July 2015: Creek Flood and Play, Tadpoles and Other Creatures, Family Reunion

I sure wish I would have finished my late winter through late spring mushroom identification for this year already and posted about it here, but alas it's not completed.  But I know that's ok.  It's perfectly ok. :-)  It will get done when it gets done, just like everything else.  So if it's out of my planned order of "perfection," it's no big deal.  In the meantime...

Here are my hand-selected pictures from our fantastic month of July 2015.

Creek's Flood and Subsequent Water Play

 Girls watching floodwater from their bedroom window (July 7)

Oldest three posing in front of creek, later the same day.  I'm holding Elizabeth's hand.

The next day (July 8) was a day full of adventurous play in the creek.  It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and the creek was so beautiful.  The sky was beautiful. The air felt pleasant. The kids were delighted.  I was very content and filled with joy.  :-)

Nature's Finds

Common whitetail skimmer dragonfly, male (Plathemis lydia)

Do you see the hummingbird?  One day I'll get a stunning shot of a hummingbird.  Just wait.

Wild turkey (Meleagris gallipavo), in the Galliformes family

Three-toed box turtle, female (Terrapene carolina triunguis) 

I rescued these tadpoles.  They were found in water that was super-heating in the sun.  Many had already died. I believe I saved most of the living ones.  Two died after rescue.  I later counted nineteen.  Those nineteen all lived until release.  I wanted to keep two back for the whole metamorphosis to adulthood, so the kids could see again.  They loved when they learned about the frog's life cycle and got to see the metamorphosis from tadpole to adult frog.  I kept these and cared for them and fed them for over two weeks, and then I had to dump them in our neighbor's pond at the edge of our property lines, right as we were leaving out to go to a family reunion.  I was afraid they might not live while we were gone for two nights and three days.  I only regret not taking another picture at the end.  They had grow quite a bit larger and were already sprouting their hind legs!

Polistes carolina (one of two types of red paper wasps)

This was neat.  Nathan and I have a bedroom window screen with a hole, so some red paper wasps made a nest between our screen and pane.  The girls and I enjoyed watching them each day.  It was a fascinating way to learn how the wasps operate.  When we first noticed them, they started with two or three adult wasps, and there were maybe two to four holes that were sealed.  We watched over time as developing pupae finished their transformation, emerged as an adult and joined the others in the work of building the nest bigger and bigger.  The fun ended when Nathan was doing something around the outside of the house (I don't remember) and decided to exterminate them.  :-(

Miscellaneous Fun 

Look who it is, looking out my bedroom window! It's Dinosaur!  I was so tickled to go into my bedroom at one point and find Dinosaur sitting in the sill, looking outside.  I suppose Elizabeth figured that since she loves to look outside, Dinosaur must want the privilege as well.  :-)  This made me smile so big.

Here's the beautiful girl who loves dinosaurs.  Nathan and I still had visits left at the tanning salon, and we always took turns staying with the kids and going in to tan, and on this occasion, Elizabeth and I were having a little fun while waiting.  This is a small sample of all the pictures I took.  LOL

My chillins! :-)

I can't rightly remember what Elizabeth was upset about.  I think maybe she'd forgotten her toys or was wishing she could play with one of Trusten's and Liv's?  I'm not sure, but usually when I shoot pictures of them crying or whining or whatever, and then show them what they look like, they usually laugh and cheer up.

See the transformation occuring?  There's a bit of a smile.

 Family Reunion

A lawn mower train!  LOL The little kids loved this.  Even William took a ride, though.

Liv with cousin Layla, Elizabeth with my sister and cousin Laney, and the boys in the front

 Such a content and happy baby girl

The family reunion was nice.  I didn't take a lot of pictures, though.  I was too busy either talking or keeping up with kids, both mine and my sister's.  We took turns taking little girls to the bathroom, hunting a child down, and such.  :-)  She had her sweet Laney to nurse.

Well, there you have it.  Those were the highlights of July, besides cool mushrooms we saw.  I'm keeping all those back for my last of four collective mushrooms post.  After that I will include any mushroom pictures in the other posts, aside from any special posts I may decide to make in the future.  

Until next time...