Yep, susan, here is a sunflower and it's bee. This approx. 4x8 spot where DH cleans out the bird feeders onto a weed dumping area out back has yielded a beautiful bunch of sunflowers. Some are at least 8 foot tall.

We just could not leave it alone... we stopped and visited with the "now married woman", since we were so near their town, on our way home.

They are beautiful birds though. We had one land on my husband's head at our Dallas house. We were at the pool, I was in the pool and he was standing at the edge of the pool looking down at something. Suddenly I see this big black bird coming in for a landing. I told him not to move! The bird landed right on the back of his head. He was freaking out because he had no idea what it was. But he maintained his cool, more than I would have been able to do, and I got out of the pool and put my hand under the birds feet. Just like I would do with my cockatiel. It was extremely tame and had a metal tag around the ankle. Turns out it was a homing pigeon. I was able to contact the owners, they said just let it rest there and eventually it should return. I fed and watered it for a few weeks and got really acquainted with it. It would hang out on the roof and I put a cat carrier out on the patio with food and water. It finally did leave but I don't think it went home lol. I think it enjoyed the free life. It was a beautiful iridescent purple and black color. It was quite smart. It would sit outside the window where my cockatiels cage was and they would «talk» to each other.

On Sunday the Hunt Club held a "Hunter Pace" which is a timed trail ride on a marked course in small groups. The weather and the views were absolutely beautiful. After that they hosted the Virginia Field Hunter Championship, a judged mock hunt (no huntsman, no hounds and no foxes) going out over much of the same land, in a big group, with judges riding along determining which rider and horse have the best form.