Monarch Tower, Sunflower of Doom, and Other Blooms

Along with the pics I'm interspersing quotes from my grandmother's grade school autograph book, about the time she was 13 or 14 in 1935-ish (it's been part of my memoir research to go through the two books I have of hers). I think some kids made up the rhymes since they are sort of nonsensical--all in the spirit of remembrances and best wishes--while others just use standard rhymes of the day. Some were quite dirty, especially for my conservative, Mennonite German grandmother. So let's get to it--lots of insects and blooms to see over this Labor Day weekend, lots of things to remember as the garden moves into autumn and the ghosts echo louder.

During a 10+ release day

Male on the left, female on the right--folks always ask

This little book is a garden spout

in which your friends may sow;

so here I plant a “forget-me-not”

and hope that it will grow.

Bee on Caryopteris

Remember me you can you must

as long as you can bite a crust,

and if the crust you cannot bite

forget me then if you think it right.

When you sit on a sofa 

with your feet on the rug 

never kiss your sweetheart 

with an everlasting hug.

Be careful where you nectar, esp while mating

I love you mighty

I love you little

I love your pajamas

close to my nighty.

But don’t get excited

and don’t get red

I mean on the clothes

line and not in the bed.

Painted Lady = painted end

Mantis bathing like a cat

Ocean is wide

sea is level

if I had you in the dark

I’d squeeze you like the devil.

(Perfect for the mantis pic--I've hard 6 confirmed monarch kills by mantis predation, based on the number of wings littering the ground.)

Salvia 'Nekan'--found here in Lincoln

Love the fuzzy seed stage of Wild Senna

Senna seeds in sultry sunlight

When a cat runs up a tree

pull its tail and think of me.

Black swallowtail about to emerge

A female among larvae

It’s sweet to love

it’s sweet to have a boy,

but oh how sad

when he don’t suit dad.

Love this shot of a female

I thought and thought

but the thought I thought

was not the thought I

thought. So when

again I think a think

I’ll write it down in

pen and ink.

Indian Grass blooming

When rocks and hills divide us

and you no more I see,

just look into the looking glass

and kiss yourself for me.

And if someone out there can make sense of this one, let me know please? I know it's along the lines of GURAQT and "Say 'lettuce' then spell 'cup.'"

y y u r

y y u b

I c u r y y 4 me