The hibiscus began its second round of blooming. A female goldfinch got a drink from the ant moat. Since rain was predicted, K picked what was probably the last harvest of figs. I missed swimming in the morning and faced the almost shadeless mid day. The first thing I saw was a small skink trying to climb out at the top step. I gave it a little boost.
Afterward, I checked on the Argiope and noticed that one hibiscus flower had been shredded while still in the bud. While I was focused on the spider, a hummer came to the feeder. I didn't want to startle it by turning to look, but the wing beats thrummed. All sizes of bees and wasps continued to feed on the mountain mint. Blue dashers guarded the pool. Then I remembered to check on the other Argiope by the creek edge. It's dorsal side faced the water while the spinnerets were what I saw from the land. The basilica web looked fresh but the spider was hard to see. A black swallowtail flitted around the rue and a fiery skipper worked on the mountain mint.
Though the afternoon started as another scorcher,passing clouds got thicker and darker and thunder began a steady rumble. Wind gusts threw pine needles and leaf shreds into the water. By 4pm I saw occasional flashes of lightning but the rain still held off. When the rain finally began around 4:30, it came down hard and lasted into an early twilight. Thunder continued to rumble for hours.
No comments:
Post a Comment