Summer is finally gone, and I’m just getting to post a few images from around our garden and yard. These images are from June through September. Last week this preying mantis was climbing on a mint plant and then our rain barrel in our backyard. He definitely gave me a few good poses to shoot, and watched me like a hawk as I was doing it. Later on that afternoon, it must have migrated to our hedge because it later jumped from the hedge onto my head when I took the dog out. It kind of freaked me out at first, but then I realized it was my friend from earlier in the afternoon.

A cat looks inquisitively through the hedges in our back yard, as I try to shoot the Goldfinches in our sunflower plants. I wonder if the cat was watching me or the birds.