JUNE BUGS ARE A'COMIN

What do you think of when you arrive on the doorstep of June. I think of June bugs. For the last month as I've been digging in my garden, I've turned up any number of hard shelled creatures called June bugs. And for the life of me, I don't know why they're called June bugs. I don't think that they begin hovering around the night lights until sometime in July which would make them July bugs. Maybe it's because they start coming out of the ground in June. No matter what they're called, they're harmless creatures. I have more fear of bumble bees and/or snakes than I do of June bugs.


Talking about snakes. I spotted a 10 inch green snake in my shop one day about a month ago. I tried to catch it (wearing my cloth gloves, of course) but it kept trying to bite me. Finally I was able to grab it close by it's head so that it could not swing around and nip me (would it?). I showed it to Karol and she just said, "Stay away from me. Kill it," which I couldn't do, of course, since I know that they are good. Later when I looked it up, I discovered that I had in my hand a "smooth green snake," common in Wisconsin.


One of the burdensome pests of the spring, summer and fall is the wood tick. Without your knowledge, they sneak up your pant leg or attach themselves to your shirt sleeve (I'll never know how). Later on, while sitting in a chair, you'll feel that characteristic crawling and immediately you set to look. Sometimes it's as embarassing as dropping your pants. And sometimes, there it is, that little round brown spot with it's nose under your skin. It's simply a matter of pulling it out and dropping it in the toilet, and flush......it's gone. But lately, Karol and I have been feeling that crawling, and there's nothing there. All the mighty power of the imagination.

The phoebe nest has been outside of our three season porch for more than five years. Most years, the parents come back and simply add to the previous year's nest. This nest looks like it is for a king and queen. Moss, decorative string and all kinds of dry grass make it a comfortable perch for the young that soon will be ready to fly. I think that there are three young in the nest although only two really stand out clearly.

And then there are those beautiful butterflies: swallowtails, monarchs, and all the rest that I have never taken the time to learn. So gracefully do they fly from flower to flower tasting the sweet nectar. I'm challenged to capture those butterflies on camera, but they don't sit still for long.