"The Angel"... Has Arrived!

This past week, my complimentary copy of Art Doll Quarterly

arrived... the Fall 2013 issue. And there on page 67 

is the "Angel of His Presence" based upon the text from Isaiah 63:9

"In all their affliction He was afflicted,
And the angel of His presence saved them;
In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them,
And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old."

Thank you, thank you... to the staff at ADQ, for including

my Santos in the challenge selection!

That's One Big Honking Wasp!

He (she in all probability) goes by many names...

We know him as the "Cicada Killer Wasp"

Just barely under two inches in length, and as big around

as my pinky finger... He/she looks quite menacing.

They burrow in our yard and are quite prolific this time of the year.

Being burrowers... their favorite snack would be Cicada larvae;

or as is the case here: an adult Cicada (being carried off like carion).

Alas... poor Cicada, I knew him well!

Art Dolls... Or a Botanical Blog?

I have to chuckle a little... as I review the past months 

of our blog here at Woodstown Whimsies;

 it looks more like a gardener's journal than an art doll enthusiast!  

And so... keeping true to form: Yet another garden post!

I planted (actually "stuck") these caladium bulbs in this spot 
back in late spring... with nothing to show for the effort; 
until we returned from Vermont last week!  In a word:  Wow!

The Cicada's Serenade & the Swallowtail's Flight

During these long, hot summer nights as I get my three mile walk in... 

I am serenaded around sunset by the annual appearance of our Cicada.

I found this "left-over" skin just outside our doorstep this afternoon 

clinging to a blade of fountain grass, in the hot (98ºF) summer sun.

In contrast... thirty yards away on a butterfly bush, this swallowtail 

quietly sips on some nectar in the sunshine. Silence is her song.

Worth Repeating...

There are some sentiments and verses just worth repeating...

This is one of them!

I took the pic of Em and Chad's barn window, up in Vermont

while we were there this past week.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Our Butterfly Bush is thriving... though the butterflies are scarce!

We continue to have boatloads of sunshine during the day

and then heavy showers in the late afternoon or early evening.

The rainfall record for June was broken this year,

with well over 10 inches in the month so far... gurgle, gurgle!

And Then the Rains Came... (Again!)

Along the shore of our little Woodstown Lake...

The wind blew, hail pelted the landscape,

and yet another landmark tree came down!

Moments later, and landing directly on the side lawn 

of the Snelbaker Home where Katie works... another tree down! 

(notice the three foot high little red maple right in front, that was 

spared the wrath of the storm and the weight of the fallen tree!)

Our quiet little road became a curb-to-curb river

as the rain continued to fill the street.

Later in the evening, our little next-door neighbor (Olivia)

came out with her Mom and went wading in our river!