Summer is in the process of winding down, we’re almost to mid-September (where has the past week gone?), and while I enjoy the changing of the seasons, I will miss seeing all the bright flowers, and the numerous birds and other animals that come through the yard. So here are just a few of the pictures I’ve been taking over the summer.

Rose of Sharons are in bloom.

We have numerous Rose of Sharon bushes lining one of our fences, acting as a natural privacy fence. The flowers range from the white, to pink and purple.  They’re wonderful for attracting both hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies to the backyard.

We had a small visitor to the wisteria flowers, since the wisteria decided too bloom twice this year

We were given a small wisteria plant from some friends several years ago, and planted it along the back fence.  Now that it is mature, we’ve realized that it was the wrong place to plant it, but are leaving it where it is (since a fiber-optic line and gas line run under it and we aren’t sure how deep its roots system has gotten).

A rather large moth decided to keep us company this afternoon

We had a visitor this afternoon, a rather large moth decided to take shelter on the underside of our patio umbrella today. I shall call it George.

One of the many butterfly species that has passed through the backyard

Butterflies are starting to come through the backyard again as they head south for the winter. This one decided to take a short break on the trunk of the elm tree.