Buzzzzzzz

Our sun room will be awesome someday.  Right now, it is a very hot, not at all insect proof mess.  We have all kinds of animals show up in there.  We've had several sparrows, some hummingbirds, lots of bees and wasps, moths of course, a butterfly or two, and plenty of interesting spiders. 
Recently, we have been noticing (how can you miss the really?) cicada killer wasps flying around in there.  I haven't yet found their nest, but there is at least one by our windows every day.  I think they are getting stuck or else they are already on their last legs since it seems that they drop dead within 24-48 hours of being in there. 

This week, there were two or three in the sunroom at once, and it seemed that they were attacking a butterfly that had gotten waylaid as well.  The drama outdoors makes for interesting viewing - thank goodness it has given us something to do when it is super hot in the afternoons! 

Be free Tripod!

We spent a good part of Monday afternoon looking for turtles.  We found a goose, and a catrillion lily pads, but nary a turtle.  Luckily, the kids babysitter had a box turtle crawling around here yard, and she brought him to visit on Friday!  He has three legs, and thus was called Tripod.  Friday while I was at work, the kids had him swimming in the pool and crawling on the playground.  When I arrived home, there was a turtle in the kitchen, and the kids were really, really excited about him. 

So he hung out here for a few days, getting pampered with apple slices, blueberries, lettuce, parsley, egg shells, and a bit of chicken.  I knew it was time for him to go though when he hoisted himself up into the broccoli bed in the garden to hide - that's serious - it's like 8 inches high.  We had had several conversations about where turtles belong and why it is sad for them to be captive when they were previously wild.  Everyone agreed to release him in the pond nearby, although Pumpkin said he was "sad about Tripod turtle" with his little pout.  Off to the pond this morning, and the kids waved as he swam out to meet new friends.  We will go visiting I'm sure...