Outdoor Wednesday- Nuts about Lilacs!

While we had a short break from the rain here,

It was time to get outside and breathe in some of that wonderful fresh spring air! 

There's nothing I look more forward to in the Spring than the delightful fragrance of blooms on my Lilac bush I have in my backyard.

I also look forward to these beautiful visitors that also love the lilacs... 

You know, for some reason I had always thought that these were Monarch butterflies. 

Well it turns out that I was all wrong!

After doing a bit of research it turns out that they are not Monarch's at all,

but in fact they are Yellow Tiger Swallowtail butterflies. 

This breed of Swallowtail Butterfly named "Tiger" after it's beautiful tiger-like stripes on it's wings.

 I could sit and smell the sweet fragrance of these flowers for hours!

...and watch these graceful butterflies flit in and out amongst them too...

They're just so beautiful! 

 Of course I love watching the squirrels playing in the back yard too!

This one doesn't seem to be the least bit bothered by my close presence while he munches away at a pecan!

Speaking of squirrels... having squirrels in our backyard here in town is okay. 

But squirrel's are an almond growers worst enemy,

 and we have to constantly keep the squirrel population under control in our orchard. 

Spring happens to be my favorite time to take a drive out to our orchard. 

Here's a few shots I took there just after the spring bloom. 

It's so beautiful and peaceful out here!

See the new baby trees we planted...

Grow babies Grow!!

Here's a close up shot below...

Can you see the little fuzzy nutlets in the center of the buds?!

Well friends I hope you enjoyed a bit of Spring here in my neck of the woods!

I hope you all are enjoying yours wherever you are!

Now scoot on over to Susan's at a Southern Daydreamer for

Outdoor Wednesday 

and some more outdoor fun!!

Happy Spring!

Hugs,

Sherri