June 29, 2025

Well, Summer is here for sure.  We had two immensely humid hot days punctuated by brief rain showers.  But then on the 28th, the temperature was lovely and the humidity just fine too.  Let's hope that we get another week of lower temps and humidity, but look - this is Summer in South Central Lower Michigan.  Last week we had one Day Lily flowering, but in a couple of days the one became a yard full of the big orange flowers.  A yellow flower, a Rough Cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica), had a strange reddish-brown critter on it (probably a Bug of some sort - I've asked iNat to look it up!).  And here is our first sighting this year of an Asiatic Day Flower.  My daughter Abra pointed out a long time ago that this is the very flower we used to see outside our house when we lived in Hefei, China.  The picture is a bit warped because I practically had to stand on my head to see it with the camera!  (It was very low to the ground!)

Here is an American Toad from May 14 (possibly, 2024), followed by a batch of Toad Tadpoles (Toadpoles if you like) from June 11, 2025.  They don't grow very fast, do they?  The third picture shows the Toadpoles on June 18th, and the big picture is an enlargement of that third one.   That big bud in picture 3 is for a Water Lily.  

Meanwhile, our beloved Green Frogs, who disappeared when the Toads came to town, are still missing.  I'm waiting somewhat patiently, somewhat anxiously, for their return, whenever that might be.  Do you remember which is the male and which the female?  The one on the right is the female, as shown by her somewhat snaggle-toothed appearance, and the leftmost one is the male.

Although the Frogs' disappearance has been a sad part of the past few weeks, the Water Lily's blooming has helped my state of mind considerably.  Here is a big bud about to open, followed by a shot of the Lily beginning to open.  Once it opened, that Lily bloomed for three or four days.  

I had a wonderful few days watching that Water Lily.  So far it has only had one blossom this year, but if it acts like last year's, we should be able to enjoy it for the rest of the Summer!  I just can't keep my eyes off it.  Let's look now at some of the week's yellow flowers.  This first one is Rough Cinquefoil (Potentilla norvegica).  And the second looks like a Mouse-ear Hawkweed.  I've asked iNat about the next one.  Yes, that's a bee in the center of the last image.

The next one may simply be a kind of Buttercup (Ranunculus).   Of course, I grew up calling all tiny round yellow flowers Buttercups.

How about red or pink flowers?  This first one is a kind of Dianthus, but I haven't been able to narrow it down any further.  Second is another Dianthus.  The third is that Ivy Geranium that I got at the store, but wow has it grown here!

I showed you this last week, but the purple Shamrocks Kathleen Seidl gave me a start of decided to survive my tender ministrations and has now begun to spread a little.

The Spiderworts are amazing.  The blue one seems to want to move into the house.

The Fishes are, as usual, bright with color and movement.   They seem to bring out the colors of the Water Lilies (and of each other).  In picture 2, you can see some of the tiny Toad tadpoles. 

Well, folks, it's almost noon and I do want to send this off to you so you can see the changes in the Pond over the last week.  I hope you have a similarly inspiring place to just sit and enjoy life.  Take care of your own lovely little spot, and work for the preservation of our planet!  Love, Martha