Insects are cool

Insects....Love them or hate them.

I used to hate them with a vengeance. 

Years ago a neighbor girl who was 9 years old used to ask me to go 'bug hunting' with her. I went along, she had her net and she'd net insects and tell me what they were. I'd photograph them.

She and her family moved away, but my fondness for searching for insects continued.

Below is the much disliked Japanese Beetle that everyone really dislikes. They do quite a bit of damage to certain plants and are horrible pests. This year's batch has been mild or they dislike the flowers I've planted.

 My absooooolute favorite insect in July is the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. They are hard to spot but patience is a virtue. Every day starting mid July when the Monarda or Bee Balm in the garden start to blossom, I go out no matter how hot is and sit in a shady spot to watch for them. 

They are fast like the Hummingbird which is also active on my Bee Balm. Each year I think about taking the outhouse down but the growth of flowers around it bring in the bees, hummingbirds, and the Clearwing beauties.

The one below was by the house which surprised and pleased me. 

I used rapid fire tracking and took two shots and composited them together for the shot below.

 

I like to do that with butterflies also. To me it shows their quick movements.

I just think they are so unusual and beautiful.

Now that you have seen the pretty ones...

How about my August Favorite Insect???

Phone shot. Yes, I got close...

I walked through thigh high grasses and weeds in the neighbor's meadow and squatted among my 'friends'.

I used to be afraid of these spiders but I realized that they are not interested in me at all. If you bump the grass that their web is on, they disappear into the grasses and return once you are gone.

Soon there will be thousands of them with larger webs

I just think they are so cool!  [Long lens]

I can't wait to find some of the very large ones. They are absolutely beautiful.

I leave you with the Buck Moon setting Thursday morning.

New Word: Selenophile

Selenophile: One who loves the moon. People who love the moon and find joy and peace of mind when looking at it.

Last night I decided to go and check out the moonrise. 

Just before I walked out the door, we got a phone call. The caller ID said it was hubby's daughter so I handed him the phone. It was our Grandson Dennis.
Dennis had mentioned in April that he'd like to drive to our place and spend a couple of days with us around July 4th. 

I hadn't thought much more about it since he hadn't confirmed his plans. But there he was on the phone asking to come. 

---- Anyway ----

Back to the moon ---

I decided to drive out to the area where I wanted to see the moonrise. 

It isn't very far, I could have walked, but I wanted to get there and then just get back home.

While still in the car I saw this --->

I saw a herd of about 15 does with fawns in another section of the soybean field that ran once I got out of the car. 

I walked out through the stunted crops to where I knew the moon would rise. I was a bit disappointed to see a cloud bank to the east and no moon. 

I decided to just stand there and wait. After all, it was pleasant out and peaceful. I was the only human in the area for at least a mile radius. I can be very patient sometimes.

I nearly gave up, and then I saw just a hint of color in the sky.

Patience! Wait...wait!

Gasp! It changed color to a brilliant pink! As the skies darkened ...

the moon kept changing its colors...

I walked back to the car and turned around.

Just before I left the ridge, I glanced over my shoulder and...

was stunned once more.

Tonight the moon should be a super moon called the Buck Moon.

If Dennis is up to it, I'll be taking him to a bluff to watch the moon come up directly in front of us. Crossed fingers!

The Buck Moon provided

The photo above was at 3:30 in the morning when I had to get up and help hubby with a few things.

I went out just before dawn to check on my mules and see if there was a fog moving in. There usually is after a hot humid day and a cool but damp night.

I think the Buck Moon was tired, so it rested on my dead pine tree.

The sun is still blood red in the mornings or orange depending on the smoke, clouds, and haze.

But the valleys provide for mists and fog which make it interesting.

And then...

This Buck showed up as the fog began to move across the pasture. Another young buck wandered into the area too, but I couldn't get a clear photo of him. They look like the ones I've been catching on the trail cam.

A doe jumped the line fence and stopped. She obviously saw me but it must not have bothered her much as she went on to graze and wander off into the woods.

I glanced towards the woods and...
there was a hawk watching over the meadow.

I had promised to let my neighbors' dogs out into their fenced yard for a potty break. I walked up there and took another walk out the ridge.

I guess it was my morning for wildlife.

I watched the moon fade away to the western sky and headed back home to start my day.

That's it. 

The Buck Moon.