Outside My Front Door

Outside my front door today is a welcome sight, rain!


It is a nice slow rain and I hope it continues all day long. I enjoy seeing the drops splash in the bird bath. I know the plants appreciate the rain. Most of them have not received any supplemental water this year and I noticed yesterday that several were looking a little stressed. They all seem a little perkier today.


We are still below normal for rain this year. A couple of cold fronts in July brought rain when we do not normally see it and that helped to keep the garden green and blooming. My next assigned watering day is this Thursday and I was thinking that I should probably run the sprinklers for the first time this year. Maybe I can wait a little longer if this rain continues.


Next to the front door, a newly emerged pipevine swallowtail butterfly clings to a brick as its wings expand and strengthen.


Its sibling attached to the weatherstripping next to the door and emerged yesterday. I saw it flying around the garden in search of pipevine. It did not find any. The last generation of caterpillars stripped all of the plants to the ground. I saw a monarch flying around the garden too. This was only the second monarch spotting this year. I saw one in the spring and then the one yesterday. It does not appear to be a good year for the monarchs.


Some other critter built a webby cocoon or nest on the other side of the door. I will give it a few weeks to do its thing and then it is time to clean up this mess.

And that's what is going on outside my front door today. I did not say it was exciting.