Strange weather

While it's been summery here, deep cold dropped down over the Northern plains states.  The NWS weather map resembled a rainbow flag except that the stripes dividing hot and cold were pinched very narrow.  This newspaper map isn't as colorful.  I looked up "Indian Summer" (which is now not polite) and learned that the current weather doesn't qualify.  "It’s a period of abnormally warm weather occurring in late autumn between St. Martin’s Day (November 11) and November 20."  

A mulch roach scuttled along the side of the house.  Virginia creeper turned red on a tree trunk.  The fungus developed toasty edges.  A cabbage white butterfly flitted around the trees.  Earlier I saw a cloudless sulphur. 

Despite the pleasant weather, I didn't see much else.  The female downy couldn't stay away from the suet.  A small flock of swallows zipped around the sky.  Then camera battery died and they were gone when I got back with the other battery.  They had the white underside of a tree swallow but appeared to have swallow-tails like a barn swallow.  I thing I'll go with tree swallow.