Ahhh, those June Bees and Butterflies!

Saturday’s sunset. 95 degrees, real-feel.

At 8:30 p.m., still feeling perspiration and listening to air conditioners hum. We’ll no doubt hear crickets soon. Walk inside the house and feel the relief. Shower time.

Super gardener Annie in Austin identified large flowering shrubs that line the border between our property and neighbors next door. Evergreen Chinese Ligustrum, I believe is the name. Untrimmed, they could grow to twenty or thirty feet in height but now they only range from four to eight feet. The border stretches about one hundred feet on the northeast side and I like the privacy it gives. We don’t own the shrubs. The original neighbors trimmed them every year but the new owners probably don’t even know they are there. This is our third spring at this house and the first time they’ve bloomed white flowers, perhaps because they haven’t been trimmed. The birds will love the berries they might produce next winter.

It’s an invasive shrub with horrible reviews and I can understand why. The over-sweet fragrance is sickening and the pollen it produces can drive asthma and allergy sufferers mad. But the bees and butterflies are addicted to them like crack and remain in a drug-induced frenzy. Hence, I can’t resist the activity, either. After a brief photo-shoot in sizzling sun, I walk away with Chiggers stinging me and the camera lens. Damn. It’s worth it for a few minutes. What's a garden without birds, bees, and butterflies?

With Cheryl at My Wildlife Sanctuary and Sherry at Q's Corner in mind, who are the butterfly and bee queens, I post these photos. Hear the buzzzzzzz and imagine the flutters.

Clouded Sulphur

Bumble (my fave)

American Lady

Zebra Swallowtail (fast-moving - only one shot)

Black Swallowtail – female

Honey Bee (thousands)

Yes, I did fill the bird feeders on Saturday evening. More on THAT, later.

First visitor at the feeders on Sunday morning. No surprise, but...Oh, my. Anyone out there up on squirrel anatomy? :o/