Well hello there!

I found this guy on my parsley.  Don't worry.  I'm not mad.  It's a host plant and I have it growing knowing that I will be sharing with the wildlife.

Soon that caterpillar will become a tiger swallowtail. 

It's been a rather low butterfly year.  In fact, I need to purchase tags for monarch tagging, but I've only seen one fly over.  It didn't even stop to nectar.  I'm thrilled with any butterfly I get this year.

Have a great weekend!

Attack of 1000 Yellow Jackets.

First off, I wasn't involved.  (I say that because of that pesky bee allergy.)

Secondly, everyone is okay.

Now then, my husband was on a hike with 15 kids and an additional naturalist on an off-trail hike.  That off-trail hike involved flipping logs over to find "the good stuff."  Tens of thousands of logs are flipped in the park yearly.  Never has it been a problem.

Until yesterday.

Hubs was 50 feet out with his group and the other naturalist flipped a log with one of the 9 year old campers.  Hubs said that the swarm was aggressive.  The kiddo was covered.  Hubs actually said that the kid looked like a bee keeper minus the uniform.

He ran over and hung over the kid to shield him while wiping and grabbing handfuls of bees and "crushing them" with his hands.  Kids were screaming.  The poor kiddo Hubs was trying to protect was getting stung time and time again.  Frankly, so was Hubs.  He was so concerned for the kid that he didn't even notice.

Hubs called 911.  The ambulance met them at the trail head.  5 people total were stung, 1 with 3 stings, he had probably 30, his coworker and a little girl probably had 20 each but the kiddo he was trying to help ended up with the most-- 100 or better.

Incredibly, the 9 year old didn't have any type of severe reaction, but out of caution he was transported for observation.  Hubs came home absolutely emotionally exhausted and worried beyond belief for I-.  I gave Hubs benadryl, zantac and rubbed down his stings with Betamethasone.  We waited until 8 PM and when he didn't hear anything, he phoned and left a message.

Thankfully, the mom called back.  I- was doing well, but wouldn't be attending the last day of camp.  (Some observation continuing is my guess.)  She thanked Hubs and said how I- said that Hubs was trying to help him and protect him.

Hubs did for I- exactly what he would have done for K-.  I'm proud of him.

A post of miscellaneous photoness.

Friday we had a big day.  We started out with a sewing lesson, then went on to pick R up for an overnight.  R is K's friend who has a birthday tomorrow.  Since they have sold their house, are building another and are in-between and living temporarily at her grandparent's house, a girl party wasn't to be this year.  We decided to do a reverse party for her.  We had her come on over and enjoy having a birthday girl celebration with us.

We went to the park near the hangar and played on the play equipment, then we had lunch together.

We watched the blimp come in for a landing (look at the guys pulling the ropes) and very soon . . .

 . . . it took off again!

And away she goes! 

Pardon the poor photo, but the hummingbird moths are back.  Hummingbirds were nectaring at the butterfly bush today, too.

A red spotted purple.  Not a typical find for us.  We've also had summer azure as a regular visitor, a monarch fly-by and a red admiral.  The average cabbage whites have been around.

Today K caught a tailless yellow swallowtail.

The cupflower is blooming.

So is the aster.

This was earlier in the week.

This is today.  Hello dinner!

The girls at the park.  R would be the upside down child.

The girls made brownies, by R's request.  They were a bit lavish with the sprinkles, but they were delicious!

Our weekend was good!  We hope yours was, too!