Garden Visitors

Hoppers

I happened upon a couple grasshoppers while watering one morning. I suppose that it's a common thing to happen upon grasshoppers, but for me it meant an opportunity to look closer at something inconsequential. My camera picks up a lot that my eyes miss. Like the spiky hairs on a grasshopper's legs; their strange, oblong eyes that remind me of seeds; and the claws that I found out I never knew they had (you can see them grabbing on to my hand in the picture above).

Insects are one of God's wonders that most people squash or run away from, but ever since I took my first close-up portrait of one, I find myself seizing the moments I can discover something new to appreciate about them.

The grasshoppers did make Swiss cheese of some of my bougainvillea leaves, but I decided they can stay.

Clover

While we're on the subject of garden pests, I had to write about the unappreciated clover. Yesterday, Taylor brought me a clover and wanted to play "he loves me - he loves me not". This reminded me of the clover growing between the cracks of the concrete porch that needed to be pulled; however, as she handed me one of those clovers, I couldn't help but stop to consider it.

The clover. Take a second look.

It sure does come in some beautiful colors. One might even mistake it for a flower. Who would have thought after of all the things I've planted and failed to keep alive, the weedy clover would rival the most beautiful flowers I've toiled over.

Ever notice how the clover is three connected hearts? I love that. It reminds me of God. It'll will be difficult to pull after seeing it with new eyes. Oh, and...

HE LOVES ME!

Hibiscus

It took a while and I wasn't sure it would happen at all, but my hibiscus bush finally bloomed. It was quite a surprise - since I was diligently checking it everyday for buds - to look out the back window and behold one large beauty shining brightly in the morning sun.

This is the first bloom, which by mid-afternoon had lost its orange, and turned a very bright yellow.

As I type, there are now four of these blooms on the bush.

Moth

I found this guy. I think it's a moth, but I couldn't say what kind. He's not much to look at, compared to a large, colorfully painted butterfly, but I think he's beautiful in his own right. I like his big eyes.