Those seeds of the hairy plant are probably Butterfly Weed. This time of year the pods open and a ga-zillion of those things float away in the wind.

Thanks Jim! Actually, I was planning on cedar shutters. It matches the shakes on the garage. I know it's hard to tell, I was trying to cover all the black with something. The other option is to take down the shutters and beef up the windows with wood painted more of the cream color. I'm still deciding. :)

Carriage ride in Cairo. (for a little extra bakeesh, he let me hold the reins) Igmd, one doesn't see grasshoppers like you used to even where I live in the country. I remember the big guys in your photo, they would spit "tobacco" on you!

Hi nicole, If those guys lose more ballast ... do you think that they won't be able to come down? Oh, yeah, I guess they will ... when the fuel runs out. o j