Summertime

Just some random shots of summer at the ranch.

Horse in morning fog.

Basking turtle

Cooling off

Dewy web

Sunbeams

 Tiny snake on drive

Goldfinches

The creek in the morning

The Walkingstick Bug

It must be insect week this week.

Here's another unusual insect I found climbing up the barn.

His camouflage is good,

but he needs to stay on vegetation where it will work for him.

The Swarm of Caterpillars

Today I noticed something strange about this walnut tree.

This caught my eye.

Closer inspection revealed a mass of caterpillars climbing down the tree.

Tent caterpillars. 
Creepy!

Cecropia Moth

I found this guy outside the barn. 

He's a cecropia moth, the largest North American moth.

I like his feathery antennae.

Here's a table explaining the difference between butterflies & moths.

Insect	Butterfly	Moth
Antennae	rounded clubs on the ends	thin or often feathery
Body	thin and smooth	thick and fuzzy
Active	during the day	during the night
Color	colorful	dull
Pupal Stage	chrysalis	cocoon
Wings	held vertically when resting	held flat against body when resting

Summer Storm

Extreme heat & high humidity lead to summer storms.

The heat index was 108° yesterday.

I snapped this lightening as an evening storm moved in.

Walkin' the Creek

A great way to spend a hot summer day is to walk the creek,

literally!

Knee deep

Waist deep

 Getting deeper

Chest deep

Big log jam

Refreshing

Found an old trap

Dog tired

Looking back on where we've been.

Summer Blooms

The farm is blooming with flowers.

Black Eyed Susans

Skullcap

Bee Balm

Fleabane & Cinquefoil

Balloon Flower

Yellow Coneflower

Queen Anne's Lace

Phlox

I planted this and can't remember what it is!