Sweet everlasting

Yes, believe it or not, that's a common name for a local native–sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium). It grows on our land northwest of Blanco. A few weeks ago, James cut off a short branch, brought it home, and stuck it in a small vase of water. Darned if the thing didn't die. So I kept it in water a while longer. Then I potted it up in a tiny pot. A couple of days ago, I put it in the ground. We'll see. The leaves of this annual species have a sweet scent. I hope it takes and reseeds!

Aphid attack

Oleander aphids have infested my butterfly milkweed. I usually ignore them. But then it just dawned on me that it's the aphids that have been attacking the blooms, thus preventing the plant from making seed pods. The same thing goes for my Texas milkweed. Lots of aphids, no seed pods. 

So I decided I'd go to war against these blasted insects and see if I could put a dent in their numbers. I tried a couple of approaches but ended up using a paintbrush to knock them into a bowl of soapy water (one drop of Dawn). I also used my finger to smush them. We'll see if I arrived in time to help out the flowers.

My lovely assistant, Abe, pitched in and helped.

Oxblood lilies

 Also called September surprise. They're early this year!

One bee-utiful beetle

 Spotted on our climbing milkweed vine yesterday....Cryptocephalus fulguratus.

One strange sight

Melody, a friend of ours who lives in San Antonio, emailed me today with some amusing photos. With her permission, I'm sharing them here....

"Hi, Sheryl! Seeing your post the other day of the vulture in your backyard reminded me of the time I drove up my driveway to find a deer laying down with a vulture on the ground nearby watching it. I rolled down my window and asked the deer if he was okay! Then as I drove to the house, they both started following me! I was so amused by this scene and have wondered what was going on with them! Animals are so entertaining!"

Yes, they ARE! Thank you, Melody! And this afternoon, I took my lunch to our back yard and startled a black vulture high in the live oaks! I wasn't able to get a photo this time.

Hurricane Harvey rainfall

Is it a bird or a plane?

Or maybe a tarantula hawk wasp? That was my first thought when this gigantic thing flew over my head in the back yard yesterday and landed on a live oak branch. I ran in for my camera and then took some shots. It was so high up in the tree that I went back to the house and switched out the lens on my camera for a 300mm, hoping to get better photos. The images weren't a whole lot better but good enough to show a few details of the black insect feeding on a green June bug.

It wasn't until I was getting ready to post here that I looked closer at one of my photos and realized what I'd shot....not a wasp but a FLY. A ROBBER FLY! I believe my UFO may be Mallophora leschenaulti, a species of bee killer robber flies. 

Oh, my! According to Bugguide.net, Mallophora leschenaulti has been reported to attack and kill hummingbirds! Here's more detailed info on Asilidae, the robber fly family.