Pleasant Weather and Partridge-Pea Plant

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The past couple of days our weather has been a bit cooler... this morning we tied a record low of 62°. The high was around 90° and the humidity was almost non-existent. We did not turn on the air conditioner until we got back from my physical therapy session in the late afternoon. So it was a pleasant weather day.

It was a joy to open the windows and hear the birds chirping and singing. It was even a pleasure to hear the cicadas.

I am told I am doing well with my physical therapy. I asked Chris if the surgery could be causing these awful headaches I'm having (awful enough for the computer screen to become a blur and make me nauseous). So I haven't made my rounds to all the blogs I read.

Chris said only if I was holding my arm close in... in protective mode... would I get headaches. Unless I'm doing it in my sleep I'm not doing the "protective mode" thingy.

I think it is my neck problems acting up. I'll talk with my orthopaedist on Friday and my family doctor on Monday. Chris did do a few stretches with my neck.. so far no help, but maybe it will be better tomorrow.

Yesterday morning was pleasant too. I took a mile walk while Frank mopped the floors. I had not taken this walk in a few months. Of late I get to the cut-off path and decide I'm just too tired for the last leg of the walk. I did almost do the same thing yesterday.

While on my walk I came upon some Partridge-Peas. They are also known as Showy Partridge Pea. I did not carry a camera... but I checked my archives :-)

The leaves are fern-like and they have a pretty yellow flower that measures about an inch across. In our area it blooms from June on into November.

Partridge-Pea seeds are a valuable food for bobwhite quail in the Southeastern USA. Here in SW Georgia bobwhite quail are raised on some plantations and are hunted by big names such as former Vice President Dick Cheney (he did not shoot anyone while hunting here), Bobby Cox (manager of the Atlanta Braves) and many sports figures, movie stars and businessmen.

The bobwhite quail is gaining presence in the real wild. I often hear them at my parent's old homestead. One time I actually saw a pair. I did not get great photos of them. They are fast birds even when they are not flying!

Seeds of the Partridge-Pea are also eaten by the greater and lesser prairie-chicken, ring-necked pheasant, mallard, brown thrasher, cotton rat, and field mouse.

Rabbit and deer like the foliage.

Partridge-Pea flowers attract bees, butterflies, flies,and many other insects. It is host plant to the Little Yellow, Sleepy Orange, and Cloudless Sulphur butterfly species.

Little Yellow

Cloudless Sulphur

In Georgia and Florida the Partridge-Pea is considered an important honey plant, often occurring where few other honey plants are found. It produces nectar only when growing in heavy red clay soil. Nectar is not gathered from the flower. A reddish-brown nectary (honey gland) is present near the base of each compound leaf.

Not a honey bee... I don't think, but a bee :-)

Thank y'all so much for your kind comments. I appreciate them so very much. I hope to have something for the shoot out on Friday.