St. George's/ Sky Watch

How about about this pure blue sky? Some of you may remember last week's Sky Watch with the same lovely sky. And you may be thinking the skies over Central Ontario are always this clear.

Think again. Today's Sky Watch photos were taken on the same day as last week's.

Does this ram's head look to you like it's smoking a cigar? It's a downspout and it's at the top of the tower on...
St. George's Anglican Church situated beside Lake Simcoe -- Ontario's "first cottage country" (summer vacationland). This is the view from the road, which is on the chapel's south side and the lake in on the opposite side of the church.

The chapel was erected of fieldstone in 1877, the first year summer visitors travelled from Toronto to this area by railroad. Today St. George's is open for services from late April to mid October, and is on the edge of Sibbald Point Provincial Park.
Legend has it that the church was supposed to be built without iron rods, but stains on some of the fieldstone suggest the builders disobeyed orders.

A cemetery surrounds the chapel on three sides. This is view was taken from the cemetery on the west side.
To join in the Sky Watch fun, which features skies from all around the globe, visit the Sky Watch blog at http://skyley.blogspot.com

Butterflies/ Fave Things

I really thought I wouldn't be photographing any more butterflies this year, but as a friend and I were walking along the forest path, this eastern comma (Polygonia comma) flew over our heads and landed in the middle of the path. Now what do you suppose I immediately did? RIGHT! I stopped short and whipped out my camera.

Earlier this year, I took a photo of an eastern comma, but it was a summer form. It has since perished.

THIS is the autumn (or winter form), usually emerging as a butterfly in August. It will overwinter under some bark, in a log or an earthen crevice, only coming out on warm days in winter to sunbathe and in April or May to mate and sip some tasty tree sap.

Yep, butterflies are among my favourite critters.


To join in the Favourite Things fun, visit Blue at Behind Kyanite's Door - http://behindkyanitesdoor.blogspot.com

And finally, I would very much like to thank Arija at Garden Delights for this lovely award. It feels good to know that someone out there enjoys my blog. And it's GREAT to meet new friends from around the world. In fact, Arija lives about as far away from Central Ontario as anyone can -- she's in South Australia in a climate and in a season very different from my own. Why not stop by Arija's blog and check it out for yourself? http://pilskalns.blogspot.com/