Backyard invasion!

Paul noticed my parsley plant looking a little sad last night. After closer examination, we found these invaders!



Not quite clear enough? How about now?


Ok, so it was a little stressed from all the heat last week, but they've eaten off most of the leaves! Seriously!

Pesky boogers - eating my lovingly grown from seed parsley!


And they just had to go... I cut off all of them (more than I want to count) and I 'served' them at the bird feeder. Not sure if the insect eaters will find them, but I hope they are put to good use!


They should make a nice dinner for a birdie tonight...


Speaking of birds, I got a chance to watch (and listen to) Mrs. Cardinal and some perky goldfinches. There was a gaggle of morning doves hanging around as well as a hummingbird I just couldn't get a clear picture of as he buzzed by me.

Mrs. C is hanging out in the willow tree, trying to ascertain my danger status


Sadly, our feeders were empty, sorry!


There are 2 goldfinches in this photo... can you find them?

(hint, far left and center)

Look up tonight!

From NASA:

Mark your calendar: The 2008 Perseid meteor shower peaks on August 12th and it should be a good show.

"The time to look is during the dark hours before dawn on Tuesday, August 12th," says Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center. "There should be plenty of meteors--perhaps one or two every minute."



A Perseid meteor over Joshua Tree National Park in California, August 11, 2007. Credit: Joe Westerberg.

Serious meteor hunters will begin their watch early, on Monday evening, August 11th, around 9 pm (EST) when Perseus first rises in the northeast. This is the time to look for Perseid Earthgrazers--meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond.

"Earthgrazers are long, slow and colorful; they are among the most beautiful of meteors," says Cooke. He cautions that an hour of watching may net only a few of these at most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile.

A warm summer night. Bright meteors skipping overhead. And the peak is yet to come. What could be better? [read more]

Wordless Wednesday