Wayne Bugg

If Putin were pulling Trump’s strings, could we tell the difference?

This evening’s moonrise and sunset from the front yard/porch. The haze in the sunset is from soybean dust while harvesting a field just past the trees on the right. Dry as heck and no wind and it just drifts like fog (or herbicides).

Today’s critters are Whitetail Deer messing up my young trees. These are bare root seedling bald cypress and loblolly pine planted spring 2024.

Today’s critters are Bumblebees. Basil is one of the few things still blooming and there are at least five bees enjoying the flowers. And of course Mia the Diva Dog is waiting to get in the show.

I can’t always pick zucchini/squash before they get too big. When that happens I throw them over the fence. Turns out some of the seed matured and is volunteering. Picked squash and what I think is a hybrid squash/zucchini. The bees or whoever carried the pollen didn’t know to stay in their lane.

Today’s critters are a Red-tailed Hawk and stay to the end for a Black Vulture.

Got my $90 from Trump trying to buy the election. Donated it to the Henderson County Democratic Party. You can too. secure.actblue.com/my-express/e...

Today’s critters are Jumping Gall Wasps infesting a high percentage of my trees in the white oak family including American white oak, swamp white oak, swamp chestnut oak, chinkapin and bur oak. They do not bother the red oaks (northern, southern and cherrybark). I’ve been assured they’ll recover.

Today’s critters are Tree Swallows. Usually it’s barn swallows that congregate when bush hogging the tree planting. But they’ve already gone south and now this flock of tree swallows is taking advantage.

Tonight’s moonset from the front porch. Crops that have matured like the corn across the road are drying down quickly in the hot weather. Which is a good thing unless it gets too dry. And it may be too late for a rain to do much good for late planted soybeans that missed the scattered showers.

Grapeful Mead

And these clouds were two new red spots toward the ENE an hour and a half later. Cc @pah.nws-bot.us

Looking east at the red spot towards Owensboro.

Today’s critter is a Striped Skunk. From Wikipedia it “possesses two highly developed scent glands, each containing about 15 milliliters of musk…The odor of this musk was likened to a mixture of perfume musk, essence of garlic, burning sulfur and sewer gas "magnified a thousand times"

Today’s critters are Spicebush Swallowtail and Monarch Butterflies enjoying the swamp milkweed in a wet spot amongst the tree planting.

Today’s critter might be a Fork-tailed Bush Katydid ie Scudderia furcata. At least that’s what Apple ID thinks and I’m unwilling to get in the weeds on katydid ID’s.

Today’s critters are American Goldfinches harvesting the coneflowers as predicted on July 22. View from inside the house looking pretty much due south.

Today’s critter is a Spider. Have you ever seen a web built with lightning in the background? This is your chance! Will check back in the morning for hopefully a full view.

Came across the most impressive mushroom fairy rings I’ve ever seen this morning.

Mia still likes cucumber picked a little late

This evening’s blooms.

Today’s critter is a male American Goldfinch that wasn’t too bothered by Mia. Did you know that Goldfinches only have one brood/year? And have the latest breeding season in the U.S.? That’s why the boys are bright yellow now.

Today’s critter is 10.25” Kentucky Trophy Bluegill!

Today’s critter is a Pipevine Swallowtail, Battus philenor. From Wikipedia “The name Battus comes from the founder of the Greek colony of Cyrenaica, Battus I, and the species name philenor comes from the Greek word meaning 'fond of husband'.” Make of that what you will.

Today’s critter is a Dickcissel. Settle down. Although Peterson’s says it’s fairly common, this is the eastern end of their range and National Geographic calls them scarce here. They like weedy pastures and the planting is good habitat.

Today’s critters are future American Goldfinches. There’s a good crop of coneflowers coming. Hope I’m around when they harvest them.

Thanks @jfallows.bsky.social for the code.

Pretty exciting (and loud) when they turn around right over your house.

Finally harvested tomatoes yesterday and we know what that means.

Cucumbers doing so well they’re attacking the asparagus + dill = pickles.

Today‘s critters are eggs of future Squash Bugs. Usually by this time my squash is gone from bacterial blight transmitted via cucumber beetle but this year it’s still producing. And I’m ready to move to another veggie.

Current hot and humid conditions are great for development of corn diseases. Neighbor is applying fungicides with good timing as pollination is underway.

Today’s critter is a Common Whitetail or Long-tailed Skimmer that stopped by the patio this evening. Together with the Barn Swallows they’re part of the home defense against skeeters.

Today’s critters are once again the front porch Barn Swallows only now they’re the power line Barn Swallows. The fledglings have taken flight!

Garden is coming in strong. Homegrown zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, green peppers and blackberries with a little more than $1 worth of Costco chicken quarters. If you had a better dinner I’m happy for you.

Today’s critters are the front porch Barn Swallows. The fledglings are about to leave the nest. If everything goes well they’ll spend the winter in Central or South America.

For all my corn breeder friends, in case you need it here it is.

Thought it was neat how the sunlight was hitting the pignut hickory in Devil’s Garden this evening.

Today’s critters are the front porch Barn Swallow nestlings. Zoom in and I believe there’s two big’uns and two small’uns.

Today’s critter is a Whitetail Deer. I’m hoping it’s mostly eating weeds and not the trees planted all around it. Stay to the end and watch Mia strut in oblivious to the deer.

Today’s critters are a pair of lovebird Barn Swallows. Stay to the end and you’ll see their front porch nest. This is the third year for this nest. Last year they did a minor repair but this is >95% original mud.

Today’s critters are a pair of lovebird House Finches. You may look at that guy and say nope that’s a purple finch. Wrong - that striped belly means House Finches. I have a gazillion house finches in the winter. I claim I’ve seen a purple finch but I’m only about 90% sure.

Who’d have guessed? Mia enjoys radish leaves too.

Today’s critter is a Common Snapping Turtle. Not good pictures but I declined trying to get him/her to pose. Did you know that according to Wikipedia it takes around 12 years for a snapping turtle to reach sexual maturity?

Today’s critters are Wild Turkey eggs. Came across this nest while banding clethodim on the tree rows.

Today’s critters are Grosbeaks. A pair of male Rose Breasted stopped by as did Blues. The Blues have stuck around for a couple of days but the Roses came and went. Makes sense since we’re at the northern end of the Blue’s range and the Roses keep going. Both winter in Central America.

Today’s blooms come from the black family of plants. We’ve got blackberries, black walnut and black locust.

Today’s critter is a (Black Racer) SNAKE IN THE GRASS!!!! They’re more active in the daytime compared to other snakes and so like this one, more likely to be seen.