Merry and/or Happy Whatever You Celebrate

I thought today would be the perfect day to unveil the photo used on this year's holiday card. I did not use any of the photo candidates that I wrote about here. Instead I was lucky enough to snap a snowy scene on the 7th of December. So without further ado, here is the photo used for the holiday card 2008:

These are Echinacea (commonly known as Coneflowers). Echinacea are my favorite perennial. They come in a wide variety of colors and styles. Butterflies love Echinacea. That's an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail taking a sip:

After blooming, birds can eat the seeds from the cones. I haven't yet been quick enough to catch some American Goldfinches feasting, but will one of these days!

Here's an American Goldfinch male in my backyard thinking about eating Echinacea seeds in the Fall.

I hope that whatever you celebrate, and even if you don't celebrate, that you have a joyous holiday season.