It's July and it's hot!
Bugs and more bugs! Some good, some bad! But there's no shortage of bugs around here!
From June:
There's plenty of butterflies visiting the zinnias and the Black-eyed Susan wildflower blooms. A lovely patch of wild bee balm growing down at the pond's edge attracts many visitors. I can see it off in the distance from the house but yesterday I went down to admire the blooms and take a photo.
Luck would have it, there was a Clearwing hummingbird moth.
💚 I miss these two little guys, photo from last summer. 💚
Black-eyed Susans are such cheerful flowers and the butterflies love them too! Although, all kinds of interesting insects are attracted to them. They might even make a good decoy or sacrificial plant near your garden. I left some growing near one of the tomato gardens this year. I don't know.
Pretty Skipper Butterfly. I think it's one called Fiery Skipper. The color was so vibrant, it seems like a good name.
Tall zinnias plant themselves every year now.
The bee balms and most of the Black-eyed Susan's are now spent.
And, now that I'm caught up to July, here are more bugs ---
The veggie garden is a huge bug show! A few weeks ago I noticed aphids on the potted dwarf tomato plant. I started washing them off with the hose and my fingers when I noticed some yellow eggs under one of the leaves, stopping me in my tracks because they were ladybug eggs. It wasn't long before the ladybugs and their larva took care of all the aphids. Same thing on the mustard greens I let go to seed. Aphids love to attack them but the ladybugs took care of them! I LOVE LADYBUGS! 
But then there's the undesirables, like the stink bugs I've been picking off the tomato plants every day! Otherwise, they will destroy the tomatoes. I feel like I'm getting them under control.
So, I have another beneficial bug success story:
While doing my morning tomato inspection, what a shock to see this Tachinid fly laying eggs on a tomato horn worm!! The hornworm caught my eye as it was flailing to and fro I've never seen this before and it was quite a shocking event to witness. Nature sure can be brutal.
Speaking of brutal; here's a dragonfly with some sort of capture... I can't make it out. (still working on my photo skills, apparently)
Danger for the butterflies...
Katydids eat everything!!
Squirrels will "rip off" sunflowers! LOL! Funny in a way because a pretty random sunflower grew between the logs and suddenly, over night, the flower was ripped from the stem. I'm pretty sure one of the MANY squirrels is guilty.
From the garden:
Made a really tasty garden gazpacho today for lunch. Next, I'll make a batch of salsa with the plum tomatoes and some of the hot peppers.
Neat clouds
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. Psalm 18:28
p.s. I think we're making progress dealing with the industrial solar plant that's trying to build here. Meeting tomorrow.
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