Copyright ©2026 Deborah M. Zajac. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
PLEASE DO NOT USE MY IMAGES WITHOUT EXPRESSED WRITTEN PERMISSION.
The Tiger Swallowtails were out in abundance last month zipping and flitting from flower to flower feeding and resting. The flower of favor was the Narrowleaf Milkweed that is native to No. Nevada.
Summer update-It’s been busy around here. We had the exterior of the house painted. It looks nice and clean and, all the divots in the back walls from getting hit by errant golf balls are fixed!
We’d also been having water pressure issues that the plumbers and water company couldn’t figure out. They decided it had to be the water pressure valve even though the bib tests said it was fine, so after two weeks of this we agreed to replace the water pressure valve. After replacing it the water pressure issues were not fixed. The plumbers left scratching their heads saying they were going to brainstorm with the boss, and come up with other diagnostics to try and pin point the problem. A few hours after they left He-Man and I were going to run up to Reno, which is a 40 minute drive, so as you do I went to the bathroom and turned on the tap to wash my hands expecting the same little dribble of water to come out that we’d been having, when low and behold the tap was back to normal and my toilet bowl filled up really fast…as it should! I mentioned it to He-Man, so he flushed the toilet in the hall bathroom, and turned on the tap and, Voila! The problems we’d been having seemed fixed! Maybe the new valve just needed to settle in a bit? Who knows. We’re thrilled it seems fixed and the plumber is happy it’s fixed as well.
We rarely use the dining room as a dining room, but I have been using the dining room table to puzzle on and we play board games on it as well, so last week I decided to make my dining room a dining, library, game room. I’ve moved bookcases and almost all my books in there and bought a new recliner to go where one bookcase used to live in the living room. I can’t wait for it to arrive. Next up, I’ll be weeding out the books and stuff in my bookcase in my “retreat”. I sold the daybed I had in my retreat and now am trying to figure out how I’m going to refurnish this room. I’m in a season of change.
I’ve been birding, but was so behind updating my Life List after FL and TX trips that I haven’t been motivated to work on any images. I’m finally caught up and have begun to process some images. I hope to return to my Friday’s Feathered Friends posts soon.
How about you, are you in a season of change as well?
more to come…
Circadianreflections Blog 
How exciting about changing the dining room! And yahoo that the water pressure valve worked, albeit slow. Your photos are beautiful, Deborah.
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Thank you so much, Jennie! I imagine when Big Baby Boy comes for a visit later this month he’ll appreciate the books in the dining room. He usually sets up his laptop and works in there while here. He’s surrounded by books at his and the Dark Haired Beauty’s house, so he should feel quite comfy.
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I think that’s exactly what will happen!
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😊
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The photos are lovely. I saw a swallowtail flitting around my parking lot yesterday. It surprised me, because I almost never see a butterfly of any sort here at home, unless it’s little ones that are clearly passing through. Perhaps the increasing number of residents that are putting out hanging baskets filled with flowers are tempting more butterflies to visit.
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Oh, I do hope the increasing hanging flower baskets are attracting more butterflies to your area! Fingers crossed, people continue to put them up each Spring/Summer!
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Glad to read that your plumbing mystery was solved Deborah, we have had similar stories in the past of things mostly with electricity, but thankfully thousands of dollars later and much waiting it is fixed. I love your Swallowtails. As a young Lepidopterist pre teens I collected and mounted butterflies and studied them, as I was a scientist before I became one, and even as retired I now study birds instead. We do not have the number of beautiful swallowtails you have in your country. Our butterfly populations have become very few and boring since my childhood years, not sure why, maybe insecticides. I always love seeing your displays. Our main swallowtail down here is the Orchid Butterfly, though we do not see hem anymore either. If we go to far north Queensland there are many varieties, the Cairns Birdwing Swallowtail is our counties largest endemic and most beautiful, which we see in the Cairns area which we love to visit up there. Have a wonderful week my friend.
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Thank you so much, Ashley! I looked up the two butterflies you mentioned. OH MY! The Birdwing is stunning, and the Orchard is beautiful and look huge! I’m glad you are able to see them albeit via traveling a bit.
I hope you have a lovely week as well!
