The angle of light makes September seem close at hand, so it’s time to round up a few more photos from my Rhode Island summer before the hurricanes start.
As they do every year, both families of grandchildren took a turn at a lemonade stand to raise money either for a big item on a wish list — or a visit to the candy store.
Another every-year thing is the opening of my neighbor’s lotus flowers. No matter how many times I’ve seen it, it always feels like an unexpected miracle. I took the photo of a bud, and Sandra M. Kelly captured a full-blown lotus when I was in New York.
Sandra also took the photo of the jellies. She’s a famous jelly maker locally, making blackberry, beach plum, and strawberry-rhubarb jams and jellies, among others. But this was the first year we picked Queen Anne’s Lace so she could attempt the lemony jelly that Thelma, an island character, used to make out of the flowers. It had a lovely flavor.
On a couple of our early walks, I picked an array of wildflowers, carrying them home in my water bottle to make bouquets.
I also took shots of a lacy fire-escape shadow, a Monarch butterfly caterpillar, and a dew-bejeweled spiderweb.
I made a big mistake about the caterpillar, though, disrupting the course of nature by bringing it home on a milkweed stem thinking the kids would see it make its cocoon, emerge, and fly away safely. But the caterpillar absconded while I was out picking more milkweed.
I’m distressed about that because there is no milkweed growing on the property for the run-away to eat, and I’m worried it won’t ever turn into a butterfly. I will never do that again. If I see a cocoon, I might bring that home on a stem for the kids. At least a cocoon won’t abscond. But I’m more wary of disrupting nature now, especially as Monarchs are much less plentiful than they once were.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
These are great! I love seeing the lotus every year–so exotic–and the jelly is beautiful–I never heard of making jelly from Queen Annes Lace. I’ve been feeling sad about the Monarchs, too–I wish I didn’t have to drive anywhere this time of year since it seems like every time I’m out a butterfly collides with my car . . .
They don’t seem to watch where they’re going, that’s for sure.
That lotus is utterly beautiful! Hope the grandchildren sold lots of lemonade. Do let us know how the jelly made from Queen Anne’s lace tastes. But my favorite shot is the one of the fire escape’s shadow against the house. Wonderful pattern.
The flowers have a lemony flavor by themselves and then you add lemon. So it ends up like a lemon jelly. Good with cheese and cracker.
Yum!
Sorry about that caterpillar,maybe it’s ready to spin its cocoon and will still be a lovely monarch. The wild flowers are lovely though,and the spider web is wonderful. I don’t care for the spider, but I love seeing a web until I walk into one.😄
Oh, you make me feel better. If the caterpillar was ready to make a cocoon, I suppose it could use any kind of plant since there is no milkweed near.