Garden Variety Bat Man

Greetings Wild Indigo readers! Its Friday and another weekend is upon us and another work week behind us.  But for avid gardeners like ourselves our work in the garden is never done! If you're like me you'd might as well have the Cannon Power Shot glued to your hoe since the best shots of nature are unexpectedly spontaneous.  Now I've been putting off for weeks my basil series namely due to the fact that there have been so many other pop up events and critters occupying blog space. This week's photos are no exception as we explore a "black and yellow" themed blog so on we go.

Enter exhibit A: spidy and baby.  Commonly known as Yellow Garden Spider, Argiope Aurantia are a distinctive "garden variety" arachnid as noted by their golden and black abdominal markings. The name means "gilded silver face" from which nature has provided not one, not two but eight eyes to meet their visual needs. This gal has her web cast between the fennel stems. There's a section in the middle of the web with a thick zig zag stitch (I doubt any sewing machine could stich one like it) called stabilimentum where she tends to hang out. Notice her young-in by her side. She encased a brown wasp with mercury man speed as baby takes the apprenticeship role, observing momma in action. (baby's notepad and pencil not photographed)

Ain't no itsy bitsy Argiope Aurantia. That's MRS to you young lady!

Admittedly this next photo is blurry but functional. I've been trying all summer long to get a shot of both the male and female Eastern Golden Finchs together but since he stood out against the flowers this photo was the easier of the two.  There seem to be two pairs of male-female golden finches enjoying the zinnia flowers both in the front and in the rear gardens.  They are territorial as one male chases after the other as well as his female mate from the flower beds.  They'll be heading to Mexico on their migratory vacation soon but we'll have those zinnias ready for next years buffet!

It's amazing how insects can take a licking and keep on ticking.  This poor yellow tailed swallow (minus the yellow tail) has sustained substantial damage yet it just fluttered amongst the zinnias like it owned the joint.

Enter exhibit B: Moon and Stars Heirloom Watermelon.  Now this is my first attempt at growing watermelon and oh what a beauty this one turned out to be! Before cutting it from the Mothervine I noticed another growing nearly adjacent to the large one and snapped a quick shot.  I particularly enjoy the yellow speckles distributed on both the leaves and fruit. 

After weighing this puppy on the digital scale I was pleasantly surprised to find it weighed a modest 17 smackers.  Not bad for my first watermelon. Oh but wait until you see the inside!

Lovely flesh you have there, daaarling!

What impressed me most about this luscious morsel wasn't just its delicious sweet flavor or the one-of-a-kind yellow interior, not even the refreshing juice dripping from my chin but .....

Before storming the castle

.... the seeds! See ... hardly any to speak of and if you look closely the seeds have a black tip so yes folks even the seeds were pure novelty specimens.

After storming the castle

I've never even seen a yellow watermelon let alone grown one so for me - and you're talking to a girl who can't for the LIFE of her grow a freakin tomato  - this was the summer's Celtic Garden First Prize blue ribbon trophy, hands down.

That's it for this weeks installment.  Catch me at the City Market this weekend for some soaps and sundries.

And as always may happiness be like a ray of sunshine in your mind, body and soul. : )