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Handsome pollinator friends you have. 🙂 I never thought about divots in a person’s house who lives on a golf course. Sounds like you had it all taken care of. I’m glad your water is back and with pressure. It reminded me of a couple of years ago, I called the plumber because we had a leak. They sent two guys, we paid two guys, and when they left we still had the leak. Eventually I found it, and my daughter and I fixed it. I really wanted to go ask them for a refund. 🙂 Yes, sometimes we just need a little change because how we are living our lives changes. Be sure to let us know how it all shakes out.
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We never thought about divots from golf balls on a house either…that is until we bought this house.
I’m with you, I’d want a refund as well! The dining, game, library room is finished and looks good. Although, my children’s book collection looks so much smaller in the new bookcase. 😊 The furniture store called yesterday afternoon. My new chair is arriving sometime tomorrow!
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I love butterflies n to see your close up pics was a real treat. Always fun to read the blog too. Hope to see you guys on our next trip to CA! I’ll text you details later.
Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
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Thank you so much, Cherie! I hope we get to see you this time too! Looking forward to hearing the details! 🥰
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Lovely images, Deborah 😊. I’m glad things are back on track too!
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Thank you so much, Belinda!
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Beautiful photos, Deborah. The producer is in the process of turning the office into a sitting room so I can identify with your project in the dining room.
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Thank you so much, John! I image the sitting room will be quite comfy when she’s finished.
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Yes it will.
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Beautiful Swallowtails.
How odd the water pressure issue, glad it’s fixed now (by magic).
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The swallowtails have been lovely to see almost everywhere this summer.
By magic works!!😊
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I love seeing those butterflies, and your photos are gorgeous.
I’m glad the water pressure problem decided to decided to solve itself. We need random things to fall in our favor once in a while.
The dining room upgrade sounds wonderful!
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Thank you so much, Dan!
You’re we do need random things to fall into our favor now and again. I’m it was our turn.😊
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Very good the water is running like it should! There must have been some kind of magic happening. I fully understand the changing-bit. I’m moving house in september and I am calculating, searching the internet for a vintage cupboard, I know every square foot of Ikea by now and my measuring thingy never leaves my site. I will have a slightly bigger garden in my new house and I hope there will be butterflies like in your marvolous sunny and light pictures!
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It must have been magic! 😊
How exciting to be moving and you’ll have a bigger garden!
So packing has begun?
I hope you find the cabinet you have in mind. I wish we had an IKEA nearer to us. There’s an Alex drawer unit I want for storing prints and paintings in but, the cost of delivery is nearly the price of the cabinet. I’m weighing that cost over a 5+ hour round trip drive to get it myself.
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These photos are purely magical, Deborah. Hugs on the wing!
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Thank you so much , Teagan! Hugs!
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Sometimes we will change things around within the house, and it really creates a new feeling expanding or contracting items, furniture, etc. I think it is good to switch things up now and then, both interior and exterior. Glad those plumbing problems are apparently resolved. Sometimes they are a mystery, especially when it comes to water pressure. Another change for the better to be sure…in your season of change. I think we’re due for one once Autumn arrives.
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Thank you so much, Bruce! I used to change the furniture around every year when I was younger, but haven’t been doing that since we moved… until now.
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Oooh a change of season can be exciting! I’m glad that your water pressure has returned to normal. The first thing that I thought of was a data center. Those terrible things destroy water pressure in nearby homes and home values. I’ll bet it won’t be 112 up there today…
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Thank you, John! We’ve been getting up to 95 degrees F the last few days and we will be hanging here for the rest of the week. Stay cool down there!
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You’re welcome Deborah, 95 sounds great. I just got back from a few laps around the neighborhood on the new bike before the heat of the day sets in, that bike is such a joy to ride! Enjoy your cooler weather. 😊😎 Do you have palm trees there?
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No, no palms here.
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You are in a season of change. no question. With all that energy, you’re welcome to come down and work on our house, too.
I well remember my first-ever encounter with narrowleaf milkweed during our walk along the Carson River.
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😊 The Narrowleaf Milkweed was hugging the bank of the river for over a mile. I was on a section further north from we were that evening when I made the images of the Swallowtails.
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