Another Unknown Purple Flower

I expect this one is likely a common Enough greenhouse plant, but I didn't see ID. It looks almost like an orchid up close.

Froggie

Tower Hill has frogs that might as well be plastic for how much they move. Judging by the double line of flower petals in the nearby grass they saw a wedding yesterday, so I probably wasn't that interesting.

Purple and White Flower

I found no label for this though there were a few bunches. I liked the color change it appeared to be doing.

Monarch Butterfly

Accommodating Monarch Butterfly from Tower Hill. It would keep returning to the same flower and didn't mind an audience.

Yellow Zinnia

This week will be highlights of my recent trip to Tower Hill. This was a much later visit for me, normally I go in May.

Fence Fixing

So one of my mother's dogs made a break for it again. This time by breaking open a weakish section of wire fencing. Since it was wrapped over a very large rock I'm not moving I had to improvise a solution. I couldn't replace the wire without it being less secure then it was. It's right next to the shed so I attached rails from the next fencepost that was solidly in the ground and the shed wall. Then I cut pickets out of 1" x 3" strapping. I kept them level to each other, and contoured their height to keep them from resting on the ground. I'm quite happy with the result, and the dog will have to find a new place to plan her escape. Of course there are 4 dogs using the yard and only one is planning escapes. At least her boomerang tag gets usage.

Winged Mantis

About a half hour after yesterday's picture.

Molting Mantis

The mantis hanging out in the grass moves around every day, but Sunday it was time to molt. So I found it hanging from the grass trying to get out of its skin and let its new wings dry.

August Mantis

They're always an inch long when they disappear, then I finally see one and it's almost the size of my hand. This one is hanging out in the zebra grass.

Water Lily

Working days means i've barely gotten top see the two water lily blooms this year. They open around 8 am and close around 4 pm. I leave at 7 and get home at 5:30, so not much chance to view them. This is as open as they get at 7 o'clock in the morning.

Black Shouldered Spinyleg

Black Shouldered Spinyleg Dragonfly - Male

Nothing like spotting a new dragonfly. A little worse for wear, but this male sat still enough for me to get a few shots. none of the stellar, but with new stuff sometimes it's all about what is it...

Air Traffic Control

I wish this one was in better focus, but I just had to share it. It was just a little too breezy for this female Amberwing.

Slaty Skimmer

Slaty Skimmer Dragonfly - Male

The other easy dragonfly species. They'll willingly keep coming back to the same spot and are willing to sit for quite some time.

Pink Phlox

So, a number of years ago I bought one dark pink and one white garden phlox plant. The dark pink one eventually died, but the white one kept spawning seeds. Turns out the purple one cross bred at least a little. I have 4 different varieties of pink, including one with white flowers and pink centers. Above is my favorite one, but most people would pretend they were all the same.

Tis the Season for Amberwings

So On Sunday when I took photos of the fallen tree I upped the ISO on my camera. I didn't care if the photos were grainy, it was dark and I was in a hurry. Move to Monday when I wandered around Hemlock Gorge with the ISO still at 1600. Grr. I don't generally put it past 200, I abhor noise in my photos. I noticed when I got home and started looking at the photos. I was sort of wondering how I was getting the shutter speed the camera kept giving me.

Leafhopper

Just a leaf hopping garden pest from last week.