...and a black bunny

Morning star shines above the dawn

Morning stars were shining overhead this morning. Only one could still be seen at the dawn of the day.

There is an Austin stone, ranch-style house about half-way between our home and the park. As we neared the house Scruffy saw something run along the curb by that house. He jumped and tried to go after it. I saw this black shadow moving off to the right and here is the conversation that followed:

Me: What is that? Is it a cat? Is it a skunk?

DH: It’s a cat.

Me: No, I don’t think so…

DH (shining flashlight at shadow that has now stopped at the curbside just down the street): It is a cat.

Me: No, I think it’s a bunny…

DH (shining the flashlight again): It’s black. IT IS A CAT.

Me: Look again. Cat’s aren’t shaped like that. I think it’s a bunny.

DH (shining the flashlight again. The BUNNY, out of patience, hops away): Oh, it is a bunny.

Now, what a black bunny was doing hopping away down the street in our neighborhood, I do not know. But it was, indeed, a bunny...

It was a black bunny

We arrived at the park to see a flashlight moving along the field by the walking path. Then we heard someone pounding stakes. It was Dewayne again (see yesterday), preparing the field for dog training. We did not wait long enough to see what the training was like, but there were large "people sized" and "people shaped" white things lined up in a row parallel to the park road. I can imagine they would look a little scary in the dark, but in the dawn light they just looked weird. We, knowing little of the dog training, merely shook our heads and walked on.

We headed down the dirt road and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a deer bound across the track at the edge of the woods. It hinted of things to come.

We walked along with our stealth-less dogs shaking their collars and making enough noise to give warning to any game in the woods. We could hear the deer moving, but hidden to the north. They rustled through the underbrush, but didn't show themselves. Then we heard that familiar deer "snort." Whether a warning about us or snub directed to us, the snort told us not to wait for the deer to enter the meadow. They knew about us and would wait for us to leave.

I commented to DH that I often thought about one running out of the woods and "into" us by mistake.

Then, on our return back to the road's beginning and some distance from the "snort", another deer leapt past us. This deer was so close (within 20 feet from us) we all jumped and the dogs could not be contained. They dragged me down the road a bit until we reached the crossing point - where they followed scent until I steadied myself and got them back under control.

It was an adrenalin rushing, dog panting, awe inspiring sight.

DH watered the pups and suffered Scruff's coughs and sneezes and slurps. [Paddy drinks delicately, but hogs the water until she is done. Scruff waits his turn, but has no "table manners."]

We wandered home to the barking of Mohawk dog and gang...

As I fed the hounds and filled their water pails (tubs? We have to use large wide bottomed galvanized containers or Scruff will tump them out in his crazy drinking frenzy-he jumps into the tubs and digs up the water - sputtering and biting at it. I said it was crazy.) I spied an old rabies vaccination tag on the ground. Our dogs rarely kept their tags on so we gave up trying for "tagged" dogs. We have ordered collars with embroidered names and our phone number. That has to be enough.

I stooped to recover the small red tag hoping it was not our Oreo's (gone these 2 years, we miss her still). No, it was dated "2005" and was engraved with a misspelled name - "Patty" it said.

Yes, it was our first tag for Paddimus.... I took it inside and washed it. Hoarder that I am, I will find some place to secure it. It will wait for the day I decide I no longer need that reminder of rescuing a young, slightly mangy dog from my home town...to harass our old dog and keep us safe from strangers.


The count?

20+ cars (lost track in the excitement of the bunny)

Morning sounds

Ah the morning sounds... we started with the garbage truck as it emptied dumpsters in the distance. We heard three barking dogs, including the yippy dogs a block from home. They are such a nuisance...and are so convinced they control the block. There would be bird songs, but that was later...

A flashlight's glow bobbed along the park path. This was strange and disconcerting. I wondered what it could be - a new early walker? a park worker checking something?

I was able to make out a truck in the parking lot, but I have no ability to recognize vehicles (I have often walked up to someone else's car in a parking lot and tried my key only to realize there is not enough junk in the back seat for the car to be mine).

Always cautious, I stopped before walking full into the park and continued to watch until I realized it was Dewayne and Sissy, preparing for a dog training session. By the time I left the park they were well set up, but had not started the whistles and fetching. It is usually better for my pups not to see the robot dogs. Paddy and Scruffy become fixated on the highly trained (and beautiful) golden animals.

At the top of the hill there were no cats or crows to greet us, but an almost biblical rooster crowed three times. We were not sure of the message that held - finally deciding it must mean that we should be glad not to live near a rooster...

