Bug Days of Summer

Yes, I know that August is typically referred to as the Dog Days of summer, but I've been seein' a lot of bugs lately!

I was back at one of my favorite places today while I was waiting to hear that Mom was back home and ready for me to come out and visit.  Some of you who are from the Huber Heights, Ohio area may recognize the location from one of the pictures, but it's not the most obvious view.  I'll let you know at the end of the post.  OK, so I was back at this place and over by the pond and along the trail, there were quite a few bugs to keep me company!  One particular flying demon kept buzzing my head, but I didn't even get a good look at it.

Yeah, still obsessing on the clouds.  But aren't they pretty?  C'mon, admit it!

The pond has a lot more algae on it than I remember for this time of the year, but there's also a lot less of the pond than I remember!  That couldn't be due to it being such a hot summer, could it?

Looking toward the fishing pier . . . most of the fishing being done wasn't from the pier, but beyond it, right at the bank.

I have absolutely no clue what this critter is, but he almost literally dropped in on my walk; just a couple of inches from where I was standing.  I thought it only polite to spend a minute or two with him and share him with y'all.

I promise, I only took 2 cloud shots today.  No more after this one!

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven!  I've not been fortunate enough before to catch two different  types of butterflies so close together.  I wish the blue one had stayed around a little longer though.

I don't know what kind of berries these are, but I sure didn't see much of any kind of flower or berry.  Another product of the hot summer I'm assuming.

I almost missed this guy, but the web was glistening.  I like how you can't really see the web, but the debris that's trapped in it makes your mind know it's there.

And of course, if there are bugs by a pond, there will most likely be frogs.  I caught this one after he'd jumped a couple of times.  Find him hiding?

It was another hot day, but fortunately, no headache today.  That meant I was able to make the most of a short visit to Carriage Hill for my photo opportunities today.  Haven't decided where to go tomorrow . . . maybe back to the Butterfly House at Cox Arboretum?  I'm thinking that's a good possibility.  But, now it's time to head outside to mow the front yard.  I think I'm really only mowing the weeds since it's been so hot, but it still needs to be done, darn it!  I wonder if I could get away with having a goat and letting it groom the lawn for me??

Wegerzyn Gardens

I visited one of our metro parks today that I haven't been to in about 2 years.  It was nice to go back, and I'll have to make sure I go back in another month or so; it will have changed again by then.


It was really nice to have a relatively fresh perspective, as well as new material to photograph!  I was in no hurry (well, at least until the reality of drinking Diet Pepsi all afternoon hit) and just strolled along, looking for the birds I was hearing (owlthingsfirst.blogspot.com's Jenny is a good influence on me!) watching for butterflies (after I scared off 3 of them), and looking for the names of the plants I was shooting.  Alas and alack, I don't have a clue as to the name of the plants!  If you do, please comment to edjimicate me.


I'm trying to pick only the best of the photos I took today - but when taking over 200, it's really hard to pare it down quickly.  I managed to pick 80+ for facebook, then got it down to 40+ initially for this post, but you're stuck with 17 (if I counted correctly!). 

I'm not a huge fan of lavender, but I did like the contrast of the colors and how it looked waving in the breeze.

I thought this looked as if the wind was blowing the plant; it wasn't when the pic was taken.  I liked the curves and the imagery of flow and movement.

When I first saw these, I wondered who had dripped paint all over the leaves.  Upon closer inspection, I realized it wasn't paint at all, but the way the plant was naturally.

 This, I do know, is a rose.  Yellow roses are my favorite, especially when they are still in the process of blooming.

This was an experiment, and I like the outcome!  I used the trunk for balance for the camera, shot straight up, resting the camera against it.  This doesn't quite give the full impact of how tall the tree is, but it is better than the other shots I took.

 I have a thing for textures.  I like to do extreme close-ups and I like pictures that make me think I could  feel the texture of the photo subject if I touched the photo.  I liked the different textures here when I took the picture, but now, when I look in the upper left corner, all I see is an alligator or crocodile head . . . go figure! 

I don't have a clue what this is, but I loved how it seemed to be almost magically changing form.  Initially, it looked like a pinecone, but I've never seen a purple pinecone before . . . 

I liked the contrast of the dark purple bud with the light purple of the flower. 

I like small flowers.  These were VERY small, so I must like them a lot.  Plus, they are a very pretty shade of blue.

This tree was blooming like crazy!  It was absolutely beautiful, but this was as close as I could get to the blossoms.  

Loved the color, and the detail of this flower.  Initially, the color caught my eye, but as I zoomed in, I found the structure of the flower more interesting.

 Beautiful butterfly.  I'd moved too suddenly several times before I finally caught this one.  Honestly, this doesn't do it justice.

More small blue flowers.  Like, like, like!

Love the look of the plants growing out of the wall, as well as the contrast between the rigidity of the rock and the fluidity of the plant; the sharp lines and edges of the rock/wall and the curve of the plant.

I saw this and immediately thought it belonged in a Japanese garden; the bamboo helps give that flavor, but the whole scenario just about screams oriental.

The pansies looked so sunny and inviting on my way out that I almost apologized to them for leaving.  The brightness of some of the colors was astounding, and I'm always a sucker for contrast.


Just getting out and walking around is a good mood enhancer, but seeing these beautiful plants and breathtaking blossoms has me thanking God for the beauty he provides in so many ways.  It's all around us when we decide to look for it.  Amazing what happens when I keep my eyes, not just the camera lens, focused on the beauty.