching the small bug flying by! :-) Somehow I have not been able to connect to your blog on my sidebar. Blogger keeps telling me that there is an error, even though I have copied and pasted your url more than once! You hadn't commented on my blog in over a month and I had to find you in an old post comment to re-connect! Come on by! :-) Hope all is going well with you. A christening in the family! How lovely!
ReplyDeleteHello Marie, I am so sorry you have been having problems, it must be some sort of blogger glitch.
DeleteThings have been very busy here, with very little time to post or comment...as soon as they settle down, probably closer to the end of the month, I will be back to reading, commenting and visiting as normal. Many apologies.
I have just come to your blog from Cro's - I just love Dragonflies. On our previous property in the Far North (of New Zealand) there were hundreds - we still get them down here but not as many.
ReplyDelete