[One of the things I love best is how the quiet of the morning changes as the sun come up and the birds begin to sing...the wild birds, not the roosters...]

The sky was warming and the birds, with their morning songs, sang us home...



A little later than early, the count shows:
20 cars
3 barking dogs
2 people in the park joined by banana man just before we went home

Insects circle the pavilion lights...

Early Sunday morning and the pack stalked the park.

No deer, no fox, no park cat...no early morning fishermen...so bird songs...all was still and quiet in the pre-dawn cool. We walked and watched the day dawning. Two roosters crowed a good morning, but still no wildlife appeared save moths and other flutterers around the lights of the park pavilion. Mid-walk, mid-park a morning bird began to sing.

We refused, refused to return home with no reward beyond the vision of insects at a florescent light and one bird song...so we walked the dirt road in hopes of finding something in the meadows. And we did. All along the road the dogs alerted to  noises in the woods. They were impatient to investigate, but we somehow held them back. 

Two deer were grazing in the far meadows (the others never left the cover of the woods). The pack was satisfied.

Up the hill four cats waited for feeding. Newspapers rested on lawns. The sky brightened...and soon we were home.


What we count on a Sunday morning:

7 cars
4 cats waiting to be fed
2 roosters crow
One bird bursts into song
Haw, haw, haw - one crow at the top of the hill

No walk-long drive...dust from the Sahara...

I used to drive some distance every week - to work, to teach, to campaign, to haul children, to attend athletic events.... I have long had a love-hate relationship with the road. Driving ate my time and energy, but it allowed me the opportunity to plan lectures and letters and to listen to the radio.

My drive to Houston and back today reminded me of how much weird stuff I would learn on my old commutes....Today I learned the reason for the moon's hazy aura last night - dust from storms in the Sahara. Really. Dust from storms in the Sahara Desert has gotten caught up in trade winds and will make things hazy in Texas this weekend before it moves on to other states. Apparently this happens every summer. Who knew?

At first I thought this was science robbing me of the drama and romance of the evening view of the moon, but then I recognized the romance of trade wind borne earth from half-way around the world dropping like fairy-dust on our heads. [Unfortunately unromantic science still wins as it seems that there is a health warning issued - small particles in the air will make breathing difficult for folks with health issues.]

Moving on...

This was my second trip to Houston and back in a week (que lastima). I have a love-hate (mostly the latter) relationship with Houston too. It is a different world for more than issues of politics, population, chaotic development, and traffic (things that make me shake my head, cringe, scowl, or swear). It seems that Houston is always blooming - almost tropical growth to be found everywhere (while most of Texas is dry, crispy and brown). Huge patches of wildflowers are still blooming there, but the lush plants are not enough...not enough...

While Houston will never be my favorite Texas town, I will try to love her more as she hosts thousands of ceramics artists in March of next year....I plan to be there.




In case you do not believe me...

http://blogs.kxan.com/2012/07/20/african-dust-cloud-moving-over-texas/ 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_storm



One of my works shown in Houston this month:

Package #4

Starboard shines blue - sometimes flashing

The late night walk was all about light. The day was dying so we lit ourselves...starboard shines green, but our jogger's light is blue (it can also flash fast or slow - though that is too much on a night when I am worn from a busy week and my head wants to ache). Port pocket was glowing red...all Girl Scouts will know our song tonight.

The crescent moon shimmered adjacent to three stars - a triangle blinking above.

We disturbed no animals tonight as we left our street and we sailed past North Belton admiring its lights. Some glow as nightlights, a comfort in the gloom. Some seem more candles marking shrines. And others are festive, a celebration of light.

We turned at the streetlight (pushing the button to change it in our favor). Bravely facing headlights rushing by we walked to the childrens' school and then into the darkness. It is a short two blocks home, but seems much longer. I pulled a flashlight as the dogs acted "afeared."

... no pirates... but treasure...

As the lights of home shined far ahead...

You hear what you want to hear...

It was the first time the pack had traveled to the park since Saturday. And it was dark.

The dogs did not hesitate to head east at almost a jogging pace. Then half-way down the road we were surprised to see a deer headed north. The dogs shook off their surprise and pulled us to the spot where he crossed the pavement.

A few blocks further and another deer crossed south to north. The dogs missed this one - distracted by some other neighborhood smells. But the walkers wondered at the sight - we have never experienced this many deer moving within the neighborhood. Perhaps we have simply never been in the right place at the right time to view the wildlife wandering our blocks of the town.

