Prairie buttercups are pretty to look at but have a terrible taste if you happen to be a hungry cow!
While they aren't considered poisonous, they have irritants that aggravate the stomachs of cattle that graze on them. But these flowers taste so bad that cattle generally take a few bites and leave them alone.
Queen Anne's Lace and Purple Vetch wave with the breeze as vehicles pass by along U.S. Highway 80 West.
Some people have identified this flower as Jacob's Ladder. However, it doesn't look anything like the 20 or so different flowers called by the same name on the Internet!
This is an old-fashioned bulb that resembles a miniature gladiolus, and it spreads. Well, the flowers DO look like a ladder, especially in full bloom.
This newborn calf thinks he is hidden in the grass and weeds. He was born on a stormy day, and I'm sure that today he appreciates the warm April sun. His mama stands in the background, wary of me and my camera.
Today is Confederate Memorial Day, a holiday in several southern states which honors the Confederate dead. A memorial service was part of the Battle of Selma events this past weekend.
Along with speeches, a march to Old Live Oak Cemetery and gun salutes, Civil War re-enactors paused to remember Private Henry P. Stone, a Selma native who enlisted in Co. A of the 4th Alabama Infantry when he was only 17. He later died in a bayonet charge during the Battle of Cold Harbor near Richmond, Va.
April 26 is also the anniversary of Confederate Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's surrender to Union Gen. William Sherman. Johnston lived in Selma for a while after the war.
Thanks for Christine Weerts for the photograph.
One of the often-overlooked events of Battle of Selma Weekend is the tribute given to the Confederate dead in Old Live Oak Cemetery.
Guest photographer Christine Weerts attended this morning's memorial service and shared her photo of seven-year-old Brian Phelps of Bay Minette as he participates as a Confederate solider in part of the ceremony.
Snowballs in April? Enlarge the picture and take a look at the burgeoning snowball tree in the background. Today's heavy rain will probably end the show of blossoms around Selma.
Skies are fair today, but what will they be like tomorrow night for the Battle of Selma Grand Military Ball? The ball is held outside in the main courtyard at Sturdivant Hall, and right now the forecast calls for rain and possible severe weather.
The event brings Federal and Confederate officers and their wives together for a dance before the Sunday battle. Non-military personnel can attend too, provided they have tickets and wear period dress.
See more Skywatch photos at www.skyley.blogspot.com.
How about a lovely, wide-open rose for Earth Day? I think every day is Earth Day, especially in the spring when there are new flowers at every turn, baby birds learning to fly, butterflies breaking out of cocoons and the urge to transform my yard into a garden like Eden!
Guest photographer Christine Weerts noticed this rose in an old garden while she was out walking her dogs.
Our azaleas are finally at peak, and this charming pink Victorian in Old Town Selma makes the perfect background. Thanks to guest photographer Christine Weerts.
