Blue + pink = purple

The June blooms on my Hydrangea were either a light shade of pink or blue. By the middle of July, they had blended together and became this lovely shade of purple.

Pretty in pink

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Water lillies

Taken from a distance at National Zoo. They were prettier in person.

Car collection

A few cool cars from Truett Cathy's personal collection. Mr. Cathy is the founder of Chick-fil-A. The cars are housed at Chick-fil-A's headquarters in Atlanta.

Littleton

Several years ago, we took my father-in-law "home" to Littleton, West Virginia. We thought it would be a good thing, but the area is so depressed now, it just made him sad. This was the Bank of Littleton, built in 1906. It's in a sad state today, but I imagine it was the pride of Littleton back in its heyday.

Heat wave

No, that's not the time ... we're having a heat wave.


It cooled down before we left our parking spot.

Angels

During a recent visit to Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia we stopped to take pictures of many of the angel statues scattered throughout the cemetery. Some old, some new, some damaged, but all beautiful.

Innovation

Innovation is a common theme at my office but it never entered my mind when thinking about George Washington. The general invented and built a 16-sided barn for his farm where his horses would trot in circles over the hay, allowing the grains to fall to the basement level below for gathering. George Washington ... farmer, general, president ... innovator. This is a replica of the barn, built on the grounds at Mount Vernon.

Where'd all the food go?

Colt

We walked into our friends house the other day and the first thing we saw was Colt. He sure looked comfortable, even though he was laying on a coffee table.

Henry Hill at Manassas Battlefield

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the first battle of Manassas. This is the Henry Hill house and monument located at the Manassas National Battlefield Park.

Christmas in July

Last December we splurged and spent a weekend in Manhattan with another couple. We had a great time. The decorations were beautiful. Maybe this will help take my mind off the heat wave we're in the middle of!

Teddy's here

Bodie Island Lighthouse

The Bodie Island Lighthouse on the Outer Banks in North Carolina

Spicebush Swallowtail

Word must have gotten out that I was complaining about the lack of butterfly this summer. I walked outside mid-day and saw this one on my Lantana, finally. I checked gardenswithwings.com and it looks like I incorrectly labeled the butterfly two posts ago. It's a Spicebush Swallowtail. This one is missing a piece of a wing.

Fayette County Courthouse

Here's another courthouse, this one located in Fayetteville, Fayette County, Georgia. According to the Georgia.gov website, it was built in 1825 and is the oldest courthouse in the state.

Black Swallowtail

Since the butterfly aren't visiting my yard this summer, I'll post a photo of one I took last year. They liked the Zinnia a lot.

Bee on lantana

Sticking with the bee theme from yesterday ... one of my favorite plants is lantana, which usually attracts butterflies. So far this year, I've only seen bees enjoying this plant. There are several varieties of lantana. I love the bright colored variety vs. the pale pinks.

Bee Balm

I have a flower bed on the side of my house that's out of control and has become too much for me to keep weeded. I decided that this fall I was going to dig up all the iris and day lillies and start all over. Last Saturday, I asked a clerk at a nursery for suggestions on something that I can plant and let go. He recommended Bee Balm which I'd never heard of. Before I left the store, he showed me a picture of the plant and said that Hummingbirds love it. It just so happens that I saw the plant in a garden at Williamsburg but didn't know what it was. I thought it was pretty. What do you think?

Stake out

My sunflowers are beside the driveway so I quietly sat in my husband's truck for a while yesterday and managed to catch a few photos of my goldfinch.

Finch food

My sunflowers aren't so pretty any more but that's OK. Almost every time I look out the window, I see five or six goldfinch feasting on them. For that reason, the sunflowers will stay until the goldfinch have cleaned them out.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

I wouldn't mind taking another trip to Nags Head. We visited all of the lighthouses the last time we were there. This is the original site of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse which was moved several years ago. You can see how far away they moved it. It should be safe for many more years.

A prince?

One of the critters from the National Zoo. Seems like I was more fascinated with the everyday critters than the "zoo" animals.

Rain forest

One of several flowers found in the National Zoo's rain forest

Ocean plant

This plant was among the many aquariums at the National Zoo. Unfortunately, I don't have a clue what it's called. I like the way the tips glow.

What are you looking at?

The General's Tomb

After you tour Mount Vernon, the home of George and Martha Washington, you'll want to follow the trail to their tomb which is just a short walk away.






Where would America be today if the Father of our country had not lived the life he did? Happy fourth of July!