That's our great big bur oak. It has a lot of dead branches but it seems to carry on.

I didn't intend to wade into the muck today but I spotted an Argiope aurantia on the Islet of Langerhans, so what could I do? They're too impressive to ignore.

Did you notice what she's planning to have for dinner?

We could use some rain any time. The pond is losing all its pondiness:

I spotted the Loch Ness monster lurking in the scum:

In places it looks more like a tar pit than a pond:

The crazy clump of cattails is going strong:

Back on dry land, I went over for a closer look at the bur oak and -- wouldn't you know it? -- found another argiope spider:

Elderberries: who's ready for pie?