June 22, 2025

Well, Trekkies, it seems that summer has decided to really come in.  The thermometer outside the bathroom window was saying 94 F a few minutes ago .   Let's see what kinds of things we are seeing outside now. Well, on Friday, these huge machines were tearing up the street.  Apparently the city has decided to update its water lines.  In picture 3, you can just see the end of my driveway.

On Saturday, the destruction zone had gone by my house and up the street - apparently the destruction is to be extended to North Street, the first big street north of here.  I figure by Monday they will be there.  Then we will see what is to happen all the way from Michigan Avenue to North Street.  They will be laying new water pipes the length of our street.  Meanwhile, I can still drive in and out so it hasn't altered the quality of life here too much.  And it was fun to talk to the destructors.  

Meanwhile, the bushes around the house have grown enormously and I have spent a good bit of energy stuffing the green-topped trash can with leaves and stems.  Things have really suddenly gotten out of hand.  But I am about to pick up the phone and try to call my handy heavy-lifting comrade to see if he can't bring in some workers to crop down most of the overgrowth on either side of the house.  Let's put that off while we look at the little plants and critters around here.  This is the first year that I've identified (with the help of iNat) the delicate little White Avens.  I think it is something that is blowing into the yard in quite a few places, but this is the first year I've seen it.

I'm now finding lots of these tiny yellow flowers - I'm calling them Buttercups till I get their more nearly exact name!  There's no dearth of Honeysuckle around either.  And the goutweed still has its share of tiny (almost invisible) red Mites!  A surprise in the box where I try to grow things I'm given - the purple Shamrocks from Kathleen Seidl are growing now!  Maybe I can get some of these into the ground and hope they won't be trampled by hardier things!

Here's a white beauty that I still don't know by name.  Oh, I bet I showed you the Peonies going crazy in the front yard.  This is probably the last time you'll see these pink mystery flowers (picture 3), as these are the last bloomers for the season.  They have come up for years in a pot that stays out year-round!  Oh - I have just got a hint from iNat.  They are probably Dianthus caucaseus!

Here is number one for this season of those orange Daylilies.    Next you see Black Raspberries while they are still white!  And last here is that gorgeous Water Lily.  At the very left of the picture you can just glimpse a bud for a new one soon!  Following are some Water lily and Fishes pix.  In the last picture, you may be able to spot a few little black Toad-poles.

Here are the pictures of some of our fellow living things that showed up this week.  This first lot are all Leafhoppers.  Numbers one and two may be the same character or relatives.  Number three hasn't grown its wings out yet.

This little Leafhopper may belong to genus Scaphoideus.  So may the second one.  In fact, the third one may be a close relative of number two.

Here are a few Bugs.  I do hope you weren't expecting something plain or ugly.  These Bugs may in fact be destructive plant-eaters, but hardly unattractive!

One of the most entertaing things one can do on here is to try to see how many different Flies one can find!   This first little fly with the big red eyes is probably in the genus Minettia.  The second seems to be a Long-legged Fly.  They often come in a nice green like this.  I've seen this third coloration so many times and still don't know the owner's name.

Here's a Fly that may be a Mosquito or a Midge.  Midges come in two kinds:  biting and non-biting, but I still can't identify this one for sure!  Nor number two, though I'm submitting it to iNat.   That one seems to be a Long-legged Fly too.   Last is one that should be easy to identify with its yellow wings and red eyes, but guess again!

A few more Flies.  (We may never run out of them!)  

Here is a Dark-spotted Palthis Moth (Palthis angulalis). Next is another Moth, the Porcelain Gray Protoboarmia porcelaria, sometimes called the Dash-lined looper.  

While straining to see what was going on during the street destruction, I spotted this pair mating.  Ken Potter of iNat says they are Ornate Snipe Flies.  The third critter MAY be Scipinia horrida (I just love the name!).

Here is a Damselfly.  Normally this one would have a bright greenish-blue abdomen but it doesn't.  Maybe it is the first time I've seen the Female of the species!  Aha!  Number 3 has the markings we're used to seeing!  This is probably the Male.

Here are some Spiders for you and me to practise our skills on.  First is the Eastern Triangular Cobweaver, Euryopis funebris, and 

the second one seems to be a Bold Jumping Spider.  I still don't have an ID for the third one.

Well, folks, I think we have enough to chew on for the time being.  I'll leave you sitting in the SUN and hope you are having success keeping cool outdoors.  Best to you and your environment!  Love, Martha