Dueling cardinals

The males chased each other all over the yard.  It appears that the Tailless One is dominant. Dark clouds looked threatening and a thunderstorm was predicted for the afternoon.  Lots of bees are hunting nectar. The sting/bite from yesterday has nearly faded.

The gladiolus is blooming, supported by morning glory vines.  The orange day lilies have joined the yellow.  Lavender is in full bloom now.  The gardenia is nearly finished and the bees seem to think the sakaki buds are about to open.  The oleander has been blooming for a while.  The lilies planted this spring are nearly finished.  The crepe myrtle is gorgeous.  And, of course, the magnolias have been blooming all along.