What A Light Show!!!

Our June has been a month of diverse weather extremes. Can't ever remember having this much rainfall. Which has been good to heal my grub damaged lawn and to bring on an abundance of blossoms. The honeysuckle vine at the front of my house has never looked as glorious. The hummingbirds absolutely love it!

My honeysuckle vine is this year's show stopper.

Pansies and violas, also making a nice display.

My white rose is pretty but regrettably has no scent.

 

Canada Day is at hand and there will be plenty of fireworks. But I've already experienced a fantastic light show just before midnight on June 13th. 

A storm rolled in with savage winds and torrential, pelting rain. Also, prolonged and blinding lightning which seemed to go on for the most part of an hour. Finally, the storm wandered off to the north and calm and darkness returned. I had a brief sleep before being awakened by a pulsing bright light outside my window. My first thought was that emergency vehicles were outside, perhaps rescuing a car that might have gone off the road. I got up to look out the window and was astonished at what I saw. Fireflies!!! Flashing madly from the lawns and shrubs and trees outside my window. I've never seen them in such numbers and never in such an intense and frenzied display. Usually these paper clip sized beetles wink out a simple pattern of light (usually neon green but can also be pink or blue or white) with their bioluminescent organs and wait for a rival (or mate) to return the signal. I know that fireflies are more active after a rain but this lot seemed extra worked up by the storm's lightning and were madly synchronizing their flashes. It's said that we forget days but remember moments. That insect hosted light show was one of those dramatic moments for me.

Speaking of lights, a few months ago I took a notion to go grocery shopping before dawn. Once on the highway and heading toward the store I noticed that despite the clear night, I wasn't seeing very well. Other motorists were zipping along as if they could easily see the road but I was struggling to see very far in front of the car. It had been a fair while since I'd driven in the dark so I thought perhaps my eyesight was at fault. Then it occurred to me that the fault could be with my sixteen year-old car's headlight lenses. The plastic had become partly opaque on the surface. Definitely not ideal for night driving! So I bought a headlight buffer kit and followed the instructions. The result was not perfect, but much better than before. 

My car's headlight lenses had become somewhat cloudy with age. 

Masked for the buff and re-coat treatment.

Not perfect, but much clearer now.

 

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I've been on an iced tea streak lately. So handy to have a pitcher ready if anyone drops by or for a nice pick-me-up after a morning of yard work. Here is the recipe I like:

                  Iced Tea

4 cups water 

3 bags tea (I like English Breakfast) 

1/3 cup white sugar 

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice. 

- In large saucepan, heat water to a rapid boil. 

- Remove from heat, drop in tea bags and cover with lid. 

- Let steep for no more than 10 minutes. 

- Remove bags and add sugar. Stir until dissolved. 

- Let cool to room temperature and stir in lemon juice. 

- Refrigerate until chilled. 

- Serve over ice cubes with lemon slices and/or sprigs of mint. 

Store iced tea in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use a container that has a sealable spout. 

A favourite salad and a glass of iced tea.

 

Barn swallows have built a mud nest in my garage. All within the month of June, the young have hatched and fledged. There are three adults feeding them, as was the case last year. I wonder what relation the third caretaker is. An older sister or brother? Perhaps and aunt or an uncle? 

These lucky young barn swallows have three adults caring for them.

A mother robin hatching her second brood of the year.

 

I'm very glad to see a cute and peace loving little skunk appearing most mornings in my back yard. Usually skunks prefer to forage at night but this little fellow sometimes stays out until almost mid morning. It seldom looks up from it's work of sniffing out and digging for grubs in the grass. Often only a few feet from me, it will glance up, not notice me (or not care I'm there) and quickly give it's full and prolonged attention back to foraging. I think skunks are near-sighted. I am too.

Dripping wet on a rainy morning.

Maybe seeing me. Maybe not. Definitely not worried.

Just chilling on a lovely June afternoon.