Productive day...

 

We had a pretty productive day here. There were a few things we wanted to get down before this next Cold front blew in (It just blew in too 9:20pm CST). We collected and cleaned a bunch of junk and trash up around here and filled the back of the pickup truck and took it all to the dump...

 

We burned brush piles of dead trees we had cut down and cleaned up. Nice dry wood burned fast and Hot...It was a hot day but beautiful. I mowed with the riding mower while Fred shredded (mowed with tractor) and the property is looking nice. I still have a bit more to shred as Fred ran out of time.

 

We had a nice dinner out and then all of us sat at the property after I fed the deer and watched them come in and eat. Couldn't ask for a better evening with my boys.

 

While Fred was cleaning up the tractor and shredder I grabbed the camera....

I spy the legs of a Green Lynx spider...

 

 

Just because I liked it, the petals of a Zinnia

 

Fred and I have decided we need more of these...

 

 

A hummingbird's brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird kingdom.

 

 

It is estimated that a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird takes about twenty hours to fly across the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tip of the tongue to help lap up nectar.

 

 

 

 

 

Hope y'all are having a good weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Creek this afternoon...

 

I wasn't going to go down to the Creek today, it's just too Hot and to Humid. But I heard that the wind was going to be picking up this weekend and I wanted to get photos of the dragonflies.

 

 

Water Primrose

 

 

I loved the reflection I caught

 

 

Just imagine he's about the size of your thumbnail, so tiny

 

 

My favorite photo of the day!

 

 

A different point of view...

 

 

 

And of course the Peacock butterflies were down there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look closely it has another spider under it that it killed, yikes!

 

 

Snout-nosed Butterfly

 

 

 

 

 

Rattle bush bloom

 

 

 

 

Ragweed and one reason my allergies are acting up

 

 

Tansy-aster

 

 

Michael spotted this red-shouldered hawk by the pool. I tried to sneak a bit closer but he spotted me and flew off.

 

Here's hoping y'all have a good weekend. I see there are blizzards, tornado's and a Hurricane in the forecast for the U.S., crazy weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goliad State Park this evening...

 

I had to make another trip into Goliad this evening and decided to visit the nature trail at the State Park...

 

 

 

The spider webs were catching the evening light just right and were gorgeous!

 

 

There were a few different flowers and I enjoyed those too.

 

 

A few butterflies I hadn't seen before...

 

 

Some really strange looking fungi

 

 

Texas Kidneywood or Vara Dulce, this is a shrub and smells really good.

 

 

Last photo session with these I called them wild petunia's but my favorite book says that this is a mistake commonly made by others and this is actually a Violet Ruellia. 7 wildflower books and not one is the same, sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

It's from the Aster family and I loved the little curls.

 

 

This was a first for me too, it's a Satyr butterfly.

 

 

I think he's a little Nut!

 

 

Over in the picnic area I watched a family of Eastern bluebirds hunt for bugs.

 

 

They are so pretty

 

 

It was getting dark but so glad I got to enjoy the bluebirds.

 

It was really humid and before I finished I was soaking wet. The weather people say we have a cold front coming in and our temps next Monday will be in the 60's, Wow! That will be a relief and I will believe it when I feel it.

 

 

 

 

 

Down at the creek today...

 

I took the camera with me while I went to investigate if the creek's puddles had more water in them, but I had the wrong lens (18-200mm) on the camera. Maybe tomorrow I'll try my 300mm lens and get some better photos? Oh and yes the puddles in the creek were a bit bigger, still not enough to flow. 

 

 

I couldn't figure out if these dragonflies were trying to breed or were fighting! The blue/green guy had the other one by the neck, ouch!

 

 

Bordered Patch Butterfly

 

 

I was glad to see the spotted Gar were still alive. They aren't in very much water but they seem to be tough and surviving. This one pictured was about 2.5 ft long and I had fun watching it jump out of the water and try to catch dragonflies. The bass are gone and I didn't see any catfish either.

 

This Anole lizard was trying to hide from me but obviously he wasn't doing a great job!

 

 

 

 

Ewww....

 

I have a swarm of butterflies on my front porch but it's not pretty!

Seems one of the chickens left a deposit and the butterflies are loving it, Yuck!! I've found nature isn't always pretty!

 

 

 

 

~

 

 

 

I didn't want to leave that photo in your mind so here is one I took down to the creek today!

 

 

 

One of my favorite butterflies, a peacock!

 

I went to move the game cameras and decided to investigate the creek. Wish I had had a different lens (18-200mm) on my camera. Tomorrow hopefully I'll have time to go back down there. There were lots of butterflies and dragonflies! The creek isn't flowing but the puddles are bigger and the Spotted Gar are still alive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morning with the Marco lens...

It was really foggy this morning and there were a lot of dew drops on everything. I really wanted to take a trip over to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge but that wasn't going to happen. Instead I took a walk around the yard...

 

 

From what my reference books say I think this might be an Antlion, too cool. It was on the front door and was the original reason I put the Macro lens on the camera.

 

Split ear and her fawns.

 

The fawns are getting big and I was laughing at the one's HUGE ears!! I hope he grows into them!

 

 

Green Lynx Spider, they have 8 eyes!

 

 

Bordered Patch caterpillar. We have a lot of them and Michael has already raised a few in his butterfly pen.

 

 

Grasshopper, one of thousands.

 

 

Dew drops on a Cow Pen Daisy

 

 

Mr. Fly was a bit wet

 

 

Beautiful, delicate fungi in the flower bed

 

 

Dew drops on a spider web

 

 

This might be a elongated Aphid fly

 

 

Pequin Chilies and I'm surprised the chickens haven't eaten them yet! They are really hot!

 

 

A bloom on Michael's white rose bush!

 

 

Green Lynx spider, I love the colors

 

 

I've been spotted by a Praying Mantis!

 

 

I love the praying mantis, they are so cool.

 

 

Green Lynx Spider protecting her egg sack

 

 

Dew drops on an Argiope's web

 

 

I couldn't found the Argiope but I did find 3 of her egg sacks. I am sure she is gone, she's done her job and her babies will replace her next year.

 

 

We have 97% humidity this morning and you could tell. I'm glad I had time this morning to get outside with the camera before it got hot out.

I hope y'all have a wonderful day!