A Painted Lady butterfly lights upon orange and yellow lantana. Despite living only a couple of weeks, these speckled lepidoptera are probably the most widespread butterfly in the world.
The sewing arts of tucks, tatting and crochet grace this antique bed at the Sturdivant Hall Museum. Back in the 19th Century, women took great pride in such skills, but these days, I have to wonder who has time for them?
The heavens were sky blue one day last week, and Sturdivant Hall Museum seemed the perfect match for this week's Skywatch Friday photograph.
It's been a long, long time since the Alabama River at Selma has been this muddy or this high, and I wonder where these boaters are heading in the swift current. Tropical Storm Fay brought more than seven inches of rain to our area, replenishing our waterways, at least temporarily. The meteorologists said that only a tropical system could bring enough rain to even begin to quench last year's devastating drought. Now, we hear that Tropical Storm Gustav is expected to become a major hurricane and hit somewhere along the Gulf Coast in the next several days! 
Rain or shine, these campaigners for Selma City Council candidate Monica Newton were prepared for the all-day job of greeting voters before they made their way into the Byrd School polling place. Dr. Newton, a family-practice physician and political newcomer, won over four other candidates with about 60 percent of the vote.
Got power?
Robert Gordon not only cooks lunch for friends and neighbors once a month or so; he gives them the "Red Carpet Treatment." The proprietor of Gordon's Antiques on Mabry Street threw a front-porch get-together last Friday, and I was fortunate to be included! 
One of my sons spotted this hummingbird in our zinnias and got his camera. So here it is...for Camera Critters Sunday!
All you photographers out there...get your cameras ready or sift through that portfolio. There's a contest coming up to show off your creative skills and Selma's architecture!
Here's the evening view from Lafayette Park. Just take a seat on the bench and enjoy!
Here's Princess... in acrylic. She was drawn by artist Sallie O'Brien is displayed at Selma Art Guild's Gallery, 508 Selma Ave. The gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday for its juried Summer Show. Art Guild members say bring your lunch and eat at the gallery while seeing art from all across the Black Belt. 
Selma's not the only town headed toward municipal elections. Nearby Valley Grande also elects its mayor and council August 26. The Valley Grande Exchange Club sponsored a political forum at Martin Middle School, and here, incumbent Mayor Tom Lee responds to questions. The other mayoral candidate, Terry Hughes, listens at right, and moderator Benjamin Austin, stands at the back. Seated at left are city council candidates. All were given two minutes for introductory speeches, then responded to questions from the audience. 
This view of Alabama Avenue reminds me of the old song, "In the Good Ole Summertime." Here's the (somewhat) shady lane. 
The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterflies are loving our zinnias this summer. The butterflies are either black and blue or yellow and black. The yellow version is Selma's official butterfly.
It's Skywatch Friday again, and the sky transitions from blue to dark blue over the Songs of Selma Park as night sets in.
Selma is just a couple weeks away from municipal elections. This picket fence in Old Town Historic District's Ward 3 has made a perfect background for these political signs.
The late afternoon sun spotlights the railroad bridge upriver from Lafayette Park off Selma's Water Avenue. 
So, it's time to pack the beach vacation photos and return to Selma scenes. 
The Perdido Pass Bridge curves its way across Alabama Point to Ono Island and Perdido Key. The Florida line is close by. I took this photo from the Southern Rose tour boat as we were docking after a two-hour cruise. We saw homes along Ono Island and dolphins in Perdido Bay.
Where are all these people headed at sunset on the beach?
This is morning at Orange Beach, Alabama where the break of waves and call of seagulls are the only sounds. There were a few hovering clouds due to Tropical Storm Eduardo way out in the western gulf, and the tides were stronger than usual, so red flags dotted the beach.
Greetings from the Alabama Gulf Coast!
"Paintsicles," a photograph by Jim Morris, won second place in the photography category of the Selma Art Guild's Summer Show. A work of art!
This pair of cats, a feline and a catfish, were painted by Mike Handley and displayed at the Selma Art Guild Gallery during the Art Walk. As you can see, catfish are called catfish because they have whiskers. In The Black Belt region of Alabama, there are catfish in the rivers and catfish raised in farm ponds...the kind you buy at the grocery store. 
Ahh...this is how summer should be...enjoying family amid butterflies and bubbles!
I thought this house was for the birds, but it appears that grasshoppers have taken a fancy to it. 
METAL is the theme for August's City Daily Photo Blogs, and bicycles became all-metal machines in 1870. Prior to then, metallurgy did not produce metal that was strong enough for small, light parts.
