Small Surprises in Late August

So the heat is not a surprise in fact this WRAL headline says it all: Above average RDU counts 44th day over 90 degrees. It not all bad though. Ian's Moon flowers have performed beautifully this year. We've already had over forty blossoms. The highest count in an evening so far, has been eleven blossoms.

August 13th in the a.m. brought two small, but beautiful surprises.

An Eastern boxwood turtle- We rarely have a turtle in our yard. Ian sees plenty at Beaver Marsh, but not here. This little guy was probably 7 inches. He's on the corner of the meadow style garden in the front yard.

It's the little things in life that make you happy.

A heart in the middle of the fairy stone circle. It's a dried leaf. I think from a morning glory vine.

The fairy house. A sprinkling of the mystical is good for the soul.

Several days later we had a bull frog visit the backyard pond which is another unusual sighting here. He was clearly bigger than the Green frogs plus his coloring was very different. He is greener than the "Green" frogs. I was very excited about him until I learned that they eat other frogs. At first the Green frogs were quiet, but yesterday two males were sumo wrestling over a female. I hope that means the Bull frog is not a threat to them.

This is a photo of a Green frog for comparison. This is the most colorful of our Green frogs this summer.

I think this is a very young Green frog.

Another surprise. American bumblebees have very long tongues (proboscis). Look at the tip of his tongue in the sugar water. The hummingbirds stayed away while he was on the feeder.

Texas Star hibiscus in the pond

The angle of the sunlight made the crystal that I found in the yard years ago just glow for a few moments.

The Early Amethyst beauty berries are starting to turn purple.

The hot dry period has stressed the Arctic Sun red twig dogwoods which has triggered their bright yellow autumn coloration.

We are just on the cusp of Fall. I look forward to slightly cooler weather. It seems that it is starting earlier this year, but that would make sense when you consider that Spring happens about two weeks earlier than yesteryear.

Happy Seasonal changes! One more view of the Moon flowers.