Yesterday

Clarkia, 5-16-08

"What dreadful Hot weather we have!--It keeps one in a continual state of Inelegance.--If Miss Pearson should return with me, pray be careful not to expect too much Beauty..."
-- Jane Austen

The weather has become beastly -- fortunately, the heat in our neck of the woods is a dry heat, unless you are under a canopy of trees in a hollow near the river. Then, it is 100 degrees and a bit humid. Perhaps that is why the Hooded Warbler showed up -- he thought it was the Boy Scout Woods Bird Sanctuary of High Island in Texas :-) My husband was birding with a friend by the river a week ago, and the friend said that they needed to find a Hooded Warbler in that spot. And a week later, the friend called to tell my husband that he had found one! We headed out after work yesterday and spent three hours enjoying the bird, guiding a couple of other birders to its location, and sweating. The bird's song is SO sweet. Another sweet song we heard was the music of an ice cream truck. On our way home, we saw said truck, pulled over, and bought some frosty treats.

The Hooded Warbler was a beautiful male. Oo la la! He is way off course -- he should be with my mom in Ohio, not in California. My husband got photos and video of him.

The Clarkia is blooming near the river. A few of the flowers were more richly colored than the Clarkia I usually see.

Equisetum

Unknown bug

I was scandalized by the scores of box elder bugs copulating on the ground. I didn't get any photos (too dark), but they join up bottoms and one of them walks forward dragging the other one (who is walking backwards) behind it. They have no shame! :-)

Ta ta for now,
Sylvie