DROUGHT LEAVES US FEELING BLUE.

 Our scoring drought came about our second round of districts.  Vs #1 ranked Dubuque Wahlert.  They beat us 6 to 0.  Finishing up with a 7 and 6 record for the year.

A female Diana fritillary ?  That's what I think it is...Nope!

 Red-Spotted Purple is common throughout much of the eastern United States and mimics the Pipvine Swallowtail, but its hind wings lack the tails and Pipevine lacks spots at wing base. 

 White Flase Indigo - Baptisa alba One of the longest living wildflowers, a mature White False Indigo plant

practically jumps out of the ground in the spring, growing up to four feet in just a few days! Very striking when in bloom, its white pea-like flowers are visible from quite a distance and the velvety, blue-green leaves are attractive all summer long. It requires four to five years to mature but it is well worth the wait as it is truly spectacular. A major butterfly attractor it hosts the Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Frosted Elfin, Eastern Tailed Blue, Hoary Edge, and Wild Indigo Duskywing Butterflies.

Drought tolerant, once established and pest free food production. Thornless Blackberry bushes grow more upright than traditional blackberry plants for a less wild looking berry patch. Blackberries are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Magnesium... naturally sweet.

     

Cleaning up, down by the VW bus and I spotted this little Blue tailed skink  or five-lined skink they reaches 5 - 8 1/2 inches or about the size of a can of PBR.

Old males may become a uniform gold brown or olive color with only faint traces of striping. Both striped and uniformly colored males develop orange lips during the breeding season like prairie skinks. Young have bright blue tails that fade in males, but the females tails may retain a blue-gray coloration.

 Then the rain came.  This was the first rain in about a month.  Only about a half an inch but every little bit helps.

Once your garden has been planted, nothing is more important to its ability to thrive than water. When provided too little water, plants are unable to develop properly and become more susceptible to damage from pests. Too much water can of course be equally bad. In soil that is kept too moist plants become prone to rots and other diseases.

 I put some minnows in the rain barrel for mosquito patrol.

Below the rooster fountain shoots into the rain barrel.