By nature, we are NOT summer people - - WAY too hot and humid in Illinois for us, but, we do manage to haul ourselves out of the air conditioning for a few important events, such as:
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SUNSETS - - yes we see some of God's best artistry with an uncluttered westerly view from our front yard. This year was particularly special, as weather patterns in June gave us some phenominal effects.
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Unfortunately, the farmland across from us is being developed as a subdivision and golf-course - - so we'll be losing this beautiful unobstructed view very soon...so we must enjoy it while we can.
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Only Yoda seems to like the summer heat. Here she is sunning herself on the back patio.
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We throw one big summer party - a season-ending picnic for our choir. We hold this every June, hopefully before the heat rolls in.
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Here's some more choir members lounging around after dinner.
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One more - we had about 30 people at the house and everyone had a good time.
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We also enjoy watching FIRE WORKS on the 4th of July, and Peoria has a world-class display. This computer-controlled extravaganza costs the city $2000 PER MINUTE and is computer-synchronized to music that is broadcast on a local station.
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We watch from a local parking deck so we can open the jeep doors, turn up the sound and soak it all up. Over 100,000 people are estimated to attend this event.
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Speaking of Jeeps, we sold the Caravan and joined the 4-wheel crowd this spring (NO YUPPIE comments, PLEASE). So after years and years of driving vans, we're trying a different style for a while.
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Peoria hosts hot-air balloon festival, and this year 25 or more balloonists were here for the two day event. Here's a couple pictures - - we enjoyed watching them fill-up and take off from Sommer Park just north of the Peoria city limits.
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Funny - - all weekend the song "Up UP and AWAY" was running through my head...don't know why, do you? ("Would you like to ride in my beautiful balloon?")
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With urban sprawl threatening our precious wildlife, Pepper and I took official steps to protect our little corner of the world. Our yard is now registered as an official "Backyard Habitat" with the National Wildlife Federation.
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To qualify, you must submit a site plan, drawings and pictures of your yard, and proof that you supply the four essential elements:
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WATER: You must supply this vital element all year long.
Besides a backyard bird bath, we have a "natural spring" in our front year fed by the two sump-pumps that run all year to keep our basement dry (since we are built BELOW the water table).
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Our little marsh supplies drinking water to birds, resident frogs, and visiting raccoons, coyotes, deer, possums, and butterflies. The cattails provide nesting areas for red-winged blackbirds, which the SECOND ESSENTIAL ELEMENT for a habitat.
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NESTING AREAS:
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We provide trees, flowers, grassy areas, bushes, and bird-houses allowing wildlife to take their pick.
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FOOD:
The third element is food - and we provide natural (lots of wildflowers) and supplemental (seeds, suet, etc). This monarch butterfly only lays eggs on milkweeds, so she's quite happy in our habitat.
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Most people don't realize how wonderful milkweed flowers smell...but the butterflies do!.
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SHELTER:
We have a "brush pile" and an unmowed area of about 3000 square feet in our back yard, giving plenty of places for wildlife to hide. Shelter is the forth and final requirement for a habitat.
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This tiger swallowtail stopped by for an evening snack of pollen. The cone-flower bed is just one of several SHELTER areas we provide
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