Mushy Brain Syndrome

Yes, folks, I am officially suffering from MBS (Mushy Brain Syndrome). It is caused by hours upon hours of "hard thinking", typing, and staring into a computer screen. I have spent the majority of this past weekend working on the Parks newsletter (goes out next week), writing e-mails to ten-thousand people about upcoming events (including desperate pleas for fieldtrip leaders for the Carolina Bird Club meeting in September), and very methodically checking and re-checking all the info to be included and mailed with the individual Adopt-a-Hummingbird packets. It is enough to drive a person insane!!!!!!!! Hopefully, since tomorrow starts my week "off duty" I will get a little rest and relaxation before I have to turn my brain on again. I did get out a couple times to clear the cobwebs that had started forming---here is what I saw in no particular order: A Sleepy Orange butterfly retreating under a leaf during a brief shower on Sunday.

A beautiful (and big!) green spider who meticulously caught and wrapped up a Yellow Jacket that found its way into the web. I think we should clone this spider and put them near every Yellow Jacket nest in America . . . . .

The rest of these photos were taken at "Eagle Point"--the farthest point downriver on the Green Trail in the park. This is Common Sneezeweed.

This was a "new" one for me. It is called Seedbox. Notice how after the petals fall off, the "seedbox" is still left. Pretty cool.

Cardinal Flower is everywhere along the river right now! Hummingbirds were all about too!

This is a St. John's Wort species. I looked underneath the leaf and it wasn't spotted--so it isn't Spotted St. John's Wort--but I haven't had a chance to key it out.

There is also a ton of Monkey Flower out there. Lots of Zabulon Skippers nectaring on them.

I scared an Osprey off its perch . . . .

And he scared a Bald Eagle off its perch (this one looks raggedy). . . . .

And they both flew off up the Catawba River together!