Hot Flashes and Cool Weather

I feel terrific today! 

After so many restless, sleepless nights fighting with the hot flashes I think I have found what works for me. It's the Black Cohosh, suggested to me by many of my Facebook friends. I take one a day and although I sometimes have a flash or two, they are not nearly as often nor as intense.  

I got a lot of suggestions also about the use of Melatonin  and Sleepy Time Tea. Thanks to my friend next door, who kindly slipped some into my mailbox for me to try, I can say that neither are for me. 

I took the Melatonin for 4 nights straight. I couldn't tell that it did anything for me, good, bad, or indifferent. I also brewed up some of that Sleepy Time Tea. I've never been much of  hot tea drinker in the first place and this tea didn't change that. Although I've always enjoyed the smell of daisies and wildflowers on a warm summer evening just after a rain, I certainly don't want to drink it.

Anyway, on to the regular mix of nature like things....

The weather has cooled off a bunch and with it comes volunteer morning glories.

I love it when I discover something like this, growing all it's own.

Close up, it looks like there's a sun fire burning in the center. This glory is having his its own hot flash... lol...

I just bought these... for the life of me, I can't remember what they are called.

Pretty Pink in a hanging basket.

Do you remember this strange bud/fruit that I showed on my last blog entry? It was growing on my night blooming cereus plant. I had no idea what it was and just let it go.

I finally found some info on it and immediately plucked it from the stem. Well, it's a fruit and it's closely related to the Dragon Fruit. I split it open and you can see the seeds. It's edible, so I took only a small bite since the ants had already gotten to it. Not much flavor, a mild sweetness. 

I'll let these dry out and see if I can grow one from seed.

This big guy has been hanging out near the pond, spending his time gazing wistfully elsewhere.

He's a Great Egret and he loves the wet grasses next door.

I missed the eclipse and the last blood moon. Although this is still a pretty cool shot of the half moon during the day.

Lizard

Pretty orange flower in my hanging baskets.

This is the flower of one of my giant bushes, once again can't remember the name.

Snowy Egret, sitting on the dock doing some fishing. You'd think he was in the wrong place, maybe somewhere cooler?

Wildflower and buds...

I like wood ducks...

Wood ducks like to stand on posts.

They had several babies this year. Here's a few, all in a row. They also make the most interesting squeaking noise, just like Ernie's rubber ducky.

Itchy...

A big eyed moth...

A Yellow Rat Snake. He actually looks happy.

He was really quite tiny, only a foot or so long, but awfully colorful.

That's it, kids. Let me know what you think!