Our neighborhood enjoys a small creek, really an intermittent stream, that eventually runs along the edge of the park and on to the Leon River near the highway. These deer must be seeking water or food or cover.

As we turned into the park two more deer crossed the paved park road. We saw no need to walk the dirt path to the meadows. The deer had come to us.

The pups always enjoy a stop at the water fountain and so we did. Paddy drank, then shoved Scruffy aside and drank again. When Scruff finally got a turn he drank, snorted, coughed, drank and then sneezed on DH's hand...this is standard Scruffy behavior.

Turning for home we greeted the park cat keeping vigil on her culvert. In the darkness the dogs did not see her. She watched us pass.

I heard a sound in the distance.

I sometimes am reminded of a character in Harry Nilsson's THE POINT! who says, "you see what you want to see and you hear what you want to hear..." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Point!]


I thought I heard the screech owl.

Then I knew I heard the screech owl.

But "you see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear."

I have so longed to hear the screech owl this year...

I will believe it when it calls again.


The count:

14 cars - one a police car
1 motorcycle
1 screech owl 
[http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/id?wspapp=12227117104&gclid=CMPtrJzktLECFYVgTAodQj4AzQ]

Two walkers, no dogs THEN DOGS COME HOME....

Monday Morning -- The pups were still boarding and so DH and I walked along by ourselves to the park and back. The trek is so much faster without Paddy and Scruffy sniffing every bush and telephone pole.

We arrived in the park to visit with banana man (who was eating an orange today - the smell of citrus sweet reaching us as we passed by).

We hustled to the far meadow in time to see two deer grazing in the short grass.

It was a nice change, an opportunity to talk about the expectations of the week and plan the days ahead.

Evening -- Happy dogs greeted me after work. We took solo walks outside around our naked feeling yard and saw that the moon is now a waxing crescent.

The trimmed trees provide much less shade and the potted plants were thirsty. One looks crispy-dead.

Impatient dogs pulled at their tethers as I watered a bit. We will have to think to turn on the sprinkler before the morning walk tomorrow.

We wandered back into the house for a quick combing and reward (a treat - when you sit when asked).

Few things are a comforting as a dog leaning in for scratches on ears...then laying down at your feet, completely happy to be home and with you.

A sound we have waited for all summer

It was early for Saturday walk and we saw few cars and no people on our way down to the park.

A car in the far parking lot near the river started up and left as we arrived - strangers - odd behavior...

One of the walkers we have not seen in months showed up. We were so glad to see him.

A fawn was in the far meadow. We don't know where the rest of the herd was, but the dogs acted excited during the whole walk. The deer could have been in the woods on either side (or both sides) of us and we would not know...the underbrush still blocks our view into our small forest.

As we walked the dirt road we noted the dried mud was quickly turning to loose dust. Our tracks from the "very muddy day" were still there, but few others.

And then we heard it, "Whoo hoo."

There is an owl in the park.


The wildflowers are forcing more blooms to welcome him. The rains of last week have encouraged the clematis to bloom.

And there is an owl in the park.


Our distracted (dogs after a bird) count:
6 cars
2 dogs barking
1 owner shouting
2 morning trains

Night walk, creek walk, ghost walk?

It was a long "day off" for everyone. DH had workers cutting trees and cleaning up after. I spent most of the day at the office. Dogs were inside - away from the noise of saws and chippers... And so we all needed a walk in the cool of the evening.

We went to the creek and walked a bit.

The creek goes through some of the oldest parts of town...

Headed to the creek

I brought my camera - even though the rapidly gathering gloom of evening was upon us.

As we passed the old AME church I kept thinking, "Keep taking photos. You are going to catch something interesting."

So here are bits of our evening walk...and something interesting.

Lots of good scents

Park lights warmly glow

DH and Scruff do not notice, but Paddy and I know there is something interesting about...

Some days

Some days nothing much happens...

It bloomed...

I could describe our little community meeting along the entrance road to the park...David, running man, Dewayne, Sissy, two yellow labs behaving, two mongrel dogs doing what they want, and me...oh, and the watchers...

The watchers

 I could mention how in certain moments the lights of the distant city shine around it like a diamond necklace. [click on a photo and view them as a slide show - you will see the necklace]

Above the dark, below the sky, the lights of the city shine...

I could mention the lack of deer along the dirt road (it is mostly dry now) and the dogs - not tracking, not alerting, sniffed the air for some scent that was a mystery to me...



