Summer Flowers & Wildlife

I love the summer & being outside in nature. Our house has a lot of plant & wildlife that I observe and am introducing my son to.

My wife and also enjoy gardening and have many flowering plants around our house. I've been taking pics of some of the beautiful blooms emerging this summer:

Nature Photography by Paul Micarelli

 These are awesome- fire red lilies that I planted last year & are one of my favorites:

A batch of these orange tiger lilies were already at the house, but I love when they bloom, too:

 

 

This might be my favorite flower, because I have been trying for a couple summers to get vines to cover a trellis, but the landscapers kept cutting it down. I had to put up barriers to prevent them from trimming the vines. Finally, the vines are covering the trellis & it has begun to flower!

 

Within the past couple days, a 2nd large, purple flower has bloomed on the vine!

Bunches of pastel blue/white/yellow hydrangeas:

As for wildlife, we have several creatures inhabiting our backyard, including 3 large groundhogs:

We also have wild turkeys. This momma & her chicks have been hanging around, and my mother-in-law snapped this photo of them standing on our deck railing!

Paul Giuseppe Micarelli - 1st Birthday Party

The invitation I created for the birthday party, featuring my wild little son!

 

I haven't posted a lot here recently, since I work full time and spend a lot of my free time with my son, who just had his 1st birthday! Being a father is an awesome experience, and I am blessed that Paulie is healthy, smart, and already funny (even though he can't talk)!

A year ago, his birth was simultaneously the most traumatic & beautiful experience of my life. My wife and I planned on a natural home birth, but we found ourselves in a medical emergency when the baby's umbilical cord became prolapsed (pushed over his head) after Loretta's water forcefully broke. I wrote about our story shortly after:

Paul Giuseppe Micarelli - Born 6-13-20!

Having a child born during the COVID pandemic and social upheaval has really been a strange & difficult circumstance. The challenges surrounding Paul Giuseppe's birth have given us a deep, profound appreciation for his presence in our lives.

As I see him developing, I'm enjoying him more & more! He already has a little personality and cracks everyone up with his smile and funny sounds, like his dramatic laugh & grunts when doing something strenuous. Paulie is stubborn, persistent, and rough, but also very sweet and happy. He loves to play and is so curious- he is fascinated by mechanical things like clasps, buttons, and hinges. Currently, he is obsessed with wireless speakers, so I got him a little one for his birthday that is rugged enough to endure his rough handling & drool.

Here are some of the nicknames we've given him:
Lil' Rascal  • Meatball Head • Plumpkin • The Milk Goblin • Peanut • Squeaky Skadattles • Scoots • Uncle Fusster • Crank Sinatra • Lil' C-Blocker • Pig Boy • Little Mr. Fidgewidge

I've made up a character for him that I use to entertain my sister's kids... pretending he is an emperor as I carry him around & they must obey his bidding:

"Caesar Paulgustus"

I am writing this mostly for him, as a record that hopefully he gets to see someday, the same way my grandfather Joseph Micarelli recorded his experiences that I'm now able to appreciate.

Photo Album:

Paul Giuseppe Micarelli - 1st Birthday June 2021

I've also taken some video of his big day & edited together:

Every day during my morning meditation, I pray that my son lives a long, happy, & healthy life, and that Loretta & I get to see him grow up to be a fulfilled adult. I am grateful for his presence in my life and hope his light shines into the world.