around the yard

A couple of years ago I noticed a Purple Passion flower blooming in the field next to our house. That was the first time I'd ever seen one.
Last year the field was mowed for hay before it would have been time for them to bloom.
This year I can see several of the vines tangled around in the tall weeds.  I dug up a couple of them and tried to plant them in my yard, but they turned dead looking. We'll see if they come back up next year.

The blooms are really exotic looking. This one is past it's prime but I didn't want to wade through the weeds to get to a nicer one. They are a bright vivid purple when they first bloom out.

And here is something else neat about them...after they bloom they develop these fruits. I've read that you can eat the fruit after it begins to get wrinkley.

My Butterfly Bush is full of blooms and attracting lots of butteeflies.

This one was very patient while I took a photo.

Naked Ladies are making their appearance.  Also known as Naked Lilies or Resurrection Lilies.

This Datura managed to come up in the area where I have burned brush. You can see nothing else grows there. Those plants are tough and I think they are pretty...but they are poisonous. 

I'll make sure to get the seed pods off of this one before they mature.

A mama turkey with her half grown chicks.

And the Black Vulture was back. He was very interested in the pool but too cautious to get too close. 

There was water in the bird bath he could have had for drinking. Maybe he had in mind to take a bath?

I am glad he didn't try it because I certainly wouldn't relish the idea of rescuing him if he got in there!