About and hour before cooking dinner was a perfect time to take a break from writing and chores.  I went out to relax on the hammock.  The temperature was perfect and there was a gentle breeze blowing.  Pure heaven.

     The yard hummed with activity.  I watched several monarch and swallowtail butterflies visit the flowers.  Wouldn’t you know that as soon as I thought ‘camera,’ they disappeared.  The cardinal family fluttered about in the tree above me and then bravely came down to the feeders.  House sparrows and purple finches hopped around under the feeders cleaning up what the cardinals dropped to them.  Then Momma Downy woodpecker hung upside down on the suet feeder directly above me, I almost held my breath so as not to frighten her.  

     I always allow my Echinacea to go to seed for the small flock of American goldfinches that we have around here.  They came to nibble them and again I wished I’d brought my camera out with me.  They  made a colorful picture among the purple flowers.

     The best of all was when I spied two ruby throated hummingbirds darting around the Cannas.  I do wish they’d find the feeder.