WALKS WITH MY GRANDSON.

It always feels good to return to blogging, and I have many photos to share with you. Every morning Pedro and I took a walk together, after Pedro had taken his walk which also included running uphill. He is so fit, but also so patient, and he adapted to my gait when we were together, and held my arm when we walked down steps. Normally he spends a lot of time on the computer in his job, which is a book designer. He is a graphic artist specialising in page composition, and he and his father also design book covers. Whilst he was here, he also worked each morning before his walk. Here are a few photos I took on our outings.

Early morning skies

One of the many paths we took.

On our first walk we saw a Jersey-tiger moth, a diurnal moth as well as nocturnal moth. It came flying towards us and luckily came to rest on the stone balustrade. It's a striking looking moth in repose but even more beautiful in flight. 

Three poses of an attractive grasshopper  

We walked down a number of pathways keeping in the shade.

 

This was another flying insect which came flying towards us. It was huge, and quite scary, but beautiful at the same time. I managed to take one photo before it flew away. Anyone know what it is? 

It was larger than any wasp or hornet, so I'm still searching for the ID. 

My thanks to Cloudia from Comfort Spiral for the ID of this insect. It is a Milesia (fly) the European species Milesia craniformis. It is the genus of a very large Hoverfly and although larger, is a convincing mimic of the Hornet species.

One day we saw smoke billowing behind the mountain range, and it was quite near to  where we live, but the firemen were quick to respond, and they soon extinguished the fire.There have been so many fires this year.

Some unusual sky shots.

In mid July in the chestnut grove I saw what looked like fledgling blackbirds,

but Blackbirds usually make their nests close to the ground, so they must have been other large birds.

Near the pond we saw this red Dragonfly.

This fungi made me smile, as it seemed to be walking with one large foot. :=)

A footnote: that is not about this post, but it is about nature, and saving our planet.

Just yesterday, I was horrified to learn that in the UK, some people are replacing their grass lawns,   hedges, and even trees with plastic imitations! Many front gardens have been concreted over for  parking cars, causing more habitat loss, and I'm sure this does not happen just in the UK of course.  What is happening to the human race if they can't be bothered to water their lawns or sweep up a few leaves? These "plastic people" manufacturers included are not taking care of nature, they are desecrating all that is beautiful about our planet. I fear for the future generations to come.

MOSTLY FLOWERS:

I don't often post flowers, but the flowers that were in bloom in the garden when I took my break  is the subject of my post today. Most of them are still in bloom, and I took these photos a week before Pedro arrived. What a splendid time we had, in spite of the 40 degree heat, we managed to walk in the early mornings, and also Pedro watered my plants on the balcony and was a keen observer of all the activity going on. By 10-30 am, it was already too hot to stay outside, so we spent time in the library, the coolest room in the house. Around 7.00 pm when it had cooled off a little, and just before dinner,  we did a little gardening. I pointed to what needed doing, and Pedro did it. :=))

After the roses finish, the Trumpet Vine  Campsis radicans takes their place, and they hang over the porch at the front entrance. These gorgeous orange tubular flowers bloom all through summer into autumn.

There are many more blooms on the vines now than when I took the photo,and some are still in bud.

These blooms have a more deep pink colour.  

They attract bees and other insects.

The Pink Oleander is an evergreen shrub that blooms all through summer.

The White Oleander in also in bloom right now.

The serrated edged Sweet-William. Dianthus babatus

If you let them go to seed, they will flower every year. 

I pruned mine however, to a third of their height and they flowered again in a lovely profusion. Next year I will buy new plants from the nursery.

The Ocelated Lizard hiding from me in a large Azalia shrub. I heard the rustling of leaves as I passed by, and knew it was a lizard, which makes  a different noise entirely than that of a blackbird. The Blackbird makes sweeping movements as it sifts through the leaves in the undergrowth. I don't see them, but I know they are there.

As you can see my Oleander shrub is huge, and the Bougainvillea

covers one wall of the house.

Pedro turned over a piece of fallen bark, and this gave me the opportunity of photographing a woodlouse.

The butterflies and bees are attracted to the Purple Heather,

which grows in abundance in the rock garden.

Both the blue and the white Agapanthus are in full bloom. 

The birds and squirrels drank so frequently that I had to fill their dish daily.

A portion of a border. Most of my plants are hardy, but the ones that aren't were watered by Pedro with a watering can, as the main water pipe which is underground had a leakage, so for at least a week no water came out of the hoses or sprinklers, because the source of the leak could not be found. The lawn suffered the most, as it is badly scorched, but some plants are reviving, now that the leak has been repaired, and the garden is watered daily.

Does anyone know the name of this shrub? I have been unable to find it's ID. My thanks to everyone who helped with the ID. My shrub is a Loropetalum, chinese var rubrum. Common name is Fire Dance.

It's a colourful shrub, because the leaves can be both green and purple, and the pretty flowers give a good show for a long time. It was given to me when it was in a tiny plant pot, and now it's a meter wide, and just as tall. 

Dailias and Zinnias attract butterflies and other insects. They have nearly finished now, but they flowered a long time, and gave me much pleasure.

The Water Lilies in the garden pond.

This and the next photo were taken in April.

I was so grateful for Pedro's help in the garden. He cut through thick conifer branches, using the long and heavy sheering secateurs  to cut the high branches that were hanging too low, a task I can not do. I can't do much in the garden now, but it was no trouble for Pedro, who is 1 meter 86 cm tall, and full of energy and enthusiasm. Thank you Pedro. :=)