July 8th

Today's moon phase......

The moon is a Waxing Gibbous phase. I had absolutely no idea what that meant. Found out, that all it  means, is that it's more than 50% illuminated, but not yet a full moon. Oh, and it is in Capricorn - whatever THAT means..... (the moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars.......) What brought me to wonder about the moon was, as I was driving  home from work last night, I noticed how beautiful it looked. Now I can't get that Age of Aquarius song outta my head!

 

 

It is officially the Dog Days of Summer! That's according to me. After all, I write the blog, I make the rules. It is Africa hot out there folks! Any time the thermometer climbs above the 80 mark, with the increase in humidity, and your clothes try to melt into your skin, it's HOT! I mean, Satan called and he wants his weather back! ............. Although I do love the smell of summer on the sun burned grass.  

 

 

 

 

The chickens don't seem to care about the heat. Although they do know enough to stay out of the sun

That's Ethel soaking up the shade.

 

Lucy joined her to get a scratch.

 

Hazel's rendition of "I'm king of the world!"

 

Sandy and Pepper snacking on dried grubs, yum!

 

Nugget chilling' with the CEO

Hazel and I discussing her day at work. Egg laying is strenuous.

 

 

 

The veggie garden is trying to escape the heat too. Some of the leaves are turning yellow on a few of the plants. I'm wondering how hot it actually gets, with the sun relentlessly beating down on their inescapable little leaves.  Thats a lotta photosynthesis going on!

 

 

 

I'm sitting on the patio, watching the dragonfly's. There must be 20 or so of them. All colors. Brilliant, metallic colors.

 Dogfighting in agile spirals through the muggy, still air.

 I'm amazed they don't get their delicate wings entangled in each other as they compete for a tasty morsel of unsuspecting bug.

I'm watching a mini version of Top Gun!

It seems that they all go into attack mode when the see their prey. They unleash a blitzkrieg of flapping gossamer wings to ambush that blissfully unaware bug. They are voracious predators. Fossils of large ones were found that were325 million years old. Pretty successful, I'd say.

This little guy stayed still long enough for me to meet him up close.

 As a kid, my Mom and Grandma called them Mosquito Hawks - an apt name. Mosquitoes in this neck of the woods can multiply faster than melanoma cells!  No mosquito is safe around those winged pest controllers.

 

 

 

 

There are several plants that keep producing. Here is our okra. I don't let them get too big. The small ones pickle nicely.

There are 3 tiny okra on this bud.

 

 

 

The hens are all interested in something in the garden. All their little heads are bent down clucking and examining whatever they've found. Ooh! A hen party!

I went over to take a look. Couldn't see much of anything at first. No habla chicken.

Then, I saw a green blur jump up and out of their way.

I still wasn't able to identify the object of their adoration. All 7 pairs of sharp beady eyes and waiting, opened beaks intent on murder!

Its a tiny tree frog! It was trying to get away

I debated with myself whether or not to come to the aid of the frog, or to let the hens at him. My sense of fair play came to the fore. Seven against one certainly wasn't fair.

Decision made.

(I love it when I'm decisive. After all, the road of life is paved with flat frogs who couldn't make a decision!)

 I saved the little guy.

 I shoo'd the girls away and grabbed him. He jumped right up into my opened hand. I guess he thought "any port in a storm!"

Then, I relocated him to the other side of the yard.

(under an assumed name, in the witness frog protection program)

Hazel and Nugget followed - hmmm, trying to see where his new hiding place was, I'll bet.

  Curious girls, or maybe in this case, hungry girls.

There is no accounting for taste with chickens. (except when they're fried! Ha!) Oops! I think I said that out loud......

They eat pretty much anything.

They are higher up in the food chain than the bugs, so I guess it is as nature intended. But, no carpe diem today for that frog, girls!

 

 

 

Thought for the day:

 

Why is there writing in Braille on the drive up ATM???

Methinks the Americans with Disabilities Act might have overthought that one.......