Little Whys

I looked back to a year ago.
I saw the Ebony Jewel Wing photographs.
I fell in love all over again.
She is amazing.
I hope to visit her soon.

I was looking to see if the Buckeye Butterflies
were here last July 29th.
They were.
We have not seen a Buckeye this year.
I wonder why.

We have packed up our July things.
We have cleaned the house.
We have decorated for August.
It did not take very long.
We worked together.

Tonight I will read the journals.
I love reading about our past Augusts.
I filled a journal last year. I have filled many.

I will begin a new journal.
I have been doing the monthly decorating for many years.
I have always kept journals.
I will work on our calendar of events for August.
We will celebrate Lammas on the 1st.
Our August theme is Sunflowers.

My husband brought up music for us to listen to in August.
The heat and humidity continues but we are finding ways
to be delighted.

Next year I am planning to have a huge Sunflower garden.
I already know where it will be.
I will need to have a fence around it to keep the Deer and Ground Hogs out. I think something decorative would be good.
Sunflowers bring a smile every time I see them.

I am working on a personal retreat.
I am thinking sometime in September would be nice.
I am planning to take a week and devote myself to meditation
and renewal for Autumn. Perhaps the weather will allow for a Prairie walk. I would love that.

Yoga continues to inform my everyday life.

I love my daily home yoga practice.
I find I am able to do more not only in the garden
but in my everyday activities.
Decorating was easy today. I was mindful of my body.

When I read The Inner Life of Asanas 
I was inspired to take my practice to a deeper level.
Slowly I am understanding how a pose can teach me.
I have created a couple of my own poses.
For August I created "Sunflower."
I redid my altar for August.
I will cut a sunflower tomorrow in honor of the second New Moon
of July. I have named it the New Wise Moon.
We will celebrate.

Herbs are also a part of my every day life.
I love them.
I love learning about them.
I love growing them and harvesting them and using them.

I took the camera out into the gardens.
I had finished my work and I wanted to see bugs.
This tiny Leaf Hopper was so cute.

I was not pleased with my first set of Gray Hairstreaks.
So I went back out for another round.
One of the many joys of Summer is just popping outside
 for a few minutes to take photographs.

O my second round I spotted this very different tiny bug.
I will get my insect field books out.
 It will be fun seeing if I can id him.

Tiny, tiny wasp like insect in the Garden Rue.

The Road Runner is our bird for August.
It would be great fun to see one again.

Last night we watched as storm clouds gathered.
We watched the lightening after dark.
We heard an Owl hoot
three different time.

Then he flew right over our heads
and over the house.
It was magical.

101 degrees in the shade

Last winter my friend sent a charm for my birthday.

I have it sitting on my sacred table.

It is a charm of the Indalo.

It is the symbol of Almeria, Spain.

For me it symbolizes the closeness I share with my friend.

She also sent me her amethyst when I was so very sick.

I am well now. I am filled with vitality.

Yet I still hold her stone every day and
 give thanks for a caring friend.

I turn on the salt crystal lamp in the mornings.

It helps to keep my air clean.

My yoga nook has a few special pieces.

I have added many different Mudras to my day.

They are a gracious way to hold your hands.

They are healing too.

I have also added a few special poses to my practice.

The Swan is now part of my sequence as is the Mammoth.

I try and spend 30 minutes before my practice for reading.
I would like to add more meditation to my day.

The doTerra oils are amazing.

I use them daily in some way.

I am planning a retreat for myself.
 I am thinking it will be in September.

I will include tree time and oils and special herbs.

I will be at home but I will be quiet. I will go on long walks.

I will take a break.

I bought two patterns.

I want to do some sewing.
I think a retreat outfit would be fun.

I need a new summer nightgown.

I am inside.
It is too hot outside even in the shade.

Early Morning

I went out to the deck in the early morning

before it become too hot and humid to enjoy the day.

I thought of my yoga practice when I watched
the Tiger Swallowtail do an inversion.

I was so happy to see an Orange Sulphur.

I had not seen one this year.

Our new deck chairs arrived.
They are comfortable.  So very nice to sit up straight with
 feet flat on the deck.

Both of these books are keepers.

I shall be ordering them.

Ayurveda and Yoga are sisters.

They compliment each other.

My face is relaxed.

I look forward to my daily home yoga practice.

I am getting up early too. Early enough to see the sun rise.

It is part of the Ayurveda Way...early to rise.

Natural Surroundings

Our gardens are full of Queen Ann's Lace.
It is a native wildflower.
The butterflies seem to love it.
A new to my backyard, the Olive Juniper Hairstreak stopped for a moment.

The Tawny Emperor is a regular visitor.

I have two butterfly bushes. They are not native to my area.
They do seem to be a butterfly magnet and with deadheading they bloom all season.

I love going outside when the female Tiger Swallowtail,
 in her black form, is about.

I think she is lovely.

Much joy when I saw the Pipe-vine Swallowtail.

This is a male.
 I can tell by the iridescent blue on his upper wings.

I collected rain water yesterday.

I added lemon and rosemary.
I shall use it for my finishing hair rinse.

I am finding a balance between native and cultivated.

I am practicing determination and resolve.
In sanskrit this is known as sankalpa.

I resolve to do my yoga every day so that
the result is experiencing ease in my body.

I have a yoga journal now
and my yoga time.