This marmot has 5 babies. They marked the mother and one of the babies with black dye in addition to ear tags. We stopped a lady w/ a butterfly net for info., she said they track all the generations and breeding...

Thanks for the kind comments. I got lucky with the flag. I was driving past a car dealership and saw the interesting design created by the way the wind had wrapped their large flag around the pole. After dropping off my passenger, I drove back just to take a photo of it. Luckily the wind didn't change the design during the interim! It is fun seeing all of the photos members put up--usually stop by one last time before computer shut-down to see any late posts. Bubbles and interesting perspectives--such creative minds and talent! Nicole, that photo is unreal it is so beautiful; wish I had a 2'x3' of it to decorate my wall because I can't stop staring at it. Flowers, animals, and reminders of places I've visited, and locations I have never been. And I swear, lgmd_gaz has to have cornered the world market for unique picture puzzles. I'm always looking forward to what KT members have to show me every day. :)

Just came in from surveying. Trying to decide if burgundy and bigger or smaller and white is better with the yellow zinnias. Not that a phone camera will do them justice. All flowers are awesome.

I too have not seen a hummingbird moth this summer, nor have I seen many moths or butterflies for that matter. Bees? again, not many; and I usually have a swarm of honey bees or yellow jackets wanting into the siding of my house. Honey bees in June, the jackets more in September tho. Another thing I don't see much around my property is grasshoppers. When I was a kid, there used to be HUGE hoppers that spit "tobacco" on you if you handled them. I'm thinking the spraying of the surrounding farm fields probably have something to do with the lack of many insects.