Rain, Rain, Rain

While it's not raining today (yet) the forecast is for chance of thunderstorms every day this week through the weekend. We have had such torrential rain in the last few weeks, its seems impossible for the ground to absorb any more!

Saturday, I attempted to run some errands and was stuck in this!

I gave up on the errands, came home, grabbed a book and sat on my porch to read and ponder. Between storms, this little butterfly was visiting the geraniums in the front bed, as thunder again rumbled closer by, he found his cover under the leaf of a mandevilla vine training on the railing. He stayed for a few hours, and when the rain past, he flew away to find another meal I suppose.
Yesterday, was another stiflingly humid overcast with threatened showers kind of day so GoddessSupport and I went walking at the Chesapeake Arboretum. A neat little place with gardens and walking trail.
There were many male Ebony Jewel Wings fliting here and there...
We found the native Paw Paw that the Zebra Swallowtail eat...

I only count 7 legs...made me wonder about the missing one.
The sweetest little frog in contrast to a BIG shoe!
Bee Balm bud...
Another further along...
I wish you could see this on the BIG monitor in our office, I was amazed just how many variations of blue, purple and green there are on this Hydrangea. Made me think about how we don't really see things...

I've told how I feel about snakes...ew. Not exactly fear, but to borrow my youngest daughter's favorite exclamation..."That's really creepy!" And of course this wasn't the only snake we encountered... Our first footstep on the walking trail had one slithering past into the low vegitation.

Now where is this squirrel going with a mouth full of leaves???
And last but not least...