Continuing our Search

I've been slowly working my way through two more vintage dresses for the girls, but have had to stop as I need to make a trip to the store and buy some matching bias tape and buttons.  Although the girls are really anxious to have some new dresses, going to the store is not tops on their list of things to do.  It's been pleasantly cool and sunny, the perfect weather for all day play at the playground and evening fishing at the lake, so that's what's been winning out around here with the kids.  It is supposed to get hot and humid again shortly though and when it does I know I'll have three red faced, cranky and irritable kids very ready to take a trip in the air conditioned car to the air conditioned store to buy bias tape and buttons.

So besides hanging out at the playground and fishing at the lake the kids and I have also been continuing our search for new bugs to photograph for the bug book and new bug specimens for our bug box.  We've had a bit of luck with the bug specimens thanks to some pretty frequent storms in these parts.  Flash floods do in a number of bugs, so it's just a matter of getting out at the first glimpse of sun and finding them before the ants do.  And we've definitely had a lot of luck with our bug photographs.
Like this little fellow who I believe is a katydid nymph.

It took us a long time to ID him.  The antennae kind of threw us off for a bit there...

And then there is this as of yet unidentified fellow.  Little P is big on finding bug specimens, so when she found this fellow she immediately brought him in the house for us.  When he turned out to be alive there was an awful lot of squealing and back out the door he went!

And grasshoppers galore.  They are everywhere.  I had no idea there were so many different varieties...

Then there was this bee fly (I think) which we spent a long time trying to get a pic of.  There was a whole lot of, "he's over there!!" "no, I see him, he just flew over there!" "no, wait, I don't see him anymore!" during this photo shoot.

And finally this Gray Hairstreak butterfly, which, sadly, is the only butterfly we've managed to get a picture of so far this season.  I've planted all kinds of flowers that butterflies are supposed to love, but so far not a one has dropped by.

So those are just a few of the pics we've been taking.  We have a ton of these to print off, ID, and add to our bug book.  Maybe that's something we'll do when the weather turns horribly hot again...right after we get those buttons and bias tape of course.