 But I will focus on the sky.

It began...

Glow grew

David wanted to know what I was taking a picture of....

I said, "Look!"

And it bloomed....

After the storm

Sunrise after a storm can be lovely.

Sunrise

 We passed the pine tree resting on the house with nary a look. [I would wait until full light to take photos and review the "plan of action" with DH]

Our bummer

We found another house down the block with limbs down. Apparently we had some strange winds yesterday and there is a good deal of damage in town.

Neighbor's bummer

Dogs were distracted as was I and we made ourselves walk...and walk.

Robot dogs were hanging out of the pickup truck as they passed us near the house and soon after we saw running man returning from the park.

Our off-schedule and distracted selves could not face polite community in the park - which was teeming with walkers and runners and such. So we decided to brave the mud on the dirt road and escape the bustle of too many folks. 

We three went slipping and sliding down the road and, instead of recognizing our mistake, kept walking.

I realized that I was in danger of a "Chaplinesque" pratfall as the dogs were excited and the road ridiculously slick . Have you every walked in river silt? I kept thinking I would soon be skiing on mud powered by twin engine-dog power.

And, folly heaped upon folly, we kept walking.

As we reached the first meadow a good-sized buck leapt across the road - the image is still fresh in my mind - beautiful powerful animal. The dogs tried to take off after him, but calmed as they realized I would not give them leave to run.

The second meadow was empty, but then it seemed we flushed the herd out of the woods and they crossed the meadow, some stopping for the briefest moment. The photo surprised me (I never have a camera ready, the light is rarely "right," and animals do not pose) - catching the animals in halt and flight. (I know. It is none too good, but will have to do).

Deer in the far meadow



We slipped and slid back down the road (sans the  "face plant" I was expecting) and shook the mud off our feet and shoes as we made our way back home to survey the storm damage.




 After the storm count:

pine tree (against my house)
tree limb (in the neighbor's yard)

27 cars - including robot dogs's truck
1 bicycle
1 runner

1 buck leaping out of the near meadow
7 deer in far meadow

What are these?

First I saw this one, almost like the large acorn of the burr oak

Then I saw that there were number of them amidst the small acorns still growing

The are large and all have opened, as if to let out little creatures...

I glanced at the treeline as we walked to the far meadow and thought I saw a burr oak.

On closer inspection I discovered it is not a burr oak at all. It looks more like a red oak. But it has galls or perhaps nests of some kind.

Anyone know what these are?

Two fishermen (for Rob and Jim)

Sunflower greets the Sunday morning

We were not early, but with the humidity low the air felt almost cool. There was a briskness to our walk as we headed east.

At the top of the last hill we noted two of the fishermen were heading our direction down the side street. And we glanced back at them as they made their way down the street, across the field, through the ditch, past the playing fields and on to the river.

Two fishermen

Two boys lumber down the street
and across the dew-wet grass
in the brightness of the morning
juggling bucket and tackle and pole
to fish the Leon.


We walked the dirt road to stretch our legs, knowing it was too late for deer.

Half-way down the road I saw a hummingbird hovering over the cedars.

The dried grass is flattening out, through the weight of animals passing over or the beating of recent rains.

I showed DH the "tomato" fruit of the silver-leaf nightshade. He, not fond of vegetables, is also not surprised to find the tomato has poisonous cousins. [I neglect to tell him the potato is also a relative.]

The only new "tracks" noticed today were the castings of earthworms in the cracking earth. Everything seems to be calling for rain and the rain is promised for this afternoon.

We hugged the shade as much as we could on our way back up the street.

Earthworm castings

Sunday morning count:

6 cars
1 motorcycle
2 helicopters (go figure)
5 dogs barking (4 near, 1 far)
3 cats outside (one tuxedo, 2 tortoiseshell)
2 cats in the window (Mohawk dog's house)
2 fishermen

In the park:

one car
three crows
one hummingbird

[For any concerned about the photo of the fishermen: I made sure to be at a distance where their identity could not be discerned, but we could catch their progress.]

Tracks and tomatoes (mostly photos)

The sun reminded us that we were starting too late
 - but we had played ball in the backyard
and a long walk wasn't necessary (so I drove to the park and we sought out shade,)

We walked the dirt road as there is shade along most of the way.

There's a hole on the edge of the road...

There's a hole on the edge of the road...
(wonder what is down there)

[Forgive the blurry photos, but I do what I can.]
Dragonflies were everywhere.
This one was stunning....he left no tracks.

Hobbit house. No Hobbit at home. And no tracks...

The fruit of the silver-leaf nightshade. This was a surprise as we don't always see the whole cycle of the plant.
These looked like tiny tomatoes. It makes sense as these plants are a distant cousin of the tomato.
In fact, the bloom of this wildflower is similar to the (much smaller) tomato flower bloom.

For more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solanaceae 

More nightshade plants with fruit turning yellow...

One could see the "tracks" of the water down the dirt road...
signs of our recent rains.

Small hoof prints of a fawn (on left)...
smaller than the raccoon or possum or skunk across from them.

Skunk or raccoon or squirrel or possum...something small...

Dog tracks among the others. These prints are about the size of a 50 cent piece. This was a tiny dog.

A deer obviously slipped in the mud at the edge of the road a few days ago.

After our quick walk up and down the road the dogs were ready to grab a drink and jump in the car for a ride home...

Stand By Me (or is it Goonies?)

Friday night can only mean one thing -- ICE CREAM!

Somehow conning DH into driving us to the park, the walker geared up for a walk home. It is still too warm to do the entire two miles, but we thought we could "walk the ice cream off" with a stroll home from the stand in the park.

The ice cream experience is always a juggle. One person holds the leads and tries to keep the pets calm while the other stands in line to order. The teens who work the stand are nice, but slow...

Dogs get soft serve. Old people get sugar free pina colada and cherry snow cones.

It doesn't take long for the dogs to devour the ice cream, but I save some of my melting ice for the walk. [Good thing it was sugar free as I would spill it repeatedly juggling my responsibilities for the next mile.]

DH got the trash run. Paddy, Scruffy and I headed west towards home as darkness fell.

At the mouth of the park we noticed a cyclist and young walkers. These were not ball game attenders. These were fishermen.

We moved into the field to allow the six young men by. We thought they would walk faster than we. And, of course, we wanted to eavesdrop.

We wanted to watch this bunch of boys....sweaty, dirty, silly boys who made us feel like we were in a Spielberg or Reiner flick about the bonds of boyhood friendship.

For the length of the steep hill we watched and listened. They caught no fish today. They waived their farewells and called their "See ya later"s as two stopped at the house at the top of the the hill and the others walked on, down the dark side street, and into my imagination.

My thoughts were of the hot summers long ago - sweaty, dirty kids riding bikes, climbing hills, wading in rain-filled ditches, catching turtles, feeling for crawdads with our feet....

The crickets and cicadas sang us home.

Park cat

We Friday-off slackers waited to start the walk until it was just-light.

The pups, eager after a day with no walk, wandered and sniffed and irritated us no end. But we managed to make our way east as pink began to tinge the sky behind the two thunderheads in the distance. Rain is promised again for the next few days.

We talked of plans to mow and errand if we find energy and ambition today.

For now I encouraged a peaceful walk - to listen to the bird songs and watch-dog barking....

We were accosted by two of the Beal Park yip-dogs. DH growled at them and they retreated. [The growling confrontation happened as running man turned onto the street. One wonders what stories HE tells.]

The crows were already grouping in the wildness across from the park. Their call seems more a "haw, haw, haw" to me than a "caw."

Dewayne and Sissy were already working the yellow labs as we headed to the practice diamond. We wanted to let Paddy and Scruffy run. The diamond is no longer secure, however. The gates latches are damaged and an entire section of fencing is missing.

We decided to bluff them and see how they would do. DH stood at the missing fence to block escapees. I stood across the way so we could run the dogs back and forth.

After using up our patience and dog treats we walked to the water fountain as we had run though all the water we carried...these were thirsty dogs. Success! Everyone drank then turned to see the park cat casually watching us as she was lounged on a culvert - quick escape route if necessary.

She allowed me to grab her image and then disappeared below.

Robot dogs passed us as we left the park together - the labs hanging out of the truck window and ours straining to get closer to these creatures.

Ah, homeward we traveled to the laughter of the crows...

Park cat

Time to leave

Only a tail and a tale

Haw, haw, haw...

Friday morning count:

15 cars
2 barking dogs - small and annoying
1 motorcycle
1 motorized bicycle
running man
a handful of crows in the field

Sissy and Dewayne with two yellow labs in the park
1 park cat

One fox

The remains of this month's moon was bright above us. Two stars shone even brighter in the east, the broken clouds allowing only a glimpse of the sky.

We reached the park in good time. As we walked the park road  the dogs almost pranced - heads up, ears at alert. Even the walker could tell that something was close.

The fox left the darkness under the pecan trees and walked across the street in front of us. He glanced at us before moving through the grass to the woods' edge.

He stood looking at us. It was as if he was tempting us for those few moments; as if he wished to say, "Come. Follow me into the woods."

The dogs pulled on their leads. They breathed heavily as they strained to give chase. They reached his scent trail and were ready to track.

But we don't track into the woods...we don't follow in the dark, into the darker unknown...not today.




Our morning count:

20 cars
2 stars

1 bird began to sing two blocks from the park
2 delivery trucks (one the Redwing Boot mobile store! - one the milk truck)
3 fluttering dark grey moths

1 bird perched at the top of the neighbor's tree sang every tune in his repertoire as we reached home

A successful morning for the pack...

We walked in the dark.

We were early - very.

The dogs distractedly pulled each other back and forth.

They pulled the walker.

The just-half moon glowed overhead, occasionally covered by clouds.

We arrived in the park as the herd crossed the road before us. Five deer quickly disappeared into the woods, but one paced under the pecan trees. He had been surprised by two walkers and two dogs. We moved forward quickly to allow him time and space to cross behind us and join the herd.

We walked through the ball fields and watered two thirsty pups. They struggled to see who would drink first from the coffee cup, now watering dish. Paddy is a hog. Scruff never seems to drink enough.

The restroom was full of creatures - 6 and 8 legged creatures - some of amazing size.

We were almost at the end of the walking path when Scruffy noticed the park cat in the distance. [We were happy to know that she is still in the park. We had not seen her in months.]

Then, as we turned towards the street, we saw the fox skirting the woods. He walked the edge of the clearing and then disappeared into the brush.

Two crows passed overhead as we reached the top of the first hill. Their caws identified them, an unsettling sound in the early morning.

The newspapers, absent on our way to the park, had been thrown. They were awaiting readers as we walked up the street to begin the rest of our day...




The count:

15 cars
5 dogs (barking at a distance)
2 crows flew in to roost
No papers down
No people in the park
Two enormous June bugs and a cricket in the restroom sink

 6 deer crossed the park road
1 fox at the edge of the woods

Ode to the Bug, um, er...Insect...

Last summer's drought meant more than a lack of moisture. There were no bugs. Really, there were no bugs. So, no bugs, no bats. No insects, no birds...the insect eaters were hungry or migrated to find food.

Much of the color was gone from the spring and summer. Much of the music of the summer was absent.

This year's insect experiences have pointed out that we have to take the irritating with the lovely so
I have been taking stock as insects, bugs, and the other creepies have appeared the past few weeks...in our yard, in the house, along the walks...who did we miss last year and who do we wish we missed this year?

We missed:

dragonflies
butterflies
skeeter eaters (crane flies)
moths
lightning bugs
true bugs
pop beetles in small numbers
June bugs in small numbers
cicadas
grasshoppers hopping out of the grass and weeds and surprising the dogs


We did not miss:

skeeters
roaches
little midges
crickets (This was a hard one, but they are nasty even though their song means summer.)
pop beetles in numbers (esp. the one in the living room we heard night after night, but could not find)
June bugs in large numbers (makers of scary noises at my windows late at night)
grasshoppers eating everything they can find
those crazy things that fly up your nose
flies
gnats

Other creatures we did not miss:

pill bugs
snails


Other creatures present last year that are back in greater numbers:

spiders (just wish they didn't weave their webs across our paths)
earthworms



My friend, Steve (aka the central Texas dog-whisperer) is a photographer too. He took all but two of  these amazing photos of bugs and such. I begged and he let me share them with you...

[Actually, all the amazing photos are Steve's. The last two are mine. While they are just OK, I worked hard to get them and crop them so I am including them.]

 Bee and dandelion

Bee and gaillardia

Bee and spider wort

Butterfly and ?

Butterfly and "beggar's lice" (wild carrot)

Woolly worm (not sure what caterpillar this is)

Butterfly on grass

Same type of butterfly as with the wild carrot - better photo of the insect, but I love "beggar's lice"

Tiny bee or wasp

A true bug on cactus

Bee on sunflower

Spider with prey

Butterfly with an unfamiliar wildflower

Garden spider - master weaver

Grasshoppers

More grasshoppers

OK. I took this photo in my garden. It was almost a "Where's Waldo?" photo as the greens are all the same...

Another of my photos - unknown insect on purple leather flower (clematis)





I should note that I love insects. This obsession began with the children's 9th grade biology insect collection assignment. It continues...