Welcome to my hometown. Step right into my own backyard, where cheerful sunflowers brighten the view. DG's butler wasn't available for me to "borrow", so I made some snacks for us to enjoy on the patio -- along with some Mountain Dew from our local grocer. Do you appreciate the beauty of sunflowers?

As we stroll through the backyard, you'll notice that all of these sunflowers are facing east. Young sunflowers follow the sun across the sky each day, but once mature, they stop moving and usually face east. This early-morning orientation helps them warm up quickly and attract pollinators. Today, butterflies are busy fluttering from flower to flower, and we might even see a few bees hard at work. Just be careful around them. I learned that lesson the hard way when one stung me last week! Were you aware that mature sunflowers face East?

Our travel guide is ready to take us to the next stop, only a few blocks away, which is a roadside with thousands more to see. These are much larger, stretching toward the horizon. Step closer and we will notice that what appears to be one large flower is actually made up of hundreds of tiny florets working together. Were you aware that a sunflower isn't just one flower but is made up of hundreds of tiny florets?

From parks and gardens to city landscapes, sunflowers are admired for more than their beauty. Their petals are the colorful, outer ray of the sunflower head -- edible, containing antioxidants, and have been used in cooking, skincare products, and crafts. I am not encouraging any tasting of petals today as I want everyone to enjoy a pleasant trip back home. Were you aware of some of the uses for sunflower petals?