nicole and Jim's photos remind me of this weekend when I was cutting up some trees that had been cut down be the power company. In one segment of the log when I starting cutting it, thousands of big black carpenter ants came swarming out. Including many jumbo-sized winged ones that probably wanted to start a new colony by eating my house. Perhaps unwisely I used gasoline on the hollow center of the log and lit it. Nicole do you know what type of ants those are? And how big were they? I have a picture of leaf cutting ants in Costa Rica, but not a very good one.

Jim, here is S.W. Pa, there is a nearby state park, Jennings Environmental Education Center, that has a 20 acre prairie devoted to the Blazing Star a wild flower. It is accompanied by Golden Rod and the endangered Massasauga Rattlesnake. No, you can't walk through the prairie just around it. It is magnificent in late July/August with the colors of the two wildflowers together.

I'm on vacation this week (and next week) on Block Island in a house without Internet access, so I won't get to check in much. Here's a picture of some recently shorn alpacas at a "Fiber Farm" that makes yarns. The one in back looks like he is photobombing.

Saw this pretty planter at one of my neighbor's on our walk this morning. Have been meaning to take a photo. May have to do this next year as it just says 'summer' to me.