pink_warm_mama_1, over 30 or so years of bird feeding in 3 different states, we have endured plenty of Starlings. This year is the first year that I can say that they haven't worn our patience thin. Don't know what has made the difference, but since their usual spring return to this area in March this year, their appearance at the feeders has been just a few at a time and they are quickly gone for weeks at a time. Usually if we put suet out they seem to come out of the woodwork, but that hasn't even drawn them in this summer. party_music50, that is perfection, and there ain't nothin' wrong with the other works of Mom Nature's art today. Ain't Mom Nature good at what she does!

While photographing a cemetery yesterday, I came upon this unexpected sight. It was sad . . . the deer had a badly broken leg and appeared to have internal damage, undoubtedly hit by a car. But somehow she made it into the cemetery, where she died. If I hadn't found the deer, which hadn't been dead long, I don't know when it would have been found. The cemetery is old, and I don't imagine it attracts many visitors. A stone wall surrounds it, so the deer wasn't visible from the road.

After my morning bike ride, I stopped at home and got my panniers, and went to the grocery store. Here is my bike all loaded up: and here is what I bought, all but the tomatoes, I had them in my camelbak and forgot to put them out for the picture. Yep, one can do grocery shopping on ones bike. :) Moni

I've heard Igmd_gaz's bug called an assassin bug, and remember seeing them in southern Ohio back in the 1980's. It was on the list of "beneficial bugs" that we weren't supposed to kill when we were making the bug collection for high school biology class. I know their South American relatives can be some bad mama-jamas, and are indirectly responsible for the death of Charles Darwin, but I thought the ones in the eastern US only ever sucked bug juice from bugs.