Sunday, September 7, 2014

maybe the barest hint


It's rather pleasant out there this morning. It rained around us all day yesterday so while we didn't get any rain, we are reaping the coolness. Coolness as in mid-70s. It will get up to 90 later and the rest of the week a little hotter each day.


I'm seeing some signs of impending cooler weather. The cotton in the field is ready to harvest. The pampas grass is sending up it's blooms. The crepe myrtles are starting to shed their leaves. Baby anoles are hatching. 


And, of course, the days are getting shorter and shorter. It would be nice if the air temperature would reflect it as well.

Still have a few day lilies blooming and an early, different spring day lily is putting up another bloom scape. And the swamp lily is blooming.



I checked to see if the little praying mantis was still on the mexican bird of paradise. First I saw this.


I didn't realize that mantids shed their skin as they grew. Now she's half again as big as she was.


Some other creatures in the yard.



I've been watching this sphinx moth caterpillar chowing down on the morning glory bush all last week. This dude is easily 5” long. He's huge and stripping one stem of it's leaves.



Seems to be leaving the flower buds intact though so I'll still get to enjoy the blooms.


The dogs are gone home now so I think I might try to organize part of the shop space today. Or start on a new model. Or both. Maybe I'll work in the shop until it gets too hot.






12 comments:

  1. Loving all of these photos...but the bugs are the best!!

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  2. I was musing to the effect the bugs never go away. Then I thought of winter. I'll have to look around, I bet I can spot bugs in NE Ohio in winter.

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  3. That is one funky caterpillar.

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  4. those huge caterpillars are so neat! i saw a small anole here this morning, too. we were lucky enough to get an inch and 1/2 of rain last night with thunderstorms. hallelujah!

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  5. The rain helps so much in every way- even if we don't get it. You and I would feel so much at home in each other's yards. So much same-same.
    Your photography is wonderful.

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  6. Glorious photos! I love what you see! Especially loving the snail shot, So artsy that snail! Beautiful post, dear Ellen!

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  7. Your photos are amazing, but they drive home one of the reasons I'm glad I no longer live in the south. Those bugs scare the living daylights out of me. (Although the caterpillar was kind of neat.)

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  8. Could any other non-mammal be cuter than an anole? I think not. Great pics of critters and plant life.

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  9. The sphinx can eat a lot of tomato plants also. One of my cats has been catching the adults and bringing them to me all summer.

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  10. That caterpillar is amazing! I love seeing what lives in your yard, and I love the fact that you let them do their thing. (Within reason!)

    I remember getting a cotton boll attached to a postcard when I was a little kid, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. It's still amazing to me to see cotton on a bush, to think of it in its plant form (as opposed to its underwear form).

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  11. Stunning photos! A reminder to the rest of us that summer lingers for a long time in other parts..

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  12. It's swampy here, too but it can't last. The light is unwinding so quickly! 7:15 in DC and it's dusk already.

    Love the pictures. The caterpillar would freak me out. I'm squeamish as you know. Love the scarab beetle. Is that what it is?

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