I know most of you out there don’t like posts with bugs and insects in them. But I do. So there!

I came across this spider yesterday after I mowed the back yard. Its web is right next to the pool deck in the honeysuckle bush.

I thought it’s markings were pretty and unusual. Look at those long legs!

I wasn’t happy with the first bunch of photos I took, so I went back out later to try again. This time the spider was doing something weird. Take a look.

It looks like it’s folded back on itself or something. I don’t know. I couldn’t figure it out. Strange.

A little later I went back again and this is what I saw. Aha! A tasty captive!

Spiders eat other spiders?

And here is the spider as seen from behind this morning. Waiting for more hapless captives I assume.

When I looked my spider up to see what kind it was I found that it was a Common Garden Spider. So, not so unusual at all. But still pretty. You might not agree!

I had an intense urge to take some photographs (thinking mostly flowers here) and what better place than Skylands Botanical Gardens only ten minutes from my house?

I always enjoy going over to Skylands because I never know what I am going to see. Every season varies with different blooming cycles.

I did a lot of experimenting with aperture and shutter priority and various lenses. I’m never quite sure how they are going to turn out. Sometimes I come back with not much to show for my visit but a bunch of disappointing images. But sometimes I come back with several good images and a few surprises thrown in.

It was hot hot hot on Tuesday when I decided to go. The bullfrogs were croaking in their slime-covered pond. There were a few cicadas making noise and lots of different bird song. I heard a wood thrush (my particular favorite). And this cardinal with his equally as beautiful song was my constant companion as I made my way through the perennial beds.

I didn’t even realize he had something in his mouth until I downloaded the photo! See? A surprise! Also proof that you can still sing with your mouth (or in this case, beak) full.

The perennial beds were glorious!

But it did seem that everywhere I pointed the camera I captured bugs! See the little green bug on the flower above? More surprises. And in the photo below features a tiny bug as well.

Other creatures were also enjoying the blooms like this Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.

And HUGE bees.

Not sure if this is some kind of monster mosquito or what, but I was really trying to get the texture of the cone of this flower. I love the honeycomb texture.

Color, color everywhere I looked!

I loved the tiger lilies!!

I went on to spend about an hour with the water lilies but those shots are for another day. I was sweating like crazy by the time I finally gave in and walked to my car. I’ll be going back again soon but maybe on a a day when the humidity and heat aren’t quite so bad!

The other day I was checking out the flower bed, snooping around to see what was blooming and what was about to bloom. I am the first to admit that it’s a slapdash flower hodgepodge mostly leftover from the previous owner of our house. I had always thought I would rip most of it out and start over but so far in the six years that we’ve lived here it hasn’t happened. Yet.

As I was passing by the lilac bush (that for whatever reason did not bloom this year) I was startled by a movement. Looking closer I saw this:

Pretty good camouflage, I’d say! I’ve only seen one other Katydid before and it was hopping around on the deck. This one was kind of shy and really didn’t want my camera in its face.

Strange creatures!

For now the bee balm has been slowly taking over year by year. I added a hydrangea a few years ago and it blooms, albeit feebly. Pretty though.

And this yellow daisy-like flower that I have no idea where it came from.

I also made a visit to Skylands Botanical Gardens in the extreme heat Tuesday morning and was pleased and surprised to see that they are taking much better care with the grounds this year. Workers were out in full force tending to all the beds. I got stuck on the perennial beds and the water lilies and I’ll be boring you with my favorite shots soon. I’m sure you can’t wait!

And since I’m in an insectuous mood today, here’s a sneak peek! (I just made that word up in case you’re wondering. Does it work for you?)

Dragonfly on water lily.

The other morning I went out to take a photo of my yellow day lilies blooming in the little circle under our big pine tree in the driveway. Here is the photo I went out to take.

But I saw this,

which of course led to more photos of the spider and its web.

I had actually caught it in the very act of spinning its web. In fact, it was just finishing the job up.

In this photo (and I’m not quite sure why) it looks like its spinning the web in space.

When he got done he just sat in the middle. Waiting. Like, well … a spider for some poor unwitting little bug to come along.

Still waiting.

Quite the thing of beauty in the morning sun.

Two mornings have passed since I took these photos and the web is still there. Looking maybe a little more tattered than the first day, but still in pretty good shape. And the spider? Still waiting.

That’s the way I felt this morning. We’ve had rain for two days now. Last night it seemed like every time I dropped off to sleep another thunderstorm rolled through with thunder to wake me up and lightning to flash at my closed eyelids. It poured! We got 2.80 inches just since midnight. Add that to the 2.47 inches we got on Tuesday, the .59 inches yesterday and you get a grand total of 6.94 inches. That’s just about the same amount Irene left us with only one week ago! Enough already!

It’s standing room only in our little creek before it makes its first cascade down the little falls.

The second falls.

My feet were going squish squish squish as I was dodging large puddles of standing water while taking these photos. It’s really saturated in the lower part of our yard. Thank goodness our house is situated uphill from all this. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this much moisture around since we’ve lived here.

Our un-split stack of wood likes to grow fungi in rain like this. I love the ruffly look of them.

Here is a coral mushroom that I found growing near the road. Actually there were quite a few of them all in the same spot. They are rather odd looking.

This butterfly found a nice place to rest after the storm on my butterfly bush. I cut my butterfly bush back too late this spring, so it is just now blooming. Better late than never!

I’m hoping this rainy trend stops soon.