Butterfly Condos?

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When my lens first spied these I mistook them for birdhouses. On closer inspection, I saw they were quite small and the doorways were shaped like slits instead of circles. There was a sign nearby stating they were for butterflies. 

btrfly-condos

I did some research and found no reports that butterflies are using these houses. People have tried putting banana peels and overripe fruit in them as an enticement. Even that isn’t working to attract butterflies. The animals taking up residence are spiders and bees. There was one report of a bird that liked the house so much that she laboriously worked to enlarge the bottom of a slit so that she could use the house for her nest.

If your objective is to do something for butterflies, the houses are not a good choice. On the other hand, they do make charming decorations for a garden or back yard. My thought is that you might as well make a hole large enough for a bird. 

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Outdoor Toy Trains

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Until I saw these, I thought of toy trains as something set up in a basement.

Having them outdoors added to the realism.

I found them in the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens in Kansas.

Trains were models of those that ran from 1890 to 1950.

Even the bridges were replicas: Kaw River Bridge, Harry S. Truman Bridge, and Fairfax Bridge. 

train-model-1  train-model-2 

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Flower Cart

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When your garden needs a little something extra, you can add a flower cart.

Often, I see a small wheelbarrow repurposed as a flower cart.

This is the first time I’ve seen a shopping cart serve that purpose. 

flower-cart

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Spooky Spider

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It had to have taken a great deal of skill to craft this spider and web out of wood.

I appreciate what the artist did.

I’m also thankful this is not a real spider.

It’s about 8×10 feet.

Can you imagine a spider that large?

It’s beyond spooky. 

spider-wooden-spooky

When Ants Attack

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When can it be a good thing for ants to attack?

When they attack other insects that damage crops, it’s a good thing.

Without the ant attacks, many animals would die from starvation.

I doubt it would be a good thing if they were the size you see in this photo (just sayin’).

[Dave Roger created this sculpture.] 

ant-sculpture-attack

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Bear Sculpture

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Dan Ostermiller, an artist from Colorado, creates metal animal sculptures that he prefers to place outdoors.

One thing unique about his sculptures is that he gives each one its own personality including facial expressions.

I found one of his bears at Powell Gardens in Kingsville, Missouri, USA. 

sculpture-bear

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Swallowtail Sculpture

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I must admit, it was easier to take a photo of this butterfly than what I usually experience.

I didn’t have to hold still to not frighten it.

I didn’t have to wait for it to give me the angle I wanted.

Also, I didn’t have to use a special lens.

Ah, the advantage of Legos.

lego-butterfly-swallowtail

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