Sweet summer loving

June is, by far, the best month of the year. I love the summertime. This is due in large part to my birthday, also known as Juneteenth. Technically, I suppose June 19 falls in the spring, but around here, spring ended some time around Valentine's Day this year (and summer may last well past Halloween).

To celebrate the best month of the year, let's take a look at some of the signs of the season.

A walking stick not walking on a morning glory vine

Because I hold my dear blog audience in such high esteem, I have to disclose that this picture is totally staged. Travis found this little fellow hanging out in our carport the other day and I moved him to a morning glory vine for a more dramatic picture. I like to think we both benefited from the arrangement because I can't imagine him being too happy on that wide expanse of concrete completely exposed to chickens and ducks.

 I tried to get a good picture of the heal of my Croc but this cicada larval shell got in the way

Unfortunately, I can't get a good picture of a noise so these remnants of a cicada larvae will have to symbolically represent the sound cicadas make this time of year. It's nice and soothing in the city thanks to civilization keeping the population under control. But, when you get out of town, the noise can be deafening (and a little obnoxious).

Brussels sprouts Brussels-sprouting

If all the bug pictures are making you squeamish, here is a less disturbing image for you. I was concerned that after the explosion in the caterpillar population last month, my Brussels sprouts may not make it to a productive age.  So far, however, things look good. Most people (including me until recently) are probably completely unaware of where Brussels sprouts actually come from. It's difficult to conceptualize how these tiny little cabbages could possibly grow. Turns out they bud right off the main stem of the plant, one above each leaf.