Theme Day: Sticky

This month's theme is sticky.  

I racked my brain trying to think of something that is sticky, and here it is.  A spider web is sticky to the fly anyway.

 

Orange Trumpet vine

These native vines can be very invasive in North Carolina.  But then again, every vine is invasive in North Carolina...Kudzu, Ivy, Virginia Creeper, Wisteria, Passion flower...Don't plant a vine in North Carolina unless you want it everywhere!

 

Conversation

What do turtles talk about when they get together?

 

Lizard tail

This one is called Lizard tail.  But it doesn't look like any lizard tail I've ever seen.  

 

Seedbox

This little cutie has a few names, but none of them are as pretty as it is...Seedbox,  or Rattlebox.  It's a type of primrose-willow.

 

Hula dancers?

These yellow cone flowers looked like grass skirted hula dancers.

 

King of the pond

A classic bullfrog pose.  He was as still as a statue.

 

Turtle ballet?

Was he just stretching his legs, or doing a little turtle ballet?

 

Splash!

Herons are graceful in flight, and on the water's edge. Not so much when they land.

 

Crimson eyed Rosemallow

It's always a surprise to find native hibiscus growing wild in North Carolina.  They bloom this time of year along the lakeside.

Some are even pink.

 

Camo

I think this lizard knew he was nearly invisible on the wooden rail.

 

Crepe Myrtle

The streets are lined with crepe myrtles in bloom.

 

Wren

The baby Carolina wrens that fluttered out of their nest last week are still around.  We've seen them with Dad, learning how to be a wren.

 

Joe Pye Weed

The Joe Pye Weed was in full bloom and nearly six feet tall.  

 

One little cloud

One little cloud caught in the center of the Gyre, a sculpture at the North Carolina Museum of Art's sculpture park.

 

Strolling along

The umbrella seemed like a good idea on a hot afternoon.

 

First Monarch this year!

This monarch butterfly found the right plant!  Milkweed flowers must be tasty, there were many different bees and butterflies around.  But for monarchs milkweed leaves are even more important.  They are the only food for the monarch caterpillars.  This butterfly was in the right place.

 

In the weeds...

Or rather, in the native plants.  This bench seemed overwhelmed by the grasses.

 

Bee Balm

True to its name, there were bees in the bee balm.

 

Sunflower

We went to the sculpture park at the art museum because there was supposed to be a field of blooming sunflowers...

We did find a few.

 

Drama in the birdhouse

The Carolina wrens have been flying in and out of their birdhouse with bugs.  Today, one of the babies took a stroll outside.

Mom and Dad kept watch.

They continued to feed the babies inside and out.

The others checked on the outside baby.

Finally he fell out and got caught in the netting covering our strawberry patch.  Jim rescued him.

He climbed up a ladder and tried to put the baby back.  ALL the babies fluttered out of the nest to the ground.

They fluttered away with Mom and Dad watching out for them.  

I think they'll be OK.

 

Beat the heat, old style

Before there was air conditioning, this is how to keep cool, rocking on the front porch.

 

A big porch and a lot of trees were all they had to beat the heat.  This is the Anderson family homestead at Anderson Point park.  It's now a rental facility for weddings, etc.

Lookout point

A restful place to look out over the confluence of the Neuse River and Crabtree Creek at Anderson Point Park.

 

Elsa

 

Tropical Storm Elsa came through Raleigh yesterday.  It battered Florida and parts of the Carolinas.  We had a day of torrential rains, but not much wind.  It rained all day, 4.1 inches total.  Then, it just stopped and the sun peeked out.

Birdhouses

Do birds really care what their house looks like?

I don't know about birds, but I would be proud to live in one of these.

 

Anderson Point Park

Anderson Point Park is a stop on the Neuse River greenway and it meets the Crabtree Creek greenway.  (and also at the confluence of the Neuse River and Crabtree Creek)  

It's a large park with playing fields, hiking trails, bird watching, a playground and a rental facility.  All purpose!

 

Duckweed

Another look at the duckweed covered pond at Prairie Ridge Ecostation.  It seems like you could walk out on it.  When I first saw it I thought it was a field of grass.

 

Hopper

The grasshoppers were the size of small birds.  This one flew from the ground up into a tree.  A handsome fellow!

 

Happy Fourth

I know, I know.  Not very original.  In fact it's the same picture I posted last year.  But what are you going to do...

 

Monet?

Dappled sunlight on the duckweed made me think of a Monet painting.  

 

Tiger swallowtail

This tiger swallowtail posed for me on a milkweed plant.  There were lots of bees and a few butterflies on the milkweed.  But no Monarch butterflies.