Blazing... 07-12-2022

Sat on the patio three times today for about 25 minutes each. It was between 97 and 101 degrees, depending which time I was out there. I was in the shade with a breeze, so I actually felt comfortable. But, after awhile, I would start to feel the hot air drying out my throat and lungs. That's when I came in for a cool down break. I will be so grateful when we get back to our usual summer highs in the 90s.

When I was a kid, we called these cuties chameleons. I didn't have the internet resources of today to research things. As an adult, I learned that they are called Green Anoles. There are Brown Anoles, too. I know this one is a Green Anole because he can turn green. A Brown Anole is only capable of grays and browns.

This guy is headed to the bird bath. I had just filled it, so he wants to lick the leaves under it to get water. Notice he is getting a little bit darker.

He had his fill of water and started going back up the fence. Notice that he is now brown. That's right! Green Anoles can turn brown, but Brown Anoles can't turn green.

Here you have another difference. Green Anoles have a pink dewlap. Male Brown Anoles have a more striking orange-red one.

White-winged dove in full makeup

Poor little black Olive. She loves to be outside, but her back is hot to the touch from the sun.

She was yawning in this shot. She isn't much a panter unless she has been running.

This is her audition photo for the upcoming all canine movie, THE BARK OF THE SPHYNX!

I have said before that I think female Northern Cardinals are prettier than the males. But this poor gal is downright homely. I think it is the same one I mentioned earlier in the spring. She has no visible crest and her beak is blotchy looking. Zoom in close and see.

Oh, never mind. I zoomed in for you. She also has extremely unusual eyes. Notice the grey ring.

I wish you could see this in motion. A dark cloud came and stirred up a gust of wind.

This was the only sparrow that actually came to the feeder today. The rest were up in the tree to scared to come down for some reason. I thing he is absolutely gorgeous. They say that God's eye is on the Sparrow. Heck Yeah! He's admiring his work!

When she went to the grown and walked around with her sunflower seed, I started to wonder if her blotchy beak is unable to crack them. They usually sit on the feeder, fish out a sunflower seed, give it a chew and spit out the shells.

I love these little blossoms. So do the hummingbirds. They are Flame Ancanthus. Rachel had them in pots last summer. This year we planted them where some of our landscaping plants had died out. They have really spread out!

The heat is getting to our Bulbine plant, as well. Not nearly as many blossoms. What are there are really pale.

The Pride of Barbados seems to be thriving in the heat.

The blossoms are so pretty that they almost look fake.

Rachel has this Sweet William in a pot on the Poor Man's Patio. It is not a native, but I love it.

Okay... Jared has really good luck with Basil. I love the look of the stalks with there brown seeds on them.

This is a tiny mason wasp on the basil plant. It was about the size of my pinky fingernail.