A Smattering of Completely Unrelated Things

A terrific storm came through last Monday. I was out during the lunch hour and the sky turned dark, nearly dark as night, with navy blue clouds racing and swirling over head. It occurred to me that it could have been the end of the world and yet I thought it was pretty fantastic. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, but I got it out later that evening when the sky went

all Maxfield Parrish on me.

Later that night, the moon was nearly full and shining through a field of hundreds of cotton ball clouds. It was a great day, and night, to be looking up.

It's been a good summer, as summers go, with not-too-offensive daytime highs and surprisingly low humidity. Downright enjoyable. But summer's kicking in this week, as summers eventually do, and the next few days will be dangerously hot and humid. In addition to the usual Heat Advisory, the National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Watch for Thursday, with a heat index predicted at 110F (43C). Yikes. Happily, temps should moderate next week.

Something different on the bark of a Red Oak at the pond caught my eye. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a cluster of bugs, ones I hadn't seen (or noticed) before.
I was stumped.

So I posted my first I.D. inquiry at BugGuide.net and had my answer a few minutes later. They're Bark Lice Nymphs of the family Psocidae! Who woulda thought? They're common and among the largest bark lice in eastern North America. They're not parasitic, as some lice are, and in fact are considered beneficial creatures, since they consume excess fungi, algae, and dead bark that accumulate on trees.

The native prairie plant, Royal Catchfly, is abloom.
Red is uncommon among prairie plants because many pollinators are insensitive to this range of the light spectrum. Some butterflies, though, are attracted to red and favor this flower. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, of course, flock to it.


The following cucumber was a victim of human error.
I left it on the kitchen counter unattended and Capo feasted upon it. Capo loves his veggies.


The First Tomato has ripened!
I'm partial to the more acid reds, myself, but The First Tomato is always a cause for celebration. This was served with pink Himalayan salt.

This spring, I brushed my hand across an herb in a plant nursery and was smitten by the scent. I hadn't had any experience with Lemon Verbena before but it's a wonderful plant. The aroma is lemony and fresh, and the plant has been pest-free. But what to do with it?

Lemon Verbena Mint Tea

20 mint leaves

15 lemon verbena leaves

2 cups water

Bring water to near-boiling and pour over leaves. Steep 10 minutes. Strain and serve hot or chilled.