Plans are meant to change. That's all I can say. The weather didn't cooperate with the time that I had to spend on the trails. I only ventured to the trail once this week and when the clouds rumbled, I walked as quickly as I could with all my camera gear so I could get back to the parking lot before the storm hit. I made it home with a little time to spare before the rain began.

Thunderstorms lit up the sky and dropped a deluge of rain and hail. Luckily the hail dropped elsewhere and spared my garden and flowers. The blossoms are all intact and the mid to late summer flowers are just beginning to open. There is an abundance of buds on the coneflowers and the beebalm. They are favorites for the bees and the butterflies.

I haven't seen the swallowtails lately but there have been numerous smaller butterflies in the yard. The bees have been busy pollinating all the blossoms in the vegetable garden. At times I wonder how they are able to fly with all that pollen stuck to their legs!

I did see an odd sight this week on my way to work. I saw elk twice on my travels. The first morning there were five of them crossing the road. The second morning there were three grazing in a hay field. They didn't seem bothered by the fact that I came to a quick stop to jump out and snap a couple of photos. What fun to see them where you least expect it!

The remainder of the week looks great in the weather department. It doesn't appear to want to rain so I'm going to try my best to get to the trails this week.

It's been awhile. I haven't been to the trails in almost 2 weeks. The combination of hot temperatures and lack of time at the moment has left me with quick visits to the garden instead of the trails but that is okay because there has been lots of action in the yard.

The ladybugs are everywhere. They have matured and are keeping the aphids at bay on all my shrubs. I wish they could do the same for the caterpillars that I have been finding.

Pollinators are everywhere. There are butterflies galore and the bees have been busy at all the open blossoms in the yard. 

The hummingbirds have been putting on a show at the feeder and at the scarlet runner bean blossoms. When two of them show up at the feeder at the same time, there is usually a little scuffle and chase through the yard. 

The action should continue as more blossoms open in the yard. The poppies opened this week. The hollyhocks and the beebalm are beginning to open so there should be lots of pollen/nectar for the pollinators.

I'm looking forward to some trail time this weekend. The temperature looks to be a bit cooler and more enjoyable. I might even be able to get the kayak dusted off and into the water.

Have you ever witnessed the life cycle of a ladybug in real life? I've been watching this happen for the past few days and it is amazing! There's a story behind this.

When I was raking leaves during yard clean up in the spring, I noticed an abundance of ladybugs hibernating in the leaf litter. I wanted to get the yard cleaned up but didn't want to disturb the ladybugs too much so I raked all the leaves into a pile by the fence and left it there. Now, the ladybugs are thanking me.

My cherry tree was infested with black aphids. I took the hose to it to blast the aphids off the branches. At that time, I noticed some grey crawling creatures on the branches as well. They were about a half inch in length. Didn't have a clue as to what they were. 

I moved on to the nearest flower bed and noticed a bug infestation on my flowers and could not identify them but also saw the grey crawlers on there as well. 

I got the bugs identified but still had the grey crawlers to ID. I thought that they may have been the young version of the stink bugs that were on my plants. That thought lasted only until I went back to the cherry tree and saw them eating the aphids. I looked up the life cycle of a ladybug and found that all those grey crawling creatures were actually ladybug larvae. Amazing!

I've been watching them change all week. I counted 30 larvae on two branches and there were still more. They are on the cherry tree, my shrubs and my flowers. They are everywhere. Some have developed into the pupa stage already. Those will soon be beautiful little ladybugs.

It has been fascinating to watch. I think it is their way of thanking me for not tossing the leaves into the firepit and burning them like I have done in previous years. I'll never do that again after being witness to this amazing life cycle.

Ladybug larvae taking care of the aphids on the cherry tree.

Ladybug pupa