The interior of the Cathedral of Saint Paul contains chapels dedicated to the Sacred Heart, to Mary, to Saint Peter, and also to St. Joseph. The First World War interrupted construction of The Chapel of Saint Joseph, but it was completed in 1918.
The Chapel of Saint Joseph
The cloudy, drizzly day didn’t seem to colorful until a hint of sun peeked out and shown on the changing leaves signaling autumn’s fast approach.
Approaching Autumn
If you look closely inside the left blossom, you can spot a bumblebee collecting nectar from the pink turtlehead flower. Turtlehead gets its common name from the blossoms that resemble the shape of a turtle’s head with its mouth partly open although the lips are hard to pry open and bumblebees are one of the few insects that have the strength to enter inside.
Bee Inside Turtlehead
Watch the bumblebee enter the turtlehead blossom.
Bugs, bees and butterflies were enjoying a dry day to collect nectar from the late summer flowers. This monarch butterfly was very intent on collecting from goldenrod, which provides a good nectar flow in late summer. Most adults monarchs only live for a few weeks, but the generation born as fall approaches hold off on reproducing and monarchs from this area will make the long migration to Mexico. These migrating monarchs will live for six to eight months before starting back north in the spring.
Monarch on Goldenrod
The storms brought more rain today and maybe some saw a rainbow afterwards and I always enjoy seeing the full ones or the bright ones.
Rainbow Through the Trees
Yesterday when I was mowing lawn, I spotted a Giant Swallowtail butterfly checking out the flowers. With a wing span of 4 to 6.25 inches and even up to 7.4 inches, this is the largest of all North American butterflies.
Giant Swallowtail
Some people were enjoying a late summer warm day with water activities today as the temperature climbed above 80 after a previous chilly week. But while pools and smaller lakes would be warm enough for swimming, Lake Superior near where this duo were checking out the water is already down to upper forties so it would be a very refreshing swim.
Checking out the Water
The sailboats were resting in the early morning light but after a cold, wet week, I suspect that some of them would be spreading their sails on the lake on a sunny Sunday.
Sunday Sail
The cooler wet week felt like the end of autumn but at least the moisture was still in the form of rain and not snow so this old runner sled won’t be needed for a little while yet.
Old Snow Runner Sled
The wind and rain from the storm churned up the Lake Superior as the waves crashed into shore.
Stormy Superior
