Night light

Thistle

Spear thistle. Cirsium Vulgare. A noxious weed in most places. 

Phlox

Just guessing it belongs in phlox family.  

Jam Break

Missed a post yesterday. Went to a movie with best Gkids. Period. 

These are peaches I picked before the squirrels could get them - same ones from a couple posts ago, now scalded, peeled and cut and ready to be jam tomorrow. Yum!!

Red Admiral, Comma

Two red admirals dining together. Couldn't get a pic with his wings open so you have to trust me that that long tongue belongs to a Comma. 

Squirrels won

They ate most of my peaches. I took some pics, ran one errand... and they had intensified their assault. I picked all the peaches except for a few - left those for the bees, wasps and butterflies. Still, I got three of the bastards. I will begin MY assault earlier next year. 

This

I'll look up the name. Not in my yard. I want this. 

Exotic birds

These little salvia blossoms look like little exotic birds. 

Roadrunner - Geococcyx Californianus

Wish I could get a close up. They are wary little birds. Fast. They can eat big snakes. I wish they ate squirrels. 

Star Jasmine

It was just a twig when I planted it. Very happy here. A fragrant giant. Lovely. 

Jungle

Love my tangled jungle of gorgeous natives. 

Iris

My friend Lane gave me these. They didn't bloom much last year. Must have been getting established. They are spectacular. 

Belly flowers

Because you have to be on your belly to see them. 

To the meadow

The path going up to the "meadow ".  

After the rain

This is what I planned. Going to try to find a before picture. Hard work and patience. 

Rose

And a close up of the center. 

So many

Really. A lot. And I could look at them all day. Love love live blue eyed grass. 

Trio

These blossoms last one day. Glad I caught them. 

Rain Lily

It doesn't take much rain to bring these beauties out. 

Plant sale

Wildflower center. Got there early. Had a list. 

Scraggly cone flower

Love the geometric pattern. 

Peach dreams

Some of them froze. Squirrels are after the rest. Must. Kill. Squirrels. 

Sweet

Mimosa. First of the catclaw. Lacy, fern-like, delicate. Well, except for the "claws". 

I love this native. 

Brephidium exilis

Western Pygmy Blue butterfly. This butterfly is tiny - one of the smallest in the world and the smallest in North America. It took a LOT of patience to capture this pic. Very tiny and very fast. That wingspan is only about 1/2 inch. 

Alaus Lusciosus

Click beetle. Harmless. I found out after he spread his wings and flew at me. Called a click beetle because when he's on his back, he can "snap" his spine to flip himself over. 

Tiny Native Bee

Isn't he/she cute? That bee is about 1/8 inch - max. Check out the shadow. What do you think?

The new girls are laying!

Look at these cute little eggs. 

Tattoo

Might be hard to see. That's an oak pollen "tattoo".