Riding the Rue

Found this little fella lounging on my blue rue this morning, even though the plant is small and still in a nursery container. I moved it under my patio rocking chair when the weather suddenly turned windy and chilly. Hopefully he'll hang around and pupate. I believe he is a 4th instar Black Swallowtail.

The Heat Is On

June has definitely brought summer to North Central Texas, along with lots of wind. The last week has seen my crank-out patio awning tucked safely away due to continuous gustiness. The wind doesn't seem to stop me from cooking steaks on the charcoal grill, however, albiet cautiously. Strangely we've not been under wind advisories.

Some spider-related news: I always try to park in the furthest of our uncovered parking lots at work. The five minute slightly uphill stroll is usually a pleasant way to start the day. But imagine my surprise yesterday when I stepped out of my vehicle and was confronted by one of these. He was really quite large, leggy and beautiful; unfortunately the photo I took with my phone-cam was pretty crappy. No one else was around to see him and I was glad, as most people's reflex would have been to stomp on him.

The Front Yard No-Grass Garden Project looks better every year. One of these days I'll have the whole thing filled in. I was pleased that the Bear's Breeches decided to finally bloom this year, after three seasons of patient waiting.





Our 12-year-old collie Alf had a seizure the other night and I fear his days are numbered. He still seems to have the energy to go digging and skulking behind the sumac shrub in the back corner of our yard, pretending he's a jungle dog, however.

On Dasher, On Skimmer, On Darner...uh...Blitzen?

Reading aloud the names of several common dragonflies sounds kind of like an Insect Santa calling his reindeer. All he needs is Rudolph, the Neon Skimmer to lead his pack...

This little fella -- a Blue Dasher, I believe -- was perched in the backyard and let me get close enough for this great shot:



I got this book as a gift a couple of years ago and really love it. Check it out, if you're a Southern gardener and a fan of dragonflies.