Estivating*

*Spending a hot or dry period in a prolonged state of torpor or dormancy.  In addition to the outrageous temperature, the hot, gusty wind from the Southwest made the trees thrash and grounded many critters. Nevertheless, the Argiope caught something, so I can stop worrying.

Some dam fool decided this would be a good day to bulldoze all the vegetation on the earthen dam that separates the lake from the creek.  Meanwhile, the National Weather Service predicts isolated severe thunderstorms tonight and possibly heavy rainfall tomorrow as the heat wave comes to an end.  I'm glad we are upstream from the dam.

Blue jays were very active, especially in the wild cherry.  I glimpsed a mockingbird departing and a brown thrasher hiding.  A squirrel was up in the tree cherry picking too.  They are welcome to the wild cherries.  I'm happy with the figs K picked. 

A hummer informed me that the juice had gone off.  I made a new batch and put out the feeder that sheds rain best, just in case.  However, it has no perches which meant the hummers had to work hard in the wind.

A black swallowtail missing an entire hind wing flitted around the rue laying eggs.  Twice it nearly blundered into the Argiope web.  Earlier, I saw a cloudless sulphur.  There were a few dragonflies despite the wind.  I finally saw an Eastern amberwing, a female obelisking and looking like an exotic flower.   A four spotted pennant clung to a stick by the creek.

A cardinal found something I suspect was a bug of some sort.  But he either didn't see the monarch caterpillar or else he knew better.  Then the feral cat came by and of course the birds disappeared.