Cicada Killers and rain lilies

In the hot air of the barn...should have set a ruler beside him - easily two inches long...
most of the beetles roaming the floor are about an inch long so this guy was a giant among beetles.

OK. OK. I have been dragging around the past few days. Some of it is my miscalculation. Some couldn't be avoided (well, it could have been, but that's another story.)

I have had to avoid any blows to my face (no, not a face lift - dental stuff). That should be an easy challenge as I don't have to dodge anything coming at me most of the time. I don't pick fights (not that kind anyway). I don't run into doors or otherwise miscalculate things that might strike my face (I may bruise my shins and arms...that sort of thing. And we need not discuss the fall of a few years ago at the back steps or the face plant at the springs. Both of those were freak accidents - really!).

Hobbes is generally very gentle (he just wants to sit in my lap). Scruffy jumps, but he jumps up and never makes contact. He really tries to avoid physical contact all together. Poor dear only occasionally licks me - as if he wants to be affectionate by ambush...no big display. Paddy, on the other hand, jumps up and tags me. She head bumps me whenever and wherever. She is oblivious about the damage she can do. I have walked around for weeks with bruises on my scalp and face when she has "nudged" me too hard or misjudged her power and my location.

So Hobbes gets to sit in my lap. Scruffy can be escorted in and out of the house. But Paddy only gets to visit with a fence in between. Thus extended walks are out for now.

DH and I did walk to the park yesterday morning. We were a little stunned by the GREEN of everything. It only takes a week of rain to refresh the grass and woods. It will only take a few days of summer oven weather to brown and crisp everything up again.

So we enjoyed the cool and the green. We noted the rain lilies blooming in many yards along the way.



Photo from Statesman.com

The bugs were few, but (to borrow a word from my dear nephew) ASTOUNDING.  I was thinking about the wasps I have been noticing over the past few days. These creatures are huge - over two inches in length with a wider wingspan. They looked like giant yellow jackets at first. They did not seem aggressive, but were so impressive as to create more than a sense of awe...in fact, they have caused me, a girl with a history of wasp misadventure, to stay "way clear."

Today I discovered quite a large beetle at the barn and then a polyphemus moth at the door to my office building.

I have always been fascinated by insects, but the insect collections of the 9th graders who once lived with me created more of an obsession. I still collect a few odd specimens when I run across something special (and dead). I do not collect and kill them anymore as a general rule unless someone has a good reason for needing the creature. [I am waiting for word from a young biology student right now about the moth. I am willing to attempt a capture for science. But I will need directions. It has been almost half the children's lives since we wandered around with collecting jars and nail polish remover soaked cotton balls, stalking street lamp light and other places insects might gather.]

I remain enamoured and excited by most sightings these days - except for the wasp nest at my back door and the mosquitoes terrorizing DH.




A creature waiting at the door of the building.



polyphemus moth (Thanks to Josh for the name. I am sure it would have taken a bit of looking up to find it.). Note eggs in the upper right hand corner.

She was easily six + inches across and stunningly beautiful.

Update: Student gathered the eggs and moth. We anticipate photos of entire life cycle in the near future.

NOTE: Cicada killer photo is not mine - from Statesman.com.





Trash pick-up

YC joined the pups and me for a short short trip.

Two neighborhood dogs were out AGAIN. Fortunately one stays in his yard as we scurry past and caution him to stay back. Another ran towards us, but realized he was out numbered and out-sized. No chihuahua should take on two Labradors, even if they are sweet and placid as Paddy and Scruffy.

We saw a stranger in the park, first at a distance and then walking our way. We decided it best to intersect on the main street, not in the deserted park. I recognized him when he drew abreast of us and we exchanged our 'Good mornings."

We visited with a neighbor walking the family schnauzer. He is old and grey and failing. It breaks my heart. But he has had a blessed doggy life in a family that cared for and about him. [How else would you describe his wonderful life?]

And we gathered some of the trash we passed along our trek. It is a recycling day and so the nasty detritus of the neighborhood won't be brought into my kitchen recycling area...it will go immediately into the bags in the car and thence to the containers at the recycling center (on Dump Road - how appropriate!). Well, that is my reminder that it is time to get chores done before the heat of the day.

Rain still promised for the week.


The Count:

5 (mostly beer) cans
8 (mostly water) plastic bottles

6:30 am on Saturday, why is there so much traffic?

DH and I headed west today to walk along Main Street and into North Belton...no one to bother there. It was a mellow walk and we caught up on this and that. No hills bothered the old dogs (or old lady).

The master garden we passed on our return home was full of bees and wasps and butterflies. I still stop to see if I recognize these flutterers. I am reminded that I failed to mention the almost swarms of dragonflies on yesterday's walk. I can often differentiate among the bees and wasps and butterflies, but I don't know more than the collective "dragonflies." I know a couple of people who do, but they are scientists and I wonder if they would baffle me with Latin names and whether I would lose the "magic."

It was good to get in a few walks this weekend as we are threatened with rain every day next week. I suppose it is silly to use "threatened" to describe this forecast. Perhaps "promised" is more appropriate.The ground is cracking. Lake levels have dropped (and continue down). Surrounding communities are rationing. Yes, "promised" is the correct work.

Rain, this is the "other day" of the song. Come again.

Before the walk - smart dog

A day off is such a precious thing.

I woke up to do morning chores before the walk today. A child (YC) is home. I am waiting a bit before waking her. DH prepared the dogs' breakfast and let Scruff out of the crate (He stays inside at night as he will bark all night if left in the yard. He loves his crate. Go figure.) and, instead of heading out the back door he came into the living room to find me.

This is NOT the way this animal usually behaves. He is always ready for breakfast. He always heads to the back door and then to the yard, no leash needed.

But he had seen me in my "dog walking" clothes. He had heard my "clomp, clomp, clomp" down the stairs in tennis shoes. He knew a walk was in the offing. So he stood at the living room door and waited. "Aren't we going for a walk?" was the expression on his face.

Finally, DH called him and they went outside.

Scruff is such a good dog. He is smart and sweet and so happy to have a home. Yes, I guess this is a little commercial for pound puppies - for mutts. We are all mutts in this family. Scruffy fits right in.


One hour later:

The dogs were so anxious to walk that they wouldn't settle down for a few blocks.

It was really too late to be walking, the sun too high and threatening to overheat dark coated animals.

We walked the dirt road and I showed all our small delights to YC, the still blooming wildflowers, the wafer ash, the purple leatherflower buds...[I ran into a big spiderweb and used some inappropriate language as I tried to make sure the spider wasn't crawling on me].

No deer appeared in either meadow, but we heard things in the woods and both dogs acted as if they would run after "something" given half a chance.

Then we turned for home.

I was watching the growing cracks in the road, concerned about a trip, when YC called, "deer."

Yes, there they were, the herd. We counted five. I struggled to get the camera out of my pocket. Then one more deer ran across the road and stopped by the edge of the woods. This herd of six made the day.

We were all excited and hurried down the road to see if we would spot them crossing one of the clearings deeper in the woods. No, we had our sighting and were happy for it.

The walk home was sunny and hot and interrupted by one loose dog. We talked to him and he stayed in his yard - barking a warning, but getting no closer than 20 feet or so.

Yes, a day off is a precious thing.

Wasp between the window and screen in kitchen...need a new screen...

 

Deer seen just over the grass in the first meadow - one of 6.

 

Scruffy F. - such a smart dog

NOTE: Sorry, these are "old camera" photos. New camera was left in my purse at work...trying to get outta there at 8 p.m. last night caused some haste and forgotten items.

A dog with his nose in the air

DH was lazy, lazy today - skipped his run and Xfit. So I made him walk the dogs.

We wandered down the dirt road and flushed one buck. The rest of the herd was nearby as Scruffy kept his nose in the air for most of the walk. Paddy was tracking. Both were adamant that they be allowed into the brush. I resisted. No other deer broke cover today.

I saw no reason to find Jake (the snake) in the fields. We stayed on the road and casually took photos of a few plants.

The wildflowers are almost bloomed out, but there are still a few coneflowers, gaillardia, and silverleaf nightshade (I think I just like to say "nightshade" - so creepy and dark. But look it up. The entire plant is poisonous. The tomato-like "fruit" is especially toxic and will hang uneaten on the plants in the heat of August.). The small wafer ash I have attempted to root was blooming, as were mesquites along the edge of the woods.

I will try again to gather seeds and take cuttings. Soon there will be time for gathering and gardening. As it is now, I will take my walks and enjoy the morning quiet.

Sunrise at the park

DH and puppies

Bull nettle seed pod

Wafer ash sapling

Wafers of the wafer ash

End of the gaillardia (and a few coneflowers)

Coneflowers and silverleaf nightshade

Stunted thistle

Mesquite blossoms (there's a bee gathering nectar)

Some little one's treasures dropped in haste.

Clearings in the woods...

We woke in time for a quick trip to the park. DH decided to run his usual route (in the opposite direction) so Scruffy, Paddy, and I wandered.

A few neighbors were in their yards, most were clearly preparing for a Friday off. One asked me if I smelled something burning. "No," I said, but I mentioned it could be the fireworks of the night before. Then, after taking a few more steps, I did smell something burnt. After about a block I saw the evidence - firework trash littered the sidewalk and street.

A little of the firework trash left on the sidewalk

This neighbor has a beautiful yard. He was out early trying to figure out what was burning.

 
I found the same thing a little further on as well. Of course it irritated me. I have become that cranky person who resents scoff-laws risking the safety of the neighborhood and our right to peacefully enjoy our homes without "bombs bursting in air" in the middle of the night. And then there is the issue of terrorizing my animals...

The pups were rambunctious and I remembered why I like the double lead. They twist their leashes and are much less manageable...

We walked along the edge of the woods and glanced through to clearings we don't often see. I was looking for purple leatherflower blooms, but the dogs just followed scent after scent.

Clearing just calling us to explore...

Sunrise glows red on this clearing entrance

Scruff stopped and sat and stared into the woods at one point. It was creepy and weird...and I pushed on.

Finally we found those crazy seeds that signal the vines I sought. And they are not all bloomed out - yet. I found two buds and will look for them again over the next few walks...

Somehow Scruffy's tail slid under these leatherflower seeds showing them off...

Those wild seeds make me laugh and help find the vine in the crazy growth.

I took a few photos, but expect most will be blurry as the dogs were not cooperating. Whatever, they will help me remember the morning.

On our way back we spoke to a few more neighbors before arriving home for breakfast.

Love this tree and the way the sunrise reflected on the trunk.