Painting Robins, Eating Peaches and Loving the Teddy Bear of Bees

 A Robin Redbreast in  a cage 

Sets all Heaven in a rage.

               William Blake

Sighting a robin means good luck and it is also a symbol of Christmas and good times. 

The American Robins are plentiful here and I had one nest attached to an old light on the back of the house this summer and many adults combing the lawns. Three hatched successfully from that nest and then an Eastern Phoebe took the nest and also hatched three youngsters from it.  Here is one of the young robins taking a dip in our birdbath.

They are a popular bird motif to draw and paint. I liked this video showing step by step how to paint a sweet English robin.  What do you think?

I hate to mention this very sad note but I was quite discouraged when I read that one of the bumblebees, the Teddy Bear of bees as I think of them, has been placed on the endangered species list. I love them so much. I just wish we could lose some of our obsession with carpet like lawns and let more of the gardens grow a little wilder and become more insect inviting. 

So happy our little pond was home to many Painted Turtles this summer. We had to stop the car to let a turtle cross the road just last week. There are lots of marked turtle crossings around our area.

Like the bumblebees, I love autumn garden flowers too.

Would this appeal to you?? For breakfast today, my rendition of oatmeal...added cranberries and nuts. 

What do you suppose I could make with these??

Perhaps this link to Taste of Home's article featuring 30 ways to use fresh peaches will help.

Hope you all have a wonderful day that includes some time enjoying the outdoors.

Happy to link this post with Paying Ready Attention, Friday Bliss, Viewing Nature With Eileen and Our World Tuesday.