Sunny September

We have had such nice weather recently it still feels like summer, which is not that common around here this time of the year. It is even less common that I should utter such an opinion in September.

The Warszawska Nike by the house, the only one of my 12 clematises I thought I had lost, is now blooming and producing buds. And so are the Bonica shrub roses.

This season, the seeds spilled down from the bird feeder during winter have given fewer sunflowers than last summer, probably because we didn’t have much rain and I didn’t water them at all.

The tallest one with its big round visage has made it to the rag molly phase. The second-tallest one is hiding behind its petals like a shy teenager.

There are still many wildflowers to pick. On Sunday, I put some fresh ones in a vase on the patio table. Before long they attracted a red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) (amiraaliperhonen) out of nowhere, considering this was rather a poor butterfly season. 

Even though it was missing a couple of pieces from its right fore wing it must be one born locally as I have understood the life cycle of a butterfly is less than a year. Lord willing, it will soon be migrating to Southern Europe. Isn’t it amazing such small creatures should manage to fly to the south for winter and return!

I never realized something the close-ups reveal: butterflies are awfully hairy.

Everyone had better start taking some shelter. Autumn is lurking just around the corner. Hopefully, not for us yet though. We have been discussing Italy again. If you can’t migrate you should at least pay a visit to the south to minimize the rag molly phase of your winter.