Today is the birthday of my two cats, Stripe and Trouble, and it is the last year their birthday will be a single digit as next year will be the big one zero. And being nine this year, they don’t look five weeks old anymore like when their mommy gave Stripe a bath as Trouble watched.
Birthday Cats
The hummingbirds and the orioles were frequent visitors at the sugar water feeders today, as it was another hot and humid day and they seemed extra thirsty. But the hot day didn’t stop them from fighting and chasing each other off so it wasn’t often that more than one hummingbird was drinking at the same time.
Finally Sharing the Feeder
With a dewpoint of 84 and temperatures in the 90s, the heat index reached 120 today and I sure wished I was up by Lake Superior today, even if I am not brave enough to kayak on the big lake, wading in its cooler waters would have felt nice.
Kayaking on Superior
It is easy to overlook the tiny blossoms of the Deptford Pink, which came from Europe and has escaped cultivation and is now widespread in North America.
Tiny Deptford Pink
When I went down to my pond this morning (and scared a duck that I didn’t see until too late), I noticed a a half dozen little green tree frog sunning themselves on the grass leaves. And they must have just recently changed from a tadpole as their tails hadn’t been fully reabsorbed yet.
Young Tree Frog
This weekend is the “Old Time Farm Fest” presented by the Moon Lake Threshermen’s Association which has displays of antique tractors, cars, and trucks as well as demonstrations of the old equipment being used like this steam engine using long belts to power the threshing machine.
Still Steaming
I have been noticing more Giant Swallowtail butterflies this year than last year. They are the largest butterfly in North America. While the butterfly is pretty, the larval is sometimes considered a pest due to it feeding on the foliage of most citrus species, causing significant defoliate damage to younger trees.
Giant Swallowtail Butterfly
A patch of Black-eyed Susan blossoms signals late summer to me with all their sunny faces and they will have to get through some hot summer days this weekend.
Sunny Susans
The “Dog Days of Summer” ended last week, so do that means it is Puppy Days of Summer now? It is always fun to watch kittens and puppies playing, but they might only hold still for a photo after they wear themselves out for a bit, otherwise it seems to be a blur of fur.
Puppy Taking a Rest
When I was mowing, I spotted some Indian Pipes, which are also called Ghost Plant, Ghost Pipe, Ghost Flower or Corpse Plant. I don’t see them every year and because it has no chlorophyll and doesn’t depend on photosynthesis, they can grow in dark forests. As it is unable to obtain energy from sunlight, it is a parasitic plant that uses a fungi to tap into tree roots for its nutrients.
Indian Pipes Blooming
