Insects and Flowers

This is a blast from the past.

It's High Summer in Central New York
July 24, 2006

The purple coneflowers are attracting all kinds of insects.

The first one we noticed was the swallowtail.

I think it's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail.

It's a little beat up, though.
Look at how long the proboscis is, as it bends it to reach into the flower.

Monarch butterflies are all over the place, but they are more skittery than the swallowtail.

Swallowtails and monarchs are not the only insects that like the coneflower.
This is a Virginia Ctenuchid Moth.

The wings are dull brown, but the body is an amazing iridescent blue.


This little green bug is also iridescent.

And isn't this the cutest little bug.  It likes the zinnia!

It looks a bit like a bee.  It hovers while sipping.

I hadn't noticed this butterfly until today.
I think this is a Meadow Frittilary
or is it a

Silver-Bordered Fritillary?  Aphrodite Fritillary?The bottom side has white spots, but the spots on top are black.

Someone suggested this site:  https://wisconsinbutterflies.org/butterfly/species/65-aphrodite-fritillary

Bumblebees like the coneflower, too.

And they also like the centaurea.
If you look closely, you can see another beetle-type critter, too.



Ah, but if you were wondering how Japanese Beetles do it, here's a picture for you.


Enjoy the summer!


Do you know how to tell the difference between a moth and a butterfly?
Usually, the butterfly antenna is a stick with a ball on the end.
Moth antennae look more like a fish skeleton or a feather.  Check out the pictures.
Now you know.

It is entirely possible that I have made mistakes on this page.
If you have any comments, corrections or suggestions, please let me know.

Hermès Scarf - Feux de Route

 

This lovely Hermès scarf, Feux de Route, was designed by in 1971 by Caty Latham.

The center shows the rear of a carriage with a large lantern.  

Woven wicker design frames the entire scarf.

In the center near the bottom is the scarf title:  FEUX DE ROUTE

In the bottom left corner is HERMÈS - PARIS  ©.

This scarf was designed by Caty Latham, but unlike most of her scarves, this is unsigned.

Caty Latham has designed lots of scarves for Hermès.   Most are signed.  

I obviously like her style, and have blogged most of them.

Check out these.

Copeaux, Farandole, Washington's Carriage, Feux de Route, Feux de Route plissée, and  Roues de Canon.

Like all the vintage Hermès scarves, this is 100% silk.  

I only get the 90cm size, which is the standard for the carre (square).

And, like all Hermès scarves, this drapes well.

 

The scarf looks totally different when plissé (pleated).

. . . 

The pleating is done by Hermès and I have heard that you can send one of your regular ones back to Hermès to be pleated (for a cost, of course).

To see the other Hermès scarves I have blogged, click here.

The Bouquets of Spring and Summer 2021

We had a wonderful spring and summer filled with flowers.  
We began in April with daffodils and forsythia.

April 10

 April 12

The late daffodils are ending in May

May 6

May 6

This includes azalea.

 May 15

The rhododendrons are blooming in June.

 June 2

Oooh, and the peonies!  Backed with hosta leaves.

June 14

A rose purloined from a neighbor's bush.
June 15

The spiky purple flower is allium.

June 19

Aaaaahhhh - the sweetpeas have begun.

The dahlias are doing well, too.

 June 30

July brings great variety.

An arrangement of white zinnias 

with drumstick allium and garlic scapes.
July 7

Dahlias, snapdragons, hosta leaves.

July 17

Sweetpeas.
July 26

Gladiolus, white marigolds, white and pink snapdragons, red zinnias, red dahlias.

July 26

Snapdragons, hosta leaves.

July 26

Snapdragons, glads, dahlias.

 July 26

OOoooh  - the sweetpeas. . .
July 26

We found ourselves with more flowers than places to put them.

Such a problem!
July 27

The lisianthus is still blooming - 

here with white zinnias and

white snapdragons.
 August 21

The glads are so dramatic!               

 September 11

More lisianthus with white snapdragons 

and one pink dahlia.

 September 11

We were very lucky with frost this year.  It will be November 3 for our first frost.  This is very late for us.  Last year was September 18.

Lisianthus, dahlias, zinnias, snapdragon.

October 14

Lisianthus and zinnias.

October 14 

So fun to have bouquets this late in the year.

I had sorted through the 79 favorite bouquets to find these 23.  They brought joy.

Hermès Scarf - Les Roues de Canon - Cannon Wheels

 This lovely Hermès scarf was designed by Caty Latham in 1967.  It shows the decorative wheels designed for cannons.  

There are six different wheels shown.

The center is a two wheeled cart.  I assume these are ceremonial carts, since they are so fancy.

At the bottom, center, is HERMÈS and PARIS.

In the lower right corner is the artist's signature, "Caty" (Latham).

Caty Latham has designed lots of scarves for Hermès. Check out these.  I obviously like her style, and have blogged most of them.

Copeaux, Farandole, Washington's Carriage, Feux de Route, Feux de Route plissée, and this one, Roues de Canon.

The signature, Caty, is a little hard to see.  It is found at the lower right of the wheel.

This scarf was designed in 1967.  Where is the copyright mark?  Starting in 1955, Hermès hid a simple letter C to show their copyright.  I have been unable to find it on this scarf.  If you find it, let me know!   This article by Ladi and Carre de Paris illustrates copyright marks on Hermès scarves.  That site is a treasure of information.

The color is almost a dried blood red.  Like all Hermès scarves, it drapes beautifully.  This scarf has a couple of minor flaws, which makes for guilt-free wearing.

Roue, pronounced ROO, meaning wheel, is not to be confused with roué, pronounced RooAY, which today means a cad or lecher.  The word roué originally meant broken on the wheel (an inquisition torture), and later came to mean a person who deserves to be broken on the wheel because of licentious behavior.

To see the other Hermès scarves I have blogged, click here.