Sunny

Sunflowers at the Farmer's Market.

 

Bee pollen

This bee was so loaded with pollen on its legs, I didn't think he could fly.  He matched the colors of the sunflower almost exactly.

 

Sunflower Summer

The sunflower field at the museum of art was disappointing this year.  Inconsistant rains and excessive heat stunted the field.

There were a few in bloom.

 

Tithonia

 

I'm beginning to love Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia. see here)   This one is so tall that I see the underside of the flower instead of the top.  It's nice either way.

Bumble

We see a lot of bumble bees in the garden, but not many honey bees.  This guy was chowing down on a Mexican sunflower.

 

Feed Me

The petals look like sharp teeth.  Maybe that's where the idea for Little Shop of Horrors came from?

 

Finally sunflowers

We went back to check on the sunflower fields at the museum of art. 

Finally they're all in bloom in a field of flowers!

 

Sunflower

We went to the sculpture park at the art museum because there was supposed to be a field of blooming sunflowers...

We did find a few.

 

Busy Bees

These bees were busy in the sunflower.

Happy

How can you not be happy when you look at a sunflower?

As I stare at this picture I just keep following the patterns around.  

Sunflowers on the wall

A welcome sight in the winter.

This mural, by Denise Hughes, overlooks a new shopping area, Midtown East.  

The other half.

The full building.

More sunflowers

OK, I couldn't resist posting a few more sunflower pictures.  

A Common Buckeye butterfly ( here) comes in to visit a flower.

It didn't stay long.

I'll follow the sun

It's sunflower time at Dorothea Dix park.  Every year the City of Raleigh plants a field of sunflowers.

People come to enjoy the flowers,

Take selfies

And enjoy the view

When the show is done, the city harvests the flowers and turns them into biofuel for city vehicles.