Spotted a Gulf Fritillary butterfly in my garden for the first time... completely by accident

I saw a couple of monarch butterflies fluttering around the buddleia (aka 'Butterfly Bush')* that's in full bloom in the garden, so I took my camera out to try and catch some shots. Imagine my surprise when I saw another butterfly I didn't recognize, got some shots of it sipping nectar and came inside to find it is a variety I've never seen before (let alone photographed). I'm pretty stoked!

*GARDENING DISCLAIMER: Although I do not condone cultivating invasive plants, bushes and shrubs, buddleia is not considered an invasive pest in our area of the world (San Francisco Bay Area of California) where summer's are rainless. It does not propagate here. That's the only reason I have one.

The best aphid protection my roses have ever had

Mr. Hooded Oriole (above) and his wife keep my roses aphid-free along with help from some other birds. I simply provided all the birds with a burbling water fountain set in the middle of the rose garden, and the birds reward me by gleaning all the bugs off by rosebushes.

A blooming 'Bird of Paradise' never ceases to stop me in my tracks

photograph taken in my brother's beautiful tropical paradise of a garden

Big, beautiful and showy blooms perfect for Cinco de Mayo

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven...

More than anything else, the process of creating and maintaining my garden as a backyard wildlife habitat has taught me the true meaning of the wisdom found in the Old Testament of the Bible in Ecclesiastes chapter 3:

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak..."

For almost seven years, I've blogged about the journey that my garden and home have taken me on. It was a season when I needed to write of these things—"a time to speak". Now I am entering a new season of sharing my view of the world through the photographic image without using words—"a time to keep silence".

I want my photographs to not be a reflection of my own experience. I want each of my photographs to tell a different personal story depending on the person looking at the image. My words would simply get in the way. This is also why I am turning off comments. Comments won't be necessary. I want you to simply enjoy the images I share.

Here's to the beginning of a new season!  

Don't you think some flowers are practically singing their own theme song?

I think in the case of my red gerbera (which is bursting with blooms right now), if it could sing it would be singing the song that's been going through my head today—Pharrell Williams' song "Happy".

If you aren't familiar with the song you can watch the official video by clicking here