Dear Grandchildren,
Today I was thinking about some of the things that are fast in our backyard, like...
...this little green tree frog that darted in front of me while I was getting parsley from the garden...but he waited for me while I hurried in to get my camera- I tried to be fast but Grandma isn't so very fast anymore...then on my last shot, while I was checking the picture, that little green tree frog leaped out of sight...I didn't even see him...that fast...he was gone while I glanced away for a few seconds...now that is fast!
Earlier this summer, on a very hot afternoon, I noticed this dragonfly basking on the hot cement block - he really liked it because he stayed there for quite sometime as I took pictures...but once he took flight he was gone - fast! Can you see that part of his wings are see-through? You can see the gray cement through his transparent wings? I think he's beautiful.
Then there was the hummingbird that visited our backyard twice a day, usually early afternoon and once around supper time. Now the hummingbird is very fast. While he's sipping nectar his little wings are flapping so furiously that the picture becomes a blur. I took this picture from inside the house while I saw him perched on that little twig of wisteria. I had never seen him perch before. He is very tiny and oh so fast. Do you see his long beak? He needs it to sip nectar from his favorite flowers.
This swallowtail butterfly also came visiting, especially on very hot days. He loved the bright flowers in this basket. The butterfly uses his proboscis, or tongue, to sip nectar from these flowers. A proboscis is something like a straw which can roll up like one of those party noise makers you like to have fun with. Isn't that amazing? It was a bit tricky getting a clear picture of the swallowtail too since he kept flapping his wing. He can be very fast too.
But I was thinking of something else in our backyard that has been very, very fast....hmm...what could it be? Something so fast that Grandpa and I have trouble catching them? Can you guess what I'm thinking about? I'm thinking about...
YOU!
You are very fast! We've seen you running up and down the grass, chasing each other, playing "What Time is it Mr. Wolf?, and playing baseball, running fast to get back to home-base before we can catch you. Much as I like to see the fast birds and creatures in the garden, by far our favorite fast things to watch are you having fun in our back yard! We love it...we love you.
ps we still can catch Joshie though, since he isn't old enough to be running around fast just yet...but it won't be long and we won't be able to catch him either
