Camera Critter Saturday-Locust

The locust have been very loud this year.  Probably complaining about all the rain like the rest of us.  We have had another 6 inches since Weds AM, lots of flooding in northern Iowa.  

Today's Flowers Gooseneck Loosestrife

Thought I would say a word or two about gooseneck loosestrife, it is a very invasive aggressive plant, it does best in years when there is a lot of rain as we have had this year.  Each spring I pull it out by the wheelbarrow loads to keep it in check, I keep it around because it attracts lots of butterflies, pollinators and other buggies. 

Camera Critter Saturday

A couple of butterflies and a couple of wasps from my yard, taken this past week. 

Too bad I don't have a picture of the mosquitoes in our yard because I think they are bigger than the butterflies or anything else this year and they are very plentiful.   The weather has been hot and humid and wet, really hot and humid and wet,  did I mention, hot, humid and wet?  :)   

We had 6.5 inches of rain in a couple of hours one day  last week, we had water in the basement, what a mess, having lived here for 33 years and only having water damage twice, in the awful Iowa floods of 08 and this past week.  We only lost the washing machine this time.  The local newspaper said yesterday that 1/3 to 1/2 of the homes in our city had water damage.    Having been a garden for 41 years I know that the climate is changing, there is no doubt about it.

Mellow Yellow

Real life keeps getting in the way of my blogging life! 

My  flowers are beautiful, the weeds are flourishing, we have had so much rain I have not had to water a thing except for a pot of Brugmansia, which is always thirsty,  is there such a thing as a water aholic?  If there is, Brugs would need the 12 step program.

Sharing some pretty yellow blooms.

Today's Flowers

My blogging has suffered recently, real life keeps getting in the way.

Extra Bugs

I did not notice the lady bug and the green lace wing until I had uploaded this photo to my computer, it was a pleasant surprise.

Water Logged

Last week we had about 6 inches of rain, rain has been predicated the last 3 days but has missed us, heavy rain is a potential tonight as well, I'm hoping this round of storms misses us as well.