Another one for Casey

We saw this huge beetle laying eggs in one of the posts that hold up the deck. If you look closely you can see her ovipositor in the crack. I sprayed Raid in there.

Here she is doing her "I've fallen and I can't get up" dance after Hubby flicked her off the post.

Cali has to check out this huge beetle. I ended up flicking the beetle onto the lawn. I couldn't bring myself to step on it. It was too big. It would be like stepping on a mouse.

Two weeks old

I think this may be the last shot of the chicks before fledging. They are two weeks old and no longer sitting together. I saw the mother nighthawk flush when I walked to the "nest" and could easily spot one chick, but not the other. I got a sick feeling in my stomach that something had happened to the other chick, but it was about 3 feet away and under a fir tree.

Hormones

What's in that composted steer manure? Viagra?

I'm watching you...

A mysterious beetle was on the patio. It had very large eyespots. I don't know what it is, but I'm sure our grandson, Casey, would be interested in seeing it.

Thank you, firefighters

I went out to the garden yesterday afternoon and saw a helicopter flying in the not too far distance with a bucket attached. I watched him dump the bucket and then immediately fly back down to the gravel pit at the base of the road for a refill. This fire he was fighting was dangerously close to our neighborhood.

We got in the car and drove down the main road to see if we could spot exactly where the fire was burning. We could see it very easily from our deck, but couldn't judge the distance. Once we got down the road, we could see it was on Forest Service land.

We later found out the woman in the fire lookout tower spotted the smoke and reported the fire. Fortunately, the firefighters were able to get on it right away and this morning they were mopping it up and there wasn't any smoke.

1 week old

The babies have made it 1 week so far. Only about 2 more weeks to go before fledging. If you can't tell the head from the tail I'll give you a hint, they are facing left.

green bean overload

I planted 5 bean varieties in the garden this year and they've all done well. Too well.

Yesterday we made "dilly" beans with garlic harvested earlier this summer. Bloody Marys anyone?

Hatchlings

Evidence of a successful hatch.

Two little fuzzballs. The mother nighthawk put up a tremendous display while I was photographing her babies. She flew onto the road and spread her wings out in the dirt and started mewing like a cat. It was pathetic and an obvious attempt to lead the predator (me) away from her young. I won't attempt another photo unless she's away. It was too stressful for both of us.

More of GNP

A lovely salmon colored Indian Paintbrush was growing everywhere in the Park. I love salmon colored flowers.

The south side of Josephine Lake. We hiked around this lake and then the lake on the other side of the mound of trees in the center of this picture. It was a 7+ mile hike.

Beautiful yellow flowers growing along the trail.

Two very bug bitten, hot and sweaty hikers. I don't know how we managed a smile.

A little grizzly cub along the river. He caused a major traffic jam on a windy two lane road. I took this picture from the truck and across the river so he's not in focus. It was too dangerous to get out of the truck for a closer shot. We didn't see the mother griz, but I suspect she was in the brush.

Golf in Glacier NP

We went to the 9 hole golf course by the East Glacier Lodge and played a round. It was fun until the biting flies attacked us. Can't beat the view.

Gotcha!

I spent a lot of last summer trying to get a picture of this butterfly. One evening I even chased it up and down the Hill waiting for my chance. This year he landed on some dogbane right in front of me and I was lucky enough to have my camera.

Potato farmers

We still have 3 rows of plants in the garden. I think this was a successful planting.

We're jammin'

The berry guy was at the Farmer's Market yesterday so we bought a flat of raspberries. We waffled between huckleberries and raspberries, but the little red jewels won.

We made raspberry jam. This morning we had waffles with the jam and it was d e l i c i o u s!!!

I know my dad will want a jar (or two).

Red taters

This morning's harvest. We harvested over 10# last weekend and have been eating potato salad, scalloped potatoes and hash browns. None of the russets have been dug yet so we still have bakers in our future.

(Sorry Debara, the potato plants couldn't wait for you to recover from shoulder surgery. Next year.